Officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix on April 11 2013, In Lumine Tuo is part of the ‘Trajectum Lumen’ project which aims to generate tourism through a trail of permanent light installations in the historic centre of Utrecht.
Beginning with a masterplan of the district, an idea evolved that viewed the city, the district and the buildings as a living organism, with the ‘body’ made up of the iconic Dom Tower, Church and Square. All three elements are viewed as important members of society that have been observers and participants in the history and development of Utrecht. Light enables the structures to come to life, breathe, connect with each other and communicate with people in the city about the past and the present.
After dark, every fifteen minutes, the installation begins with the three elements appearing to ‘breathe’ as a lighting sequence connects and unifies them. Light glows through the stained glass windows of the Dom Church and illuminates the internal faces of the buttresses. In the Dom Square the memories of the past are recalled; the space where the west end of the Church once stood is highlighted. The play of light accelerates, and memories, represented as bursts of light, ascend the Tower. The sequence culminates just before the striking of the hour with a dramatic finale in the lantern, where memories cluster in the ‘brain’ of the Tower, and multiple bursts of light and patterns are unleashed to the sounds of pealing bells.
The project uses multiple LED light sources, which keeps energy use low whilst delivering a strong impact. The scheme was scrutinised by the City Commission and Heritage Inspectors, with all details and drawings inspected and approved prior to construction.
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