Turninn - A landmark on the horizon, Iceland

Transforming an existing high-rise office building to become landmark on the horizon, using lighting. This was the task that Reykjavik based lighting design company, Liska, was commissioned to do. The challenge was to achieve this without the façade becoming intrusive or aggressive, but rather a natural part of the city skyline.

Liska is deeply inspired by the natural beauty of Nordic sky. A sky that sometimes feels ethereal due to its vibrant colors during twilight. A sky that often displays beautiful dancing aurora borealis, and dramatic interplay of sun and clouds. Incorporating this into the concept without making the façade a spectacle. That was the goal. Liska envisioned a subtle motion of light that, from a moving car, would go un-noticed, but standing still, the motion would reveal itself, slowly yet harmonically.

The light blends into the architecture. Following a thorough site analysis, investigating the visual presence and strongest view lines of the tower, it was decided that rather than from street level, it is in the horizon, where the building dominates. Therefore, lighting was only integrated into the top half of the tower. To achieve smooth integration into the façade, the lighting is programmed with a gradient. Thus, naturally blending into the façade.

The tower, which is the tallest building in Iceland, was completed in 2007. Now, almost two decades later, it was undergoing renovation of the glazing façade. Planning for lighting in the existing structure called for on-site testing and prototyping, as well as involvement of window manufacturer and engineering experts. During the design process resolution, brightness, density of LED Lines, etc. was investigated with both renderings and on-site evaluation. The methodical approach resulted in a lighting system which integrates naturally into the window mullion system, making the equipment invisible during daylight and robust enough to withstand the harsh climate.

It was clear from the start that we didn’t want to design a loud media façade, and we wanted a design that respects the night sky and isn’t scrutinized for high energy use. Along with the client, we had an open conversation with the municipality, neighbors and stakeholders. Lighting adapts through the day and dims as the sky becomes darker. Switching completely off during day and night. Therefore, only lighting when there is an audience and remaining respectful of the night sky. This is also done to minimize energy use and lengthen the operational lifetime of the lighting equipment.

A “less is more” approach was adapted into the concept, i.e. lighting enough to be seen but not so much as to become loud. Lighting scenes are preprogrammed to respond automatically to national and international celebrations and various awareness events in a tasteful and subtle manner and each month of the year has a slightly varying scene.

Smáratorg Tower is now exactly what the client hoped for — a landmark, not because it dominates the skyline, but because it enhances it. A project we at Liska are very proud of.