Lumenpulse Lighting Tells a Magical Story at Swedish Ski Resort

Swedish lighting designers Ljusarkitektur have worked with Lumenpulse to turn one of the world's top ski resorts into a magical experience after dark.

Situated close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden, the Åre ski resort was named one of the "world's top ski resorts" by the British travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller.

The new attraction uses light to create a night-time family experience, increasing the resort's revenue by extending its hours of operation after dark. The scheme is part of a major investment by resort owner SkiStar, which expects to make a return on its investment in two to three years.

Leading Scandinavian design practice Ljusarkitektur created the attraction using the local tales of giants and trolls as their source of inspiration for the lighting.

Ljusarkitektur creative director Kai Piippo said: "This is both a landscape and an experience project. We have been able to use the best available technology both to continue and to reinvent the tradition of storytelling from the area that dates back hundreds of years."

The installation uses 240 color-changing Lumenpulse luminaires to cast an eerie moonlight glow over the slopes to create an attraction that has boosted the resort's night-time economy.  A range of Lumenbeam projectors, including the Red Dot Product Design Award winning Lumenbeam LBX, were chosen for the project.

Ljusarkitektur chose Lumenpulse fixtures for their high performance, ease of maintenance and ability to withstand tough weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures.

The project in brief

• Swedish design practice Ljusarkitektur has created a dramatic and enchanting scheme using local folklore tales as their source of inspiration.
   
• The scheme is designed to help Åre Ski Resort increase revenue by creating a night-time attraction for the family but its use of LEDs also saves energy.
   
• Sweden's long winter nights mean that the 3.5km ski slope is now lit both in the early morning and in the evening, which extends its hours of use and its potential to attract revenue.
   
• The 240 Lumenbeam luminaires chosen for the project have to withstand high winds, sub-freezing temperatures and heavy snow and ice loads. 
   
• Ljusarkitektur used the Lumenbeam LBX fixtures to create a dynamic blue/white design redolent of moonlight. Each of the LBX fixtures has three separately addressable LED boards; in this case, two blue and one ice white.
   
• Lumenpulse's dual chamber technology makes Lumenbeam fixtures easy to maintain even in extreme conditions. The LEDs and drivers are in separate compartments so that drivers are easy to access and can be changed without replacing the whole fixture.
   
• Attraction owner SkiStar says the lighting scheme will help it to recoup its investment in less than three years.