Bringing Invisible Energy Flows To Light With Rosco Gobos

WWZ Energie AG is an energy, telecommunications, and water supply company based in Zug, Switzerland, that has been operating electric street lights since the end of the 19^th century. To commemorate its 125^th anniversary, the company presented the city of Zug with a light art installation entitled The Flow. The project, a collaboration with the architectural lighting design company Lichtkompetenz GmbH, features over 100 Rosco Custom Gobo projections that symbolize the flow of energy, telecommunication, and water inside the city’s Arenaplatz square.

Audrius Ringaila, an illustrator at Lichtkompetenz, explains the design concept for The Flow: “The idea was to illustrate energy and water flows. Energy and water are crucial parts of every city, yet, most of the time, they are hidden underground. We wanted to represent WWZ Energie in a subtle, yet familiar, way.”

“The decision was made to use light projections on the pavement to make the invisible visible, thus, the idea of ‘flow’ was born,” Ringaila continued. “As this was going to be a permanent installation, shown nightly, we wanted to avoid descriptive images and focus instead on more abstract and timely visual language. In the end, lines were chosen as a medium to convey flows.”

Lichtkompetenz GmbH installed Rosco Black & White Custom Glass Gobos into 18 LED projectors that were mounted on five, 12m light poles throughout the square.

The lighting design consists of distinct line patterns that slowly change from an evenly spaced static “water” flow to the more dynamic “electricity” and “data” flows. The 30-minute program is played in a loop and is adjusted to suit each season with different gobos and colors, creating a discreet and aesthetic illumination across the square.

If you have a concept you’d like to express using projected patterns, visit our Rosco Custom Gobos webpage to learn more about our capabilities.

Photos and video by Lichtkompetenz GmbH