The daylight and artificial light installation with mirrored ceiling was specially developed for the staircase configuration in a private house in Grüt. The staircase with wooden steps and glass balustrade and a skylight were already part of the building structure.
The skylight, which had already been planned, was covered with a delicate soffit to provide an uninterrupted view of the sky. The soffits, finished in hot magenta, are a reference to the Mexican architect and “master of emotional architecture” Luis Barragan and allude to the building owner’s origins.
Varying angles of the sun and the corresponding reflections of the coloured soffit therefore create different colour moods in the staircase, depending on the time of day. The coloured soffit appears to float in mid-air while at the same time framing the sky. This illusion is created by the mirrored ceiling, which extends the staircase walls upwards and at the same time duplicates the artificial light installation that incorporates the overhead light.
The two light bands made of square metal profiles are also duplicated by the mirrored ceiling, thus forming two closed forms that float in the room. On the one hand, these inwardly illuminated shapes contain the overhead light and, on the other hand, generate the light for the stairwell. This can be plunged into a wide variety of colour moods with the appropriate lighting control. It makes for a very special kind of spatial experience.
