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European Patent Office

Munich, Germany

This permanent installation for the regional European Patent Office in Munich blends light and color in a mesmerizing design by New York artist Steven Rand, who is represented in Germany by Schueppenhauer Gallery, Cologne. His submission was chosen in a competition among artists to create a work for the building’s façade.

To bring his concept to life, 81 ColorBlast®12 units were installed along the perimeter of the ceiling outside the building’s main entrance, which measures approximately 154 by 54 feet (47 by 16 meters) and 45 feet (14 meters) high. The ColorBlast 12 units project saturated, colored light across the ceiling’s surface, and are precisely programmed to morph through a full spectrum of 16.7 million colors over the course of one year, changing imperceptibly every two seconds. In that one-year timeframe, no exact color will appear twice. The entire light show will begin to repeat itself with each new year.

According to Rand, “People who visit or pass by the building often will follow the gradual color changes, making the architecture function in a more organic rather than static way. While being an ephemeral work, the hope is that it will not become ‘invisible’ with time, as can be the case with permanent artwork. Much of my work attempts to explore interaction with the public.”

The lighting effects were authored and controlled by Light System Manager, Color Kinetics’ Ethernet-based control system that facilitates the creation and management of intricately designed light shows. The entire project encompassed two years of planning and execution in conjunction with the new construction.

Says Rand, “It seemed necessary for me to address a new EU Patent Office with new technology, and Color Kinetics’ LED-based systems proved ideal in their capability for sophisticated control and vast color range.”