Kurzzeitprojekt

KTH Stockholm

Stockholm 2008

The most eastern outpost of Sweden in the middle of the baltic sea is not even an island. Svenska Björn is a big rock that reaches up to a few centimeters beneath sea level.
It was this invisible danger that led to the idea of a flying    lighthouse - flying over those waves that are breaking apparently without any reason in the midle of the ocean. Like a cardinal mark, showing seamen where better not to go, the lighthouse just becomes a giant arrow, pointing down to the danger.
Used as a biological laboratory, the lighthouse also has
to be manned. Without any connection to the dry land, it basically has to work like a baltic version of the MIR. Beeing able to stand the elements, to produce enough energy for the lamp and the lighthouse keeper and finally to get along with fresh- and wastewater.
As Sweden is too far north to use solar power, other forms of energy must be used. The lonely rock is basically creating the same ef fect as Hawaii, just a bit smaller. That means, that it will be surrounded by waves, even if there is not that much wind.
Artificial corals that are swinging in the waves will collect this energy. In days of big waves, the whole construction will be lifted up, just to sink down slowly on calm days, turning the accumulated potential energy into electricity.
The whole lighthouse becomes a big battery, moving up and down. The lonely member of society waving a
candle in the wind. 
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