Kineum lies in the heart of Gårda – a rapidly changing district that was once one of Göteborg’s vibrant industrial areas. The 27 story building features modern architecture and a stunning façade of glass and metal and functions as a combination hotel and office building. It was developed through a cooperative work of Platzer and NCC and completed in 2022.

Light Bureau was tasked with the façade lighting and brought Stockholm Lighting Company into the project with an elegant design and a challenging request – illuminate the façade of a 100m tall building with graze lighting and without producing light pollution. Restricting the light pollution required custom engineering.

Stockholm Lighting, Light Bureau and Lumenpulse worked together to create a custom optic that combined micro snoots and light-shaping films. Photons that would have gone into the sky were re-focused onto the façade. The result is a subtle yet beautiful design that responsibly and efficiently uses light – highlighting the complex design of the Kineum façade against the Göteborg skyline.

Supoorting these luminaires are custom light poles – designed in house by Light Bureau and produced by Technilum. The aesthetic of the poles is reminiscent of ancient oil-lamps – with two dishes balanced like scales and each concealing a light source. The unique design enables the luminaires to be mounted in the most effective location while enhancing the architectural design of the building.

The façade lighting is controlled by a Pharos DMX controller. While the lighting does not include any color changing components, the placement of the light on the façade allows the luminaires to be animated for subtle effects that produce the illusion of a twisting and waving surface. In addition, the intensity of the lighting effects can be controlled according to the brightness of the sky and even dimmed down on foggy days so that the façade lighting does not contribute to light pollution in the city.

 

Designer Credit : Afonso Almeida, Kristofer Karlsson – Light Bureau

Photographer: Ulf Celander