Client
CA Immo Deutschland GmbH

Concept and planning
Frank Bernhard Vetter

Execution
Multivision LED Systems
DAY & LIGHT

Architecture
Prof. Christoph Mäckler Architekten, Frankfurt am Main

Photos
Markus Diekow for CA Immo Deutschland GmbH

Completion
2012

Project Team DAY & LIGHT
Frank Bernhard Vetter

During Luminale 2012, we at DAY & LIGHT transformed the newly opened Tower 185 into what was probably the world’s largest „high-strike“ game. Building on our previously developed night-time design and the existing control infrastructure, the 200-metre-high skyscraper was turned into an interactive light sculpture for a few nights – and into a playful dialogue between people and the city. The clear, permanent architectural lighting served as a stage for a temporary light artwork that gave passers-by an active role.

On the forecourt stood a „strongman“ box, built massively from steel. Each hammer blow was translated into digital signals and immediately transmitted to the facade: along a green-yellow-red scale, the light pulse „wandered“ up the 50 storeys – until, in the ideal scenario, the skylounge lit up in a strong red. The crown lighting also reacted to the blow: in „fairground style,“ the light dynamically ran all the way around the entire spire, making the top of the tower clearly visible from afar.

Thus, the installation combined the precision of our lighting design with the physical experience of a funfair attraction. The result was a hitherto unique art project that merged lighting design, media art, and urban space into a shared experience, staging Tower 185 as a vibrant, interactive part of the Frankfurt skyline.