138 LAST PAGE / TRAFFIC ISLAND, SWEDEN
BUILT WITH LIGHT
NO. 24: TRAFFIC ISLAND, SWEDEN
Sharon Stammers continues her world tour exploring the best architecture that is built with light. This
issue, Joran Linder departs from the normal impressive building by choosing a little cottage in Sweden
Built with Light No. 24 is going to for Glue-Peter) is also well known for
depart from the norm and needs a bit of projects such as his urban bird nesting
explaining if I can get it past the Editor boxes and together they built (and
(it’s a strange one but I’ll let it go! Ed). lived in, or so the internet says) this
The thing with asking a designer to small house, an illegal installation that
nominate a building that is fundamentally captures people’s imagination and (go
about light and moves them in some way on, admit it) makes you smile. Their
is you can never be sure what you will get projects are mostly about recreating and
and once you’ve asked you have to write re-imagining urban spaces and making
about it anyway. (That’s not strictly true something completely unexpected and
“High on a wooded cliff between two noisy
– I should have put money on the fact special: in this case the escape that the
highways, there is suddenly a miniature that Kevin Mansfield would choose the Swedish countryside provides.
Swedish summer cottage, painted Pantheon and Mark Major, Hagia Sophia.) So why did Joran choose it and what’s
traditional red with white corners. Of To date, the Back Page has covered it got to do with Light? I think the key is
course, it did not just arrive up there by 23 amazing buildings, both classic and in the line at the end of the paragraph:
itself. Two street artists secretly brought it
modern across the globe in a neat and ‘What if more people transformed the
there. They have built the red fence around
formulaic way and now I have departed places they find themselves living in,
the small garden. They have hung clothes
from the norm by asking a Swede! to replicate the places they dream of‘.
to dry on ropes in the yard and strewn
So what does he choose? Something Olsson and Linder are a lighting practice
festive lighting on the exterior to celebrate
very different from the preceding that specialises in the social aspect of
Christmas. They have taken everything the
architectural giants; a tiny red house lighting design. Their mantra is to ‘work
Swedish countryside promises and stands
built on a motorway. It has no lengthy with and for the people’, to use light to
for and placed it in the middle of the urban
and colourful history, no architectural change the gritty urban spaces that are
landscape. On an unused, forgotten place,
theory to expound on and no need to get normally abandoned and unloved.
they have created a charming and peaceful
out an architecture dictionary to find “Lighting design is about creativity.
wonderland for all to see and contemplate.
the right name for a funny shaped high Lighting design is about people. Lighting
What if more people transformed the
up window. Granted, in this picture, it design is about people’s needs and
places they find themselves living in, to
replicate the places they dream of. It
is draped with lights so we could sort of requirements in their daily life!“
would not be so difficult…”
scrape by under the ‘Built with Light’ They have worked on many community
Joran Linder – Olsson & Linder
title. However, essentially it is just a based projects within the large housing
miniature cottage and not the normal estates of the Million Housing Program
kind of building we include. But as I think (a Swedish Housing Initiative for
I know why Joran chose it, I will try and immigrants in the 1960’s) and used
explain. lighting to help reclaim civic pride and
First, who built it and why? It is an to fight against social exclusion in these
installation devised by the Barsky disadvantaged areas. By using light as
Brothers which is the name that the a medium, they believe we are able to
collaboration of Akay and Klisterpeter, transform the places that in cities many
two Swedish street artists use. Akay, millions of people live to make them
also known as Karl Adam Warrol, began more comfortable, safe and pleasing
as a Swedish grafitti artist then moved environments.
into street art starting a project called So there you go – a funny little cottage
Akayism. In the Akayism project he has built with love (not light) used to
made art installations in all kinds of demonstrate an attitude of creative
formats and sizes that have been seen in recreation possible on our own urban
all corners of the world (Liverpool invited doorsteps. A perfect way to start a new
them to participate in their celebrations decade dedicated to socially responsible
as City of Culture). Klisterpeter (Swedish lighting design.
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