This spring the Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse was reopened and retrofitted with an architectural installation that give the public the chance to enjoy the unique vistas and wild dynamic spectacle of nature, from the top of the lighthouse.
Bessards’ Studio and JAJA Architects designed a scenographic stairway giving access to the tower and making the ascent a sequence of architectural experiences. Staging its historic function as a beacon for the seafarers, they inserted a gigantic wind-powered kaleidoscope into the 116-year-old lighthouse on the northwestern coast of Denmark that captures natural light and reflection, sending it inwards to create an ever-changing cascade of colors and glimpses of the sea and surrounding landscape.
The kaleidoscope also functions as the structural element on which the stair wraps itself around. The triangular shape of the kaleidoscope in combination with the perforated and transparent stair create a playful interaction with the square geometry of the lighthouse, staging a unique experience of the vertical space, which stretches between earth and sky.
The revitalization of Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is part of a nation-wide initiative of architectural interventions that seek to invite the public to experience the most unique and remarkable areas of the Danish landscape.
all images © Hampus Per Berndtson | video courtesy of JAJA Architects