URBAN SUN

Online Editor: Natasha Hendriks
Image: Willem de Kam, Ossip van Duivenbode Daan Roosegaarde

Connection between design and science

URBAN SUN was created by Roosegaarde's team along with outside experts and scientists from the Netherlands, the U.S., Japan and Italy.

Studio Roosegaarde has been researching the power of light for years. The self-funded project has already launched in 2019, but corona made it much more urgent. URBAN SUN connects design with science to provide innovative solutions that allow people to meet in a more humane way.

Symbol of hope

The world's first URBAN SUN cleans public spaces of viruses, such as coronavirus, for improved human bees. The artwork is inspired by the light of the sun and scientific research confirming that a new, specific light can safely clear up to 99.9% of coronavirus.

This is a developing project as a symbol of hope and it is intended to complement current government regulations. It combats the negative impact of social isolation by striving to improve cultural gatherings, sporting events, public squares and schoolyards. After the Rotterdam premiere of the artwork, Roosegaarde plans to further explore how this technique can be used effectively against the coronavirus. This might include corona-free zones where people can meet in the light of the URBAN SUN.Click here for a video MASTERS previously made about Daan Roosegaarde's work.