Winter Sun

Artist: Kim Coleman. Project manager: James Bowthorpe Architect: LYN Atelier

Winter Sun was a temporary artwork commissioned by Kings Cross for Granary Square, London. An endlessly dimming and brightening social space encircled by twelve glowing 'suns' which mimicked natural light, Winter Sun incorporated various strategies designed to compensate the effects of winter darkness. Employing early generation low power-draw LED technology, some of the 'suns' approximated daylight functioning as scaled up 'daylight lamps' used to improved seasonal mental health. Others continuously simulated the peachy tones of daybreak. Others operated like moons and were illuminated by projected light captured from the suns using live feed cameras like those used for CCTV. ​

Inside the Winter Sun was a bar which served warm drinks and held live music events by the Neo-Medieval ensemble Princes in the Tower who played ditties referring to the coldest and darkest seasons. Tables and staff uniforms were giant camera-less photographs (cyanotypes - the earliest form of camera-less photography, first used in England) created by treating their material - wood and fabric with light- sensitive emulsion and exposing to the light and shadow cast by the structure.  ​

An additional 'sun' was positioned outside of the structure at the highest point at Kings Cross, a high point in the city towering above St Pancras station.  Constantly visible to staff and students at the adjacent CSM art school as well as to workers and other passersby, the sun's graduations from rose through to lemon white were a respite from the winter darkness.