Art installation on the esplanade lift

Art installation "Stacking stories"

Submitted by: Silja Zimmermann, Stephan Rossi, Baden, Switzerland

Online since: 23/11/2012

The esplanade lift in Baden

The esplanade lift in Baden takes people up to a bridge, which connects the Bahnhofsplatz with the Badener Linmatpromenade. The lift can carry up to 26 passengers and the ride takes 21 seconds. The steel construction of the lift is about 25 metres high.

Installation for the city festival

For the Stadtfest 2012 we wanted to transform the lift into an art installation in the public realm. The motto of the city festival was "Stacking Stories", hence our installation was based on 2 layers of pictures. For the staging we used the 7 stories of emergency exits, which are located on the west side of the lift.

The first layer of pictures

The first layer was made of 3 x 3 m big linens, on which we depicted a new interpretation of the old verse "Ryte, Ryte, Rössli". We attached these 3 - 4 kg heavy linens to the steel construction of the lift with 12 pot magnets BD-FTN-32 without damaging the steel construction or the paintings. Despite being exposed to wind and other elements, the linens lasted steadily for 10 days.

The second layer of pictures

The glass panels of the lift served as the second layer: We applied black paint, leaving out the masks of larger-than-life people. These openings allowed passengers to see the first layer - the painted linens.

The lift in action

This picture shows the lift with passengers in it. We transformed the cabin into a sensual experience.

Thanks to fluoro paint, the pictures by Silja Zimmermann were visible at night as well.

Note from the supermagnete team: The project Facade signage is another example for attaching fabric signs to architectural objects.

Note regarding the customer project shown:
This magnet project is an application implemented by a customer. The specific parameters for this application – in particular the number, size, arrangement and adhesive force of the magnets, the material, nature and thickness of the mounting surface, dead loads and additional loads, lever actions, as well as environmental and operating conditions – may vary from project to project, and the exact conditions at the customer’s site are unknown to us. Consequently, the presentation of this project does not constitute technical guidance, an agreement on the legal and factual nature, a guarantee or an assurance that a comparable design would be suitable, sufficiently strong or safe under different conditions.

Before any adaptation to another project, it is the sole responsibility of the user to competently assess the specific local and technical conditions. Where necessary, appropriate safety measures must be put in place and professional advice must be sought. Anyone considering a similar application is responsible for verifying the conditions of use specific to their project and for selecting the necessary safety measures.

Our Customer Service will be happy to advise you on selecting suitable magnets, taking your project requirements into account.