The lighting design in the Langjökull Ice Cave tunnel took the top spot in two categories of the prestigious international lighting design competition The 2016 Darc Awards.
The design was the winner of the category „Spaces: Best Landscape Lighting Scheme and was also voted best project of the year „Darc Awards: Best of the Best.
The lighting in the Langjökull Ice Cave was designed by Icelandic engineering and consulting company EFLA. A few hundred international lighting design projects entered the The Darc Awards this year and EFLA's project was one of the 88 finalists.
Largest man made ice cave in the world
The Langjökull Ice Cave is the longest man made ice cave in the world. It is located on the west side of Langjökull glacier, 1,260 metres (4.134 feet) above sea level. The cave features a chapel, exhibition spaces and a restaurant.
Langjökull is Iceland’s second largest ice cap covering 953 km2 (368 sq mi). The ice is up to 580 m (1,900 ft) thick. The highest point is called Baldjökull and is at the northern end of the glacier standing 1,450 m (4,760 ft) above sea level. Langjökull is Europe‘s second largest glacier south of the Arctic Circle.
Read more: A guide to Iceland’s glaciers, what to do there & their claim to fame
According to EFLA the aim of the project was to provide a natural and unique experience, well planned light scenes with natural light colours and limited use of other colours. Guests are to experience the lighting without any visible equipment or cables.
The project presented many challenges, including the fact that the temperature is consistently around 0 degrees Celsius (32 F), so heat from LED lighting had to be minimal in order to prevent melting.
Holes were drilled with a specially built steam drill for illumination, and slots were made in the tunnel corners for control and power cables. The built-in lighting in the walls and ceiling of the tunnel provides pleasant illumination through the ice, which varies depending on the thickness and age of the ice, as well as highlights layers of ash from times past, including ash from the infamous Eyjafjallajökull glacier eruption in 2010, when the dispersal of the ash cloud shut down all aviation across the North Atlantic for one week.
The lighting design in the Langjökull Ice Cave tunnel took the top spot in two categories of the prestigious international lighting design competition The 2016 Darc Awards.
The design was the winner of the category „Spaces: Best Landscape Lighting Scheme and was also voted best project of the year „Darc Awards: Best of the Best.
The lighting in the Langjökull Ice Cave was designed by Icelandic engineering and consulting company EFLA. A few hundred international lighting design projects entered the The Darc Awards this year and EFLA's project was one of the 88 finalists.
Largest man made ice cave in the world
The Langjökull Ice Cave is the longest man made ice cave in the world. It is located on the west side of Langjökull glacier, 1,260 metres (4.134 feet) above sea level. The cave features a chapel, exhibition spaces and a restaurant.
Langjökull is Iceland’s second largest ice cap covering 953 km2 (368 sq mi). The ice is up to 580 m (1,900 ft) thick. The highest point is called Baldjökull and is at the northern end of the glacier standing 1,450 m (4,760 ft) above sea level. Langjökull is Europe‘s second largest glacier south of the Arctic Circle.
Read more: A guide to Iceland’s glaciers, what to do there & their claim to fame
According to EFLA the aim of the project was to provide a natural and unique experience, well planned light scenes with natural light colours and limited use of other colours. Guests are to experience the lighting without any visible equipment or cables.
The project presented many challenges, including the fact that the temperature is consistently around 0 degrees Celsius (32 F), so heat from LED lighting had to be minimal in order to prevent melting.
Holes were drilled with a specially built steam drill for illumination, and slots were made in the tunnel corners for control and power cables. The built-in lighting in the walls and ceiling of the tunnel provides pleasant illumination through the ice, which varies depending on the thickness and age of the ice, as well as highlights layers of ash from times past, including ash from the infamous Eyjafjallajökull glacier eruption in 2010, when the dispersal of the ash cloud shut down all aviation across the North Atlantic for one week.
