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
| Jun 28, 2013
A brief history of windows in America
Historic window experts from Hoffmann Architects look back at the origin of windows in the U.S.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 27, 2013
Thermal, solar control designs can impact cooling loads by 200%, heating loads by 30%
Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group.
| Jun 26, 2013
New York’s ‘Scaffold Law’ may be altered to place larger burden on workers
New York's Scaffold Law, which “places the burden of responsibility on the contractor to prove that the job site was safe for workers,” could be facing a major change.
| Jun 26, 2013
Commercial real estate execs eye multifamily, retail sectors for growth, says KPMG report
The multifamily, retail, and hospitality sectors are expected to lead commercial building growth, according to the 2013 KPMG Commercial Real Estate Outlook Survey.
| Jun 25, 2013
Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers
A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.
| Jun 25, 2013
First look: Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Florida
Real estate developer Fortune International has released details of its new Jade Signature property, to be developed in Sunny Isles Beach near Miami. The luxury waterfront condo building will include 192 units in a 57-story building near high-end retail destinations and cultural venues.
| Jun 25, 2013
DC commission approves Gehry's redesign for Eisenhower memorial
Frank Gehry's updated for a new Dwight D. Eisenhower memorial in Washington, D.C., has been approved by the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, reports the Washington Post. The commission voted unanimously to approve the $110 million project, which has been gestating for 14 years.
| Jun 21, 2013
AIA report: Greater collaboration, stiffer competition among top trends in architecture
A new 34-page report from AIA highlights key trends in the architecture marketplace and their impact on business and growth.
| Jun 20, 2013
Virtual meetings enhance design of University at Buffalo Medical School
HOK designers in New York, St. Louis and Atlanta are using virtual meetings with their University at Buffalo (UB) client team to improve the design process for UB’s new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.