James Turrell: Light Raiment & Clarity

The roof cornices of the Helvetia Campus are the virtual canvas for James Turrell’s work ‘Light Raiment’. More than 20,000 LED lights bathe the buildings in atmospheric light in almost imperceptibly changing colours. The lighting is reflected from the underside of the roof and is mirrored in the glass façade, blending with the light of the interior and fusing colours and spaces together. The façades of the two towers, clad with around 24,000 hand-moulded glass tiles, add an extra dimension to the play of light. The installation will be on display from sunset until the restaurant closes. In the public entrance area of the Helvetia Campus, Turrell’s work Clarity from the Diamond Glass series meets the architecture of Herzog & de Meuron. The specially manufactured glass, combined with state-of-the-art LED technology and slightly offset against the wall, creates a visually immersive experience: the two-dimensional surface transforms into a seemingly infinite depth. One special feature of this work is the diamond shape, which can also be found in the façades and numerous other architectural details of the Herzog & de Meuron campus building.