Design
To Beat Wintery Shadows, a Norwegian Mountain Town Installed Giant Mirrors
Rjukan, Norway, just created a town square-sized light box.
In late July, the small town of Rjukan, about two and a half hours west of Oslo, Norway, is treated to more than 18 hours of light a day—the sun rises before five, and sets after 10. But from September to March, the tall mountains surrounding the valley community effectively block out most direct sunlight. For the former industrial town-turned-winter recreation base camp, the change of seasons can contribute to particularly severe municipal case of seasonal affective disorder.
To give you an idea, this is what Rjukan looks like in late September, at the beginning of the dark season: