To mark the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall, LED-lit balloons will line the wall’s former span, between Oberbaumbrücke and Bornholm Road, The Creators Project reports.
The balloons will be up for two days and two nights, starting November 7.
The project, named Lichtgrenze (or Border of Light), makes for a colossal art installation that will span 10 miles, dividing Berlin back to East and West. There will be 8,000 LED light-filled balloons, each 11 feet high and with 24-inch-diameter orbs, lining the path.
Researchers at the University of Hannover were asked to help design the balloons to be biodegradable. The material will decompose by natural environment factors such as sunlight, oxygen, and bacteria.
The idea for the installation was conceived by light artist and designer Christopher Bauder and his brother, filmmaker Marc Bauder.
Along key locations of the trail will be 30-foot-tall video screens that will play historical footage of the Wall, which Marc Bauder plans to use to juxtapose divided Berlin with the city today.
On the last day, November 9, at 7 pm—the anniversary of the fall of the Wall—patrons can attach personal notes to the balloons and then discconect them, allowing the helium-filled orbs to float into the Berlin night sky. LEDs integrated into the stands, powered by 60,000 batteries, will illuminate the orbs as they take off.
Stay tuned for more updates of the event at The Creators Project.
Related Stories
| Dec 28, 2014
7 fresh retail design strategies
Generic ‘boxes’ and indifferent service won’t cut it with today’s savvy shoppers. Retailers are seeking a technology-rich-but-handmade vibe, plus greater speed to market and adaptability.
| Dec 28, 2014
Workplace design trends: Make way for the Millennials
Driven by changing work styles, mobile technology, and the growing presence of Millennials, today’s workplaces are changing, mostly for the better. We examine the top office design trends.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA: Commercial glass façade and door systems
When it comes to selecting fenestration systems—particularly glass facades and door systems—a number of factors come into play, requiring a thorough evaluation of a project’s individual requirements.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 essential habits of successful architects
Want to take the next step as a design processional? John Gresko, Senior Project Architect with HDR, explores the traits that many great architects possess.
| Dec 28, 2014
10 unglamorous things architects do
An acquaintance recently asked me about the kinds of things I did on a day-to-day basis at work, anticipating a response loaded with enviable activities. She was wrong, writes HDR's John Gresko.
| Dec 28, 2014
New trends in ceiling designs and materials [AIA course]
A broad array of new and improved ceiling products offers designers everything from superior acoustics and closed-loop, recycled content to eased integration with lighting systems, HVAC diffusers, fire sprinkler heads, and other overhead problems. This course describes how Building Teams are exploring ways to go beyond the treatment of ceilings as white, monolithic planes.
| Dec 27, 2014
7 ways to enhance workplace mobility
The open work environment has allowed owners to house more employees in smaller spaces, minimizing the required real estate and capital costs. But, what about all of their wireless devices?
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Dec 22, 2014
What Building Teams can learn from home builders' travails
Commercial and residential construction can be as different as night and day. But as one who covered the housing industry for nearly a decade, I firmly believe AEC firms can learn some valuable lessons from the trials and tribulations that home builders experienced during the Great Recession, writes BD+C's John Caulfield.