Move over Niki de St-Phalle’s angel, the ceiling of the Zurich train station just got a new tourist-distracter. This evening was the unveiling of NOVA, a three-dimensional LED display that makes trippy patterns and pictures from 25,000 spheres.
NOVA uses some of the same technology as the infamous Bahnhofstrasse Christmas lights, which were much complained about during their first December on display last year. The grey and white patterns were too stark even for this city.
Luckily NOVA is more colorful and interesting than the Christmas lights were, and we will supposedly be treated to ever-changing displays over the three years it is scheduled to grace the Bahnhof ceiling.
The unveiling involved some interpretive dancers in body suits and some equally weird music/sound effects. The engineers involved in NOVA’s creation were overjoyed that everything worked as planned. The crowd seemed mildly impressed with the whole thing. Maybe their lack of enthusiasm had to do with the display’s calming effects, which I learned about during this exchange:
Reporter (shoving microphone in my face): What do you think?
Me (in crappy German, which I warned him about so it’s his fault for wasting his time): Um, it’s nicer than the Bahnhofstrasse Christmas lights.
Reporter: Ah, yes. Do you find it calming?
Me: Um, hmmm, well, maybe.
Reporter: No, you don’t.
Me: Should I?
Reporter: That’s what they claim.
He then walked away, seemingly proud that he had found yet another bystander to confirm his ‘not calming’ theory. Can’t wait to tune in for that broadcast.
More pictures here.
You would die if you had to use Heuston Station in Dublin. Just some dirty old print adverts for Lyons Tea. ;(
Bravo …