Rainbow Station | Studio Roosegaarde

Rainbow Station

The largest on-demand rainbow in the world.

Rainbow Station

Rainbow Station

RAINBOW STATION connects Amsterdam Central Station with space technology to create the largest artificial rainbow in the world.

Winner of LIT 2017 Lighting Design of the Year USA.

In collaboration with Leiden University, Studio Roosegaarde unravelled light into a spectrum of colours. Through a new liquid crystal technology developed for research on exoplanets, RAINBOW STATION takes the exact shape of the historic 125-year-old station roof. The artwork marks the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the railway station and the start of the UNESCO International Year of Light 2015.

RAINBOW STATION could be seen every day for a brief moment within one hour after sunset. The light and colour let fifty million travellers a year experience a magical moment at night. Now RAINBOW STATION travels to other places around the world.

RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.
RAINBOW STATION connects the Amsterdam Central Station with astronomy science to create a site-specific rainbow of light.

Specifications:

2014-2015. Custom light source with liquid crystal lens to create a 45 by 13 meters rainbow at Amsterdam Central Station.

Clients:

Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, NS Stations, ProRail, Stichting Doen, Sterrenwacht Leiden University with Frans Snik, and Studio Roosegaarde.

Awards:

LIT 2017 Lighting Design of the Year, USA.

Downloads

Factsheet

Press Release

Rainbow Station
Rainbow Station
Science of Rainbow Station
Science of Rainbow Station
The science behind making our largest Rainbow Station in the world is now published in this scientific paper at Optical Society of America.
Open House at Studio Roosegaarde
Open House at Studio Roosegaarde
Welcome at our open house at Studio Roosegaarde on 9 and 10 Februari 11.00-19.00 during Art Rotterdam.