Concrete Tamed by Light
Upon entering Kunstsilo, one encounters a silence sculpted by light, not a silence of absence, but of control. The illumination appears deliberate yet unintrusive, allowing the concrete masses to hold their dignity without distortion. The lighting refrains from performing. It sets the tempo. What emerges is an orchestration of stillness, where vertical voids and soft interstitial glows define the spatial rhythm. The light reveals the architecture’s anatomy with discipline, creating neither spectacle nor denial, only clarity. The gaze moves freely, uninterrupted, aware of material weight and spatial tension. This is a space where illumination functions as a spatial editor precise, restrained, and deeply aware of its medium.
Light engages directly with untreated concrete, a material both unforgiving and deeply expressive. Here, it finds surface, not resistance. The diffuse glow grazing the stair cores brings a muted softness to otherwise rigid geometries. Reflection is scarce. Absorption dominates. This results in an ambient neutrality that amplifies the sense of volume. The interplay of glow and gradient turns the raw shell into a sequence of calibrated experiences. Glazing lines and transparent floorplates create vertical thresholds where illumination seeps rather than lands. This is not a luminous container; it is a vessel of calibrated exposure. The stillness holds tension, not emptiness.
Functionally, the lighting system demonstrates rigor. Each fixture serves a role, calibrated not only for lumen output but for necessity. No light is ornamental, no beam arbitrary. The infrastructure obeys a logic of economy and perception. Control systems are fine-tuned with deliberate zoning, enabling the space to shift without drama. What appears visually effortless is structurally complex, a result of premeditated decisions, not accidental harmony. This is a lighting scheme that disappears by design. Its intelligence is invisible, its performance embedded in the usability of space, not its decoration.
Sustainability is embedded in form and execution, not applied as an afterthought. Efficient optics, minimal fixture counts, and a critical approach to lux levels underscore a technical maturity. The custom aluminum pendant on the upper floor exemplifies this attitude raw, recyclable, resistant to trend. The lighting operates with longevity in mind, not fashion. Material honesty aligns with luminous precision. Shadows are not by-products, but structural devices. What remains is not a lit space, but a spatial system where light, surface, and silence co-produce meaning. The result is not expressive. It is exact. And in that exactness lies the experience.
Brand : Henning Larsen Architects As
Designer : Kathrine Hjelmeset
Photo Credits : Tomasz Majewski and, Alan Williams Photography
Prize: LIT Lighting Design Award
