The skylights may look real, but they’re actually a recent innovation in artificial lighting. Designed by the award-winning Italian company CoeLux and funded by the European Union, these LED fixtures mimic sunlight by diffusing white and blue light through a nanoparticle coating that simulates the earth’s atmosphere.
The technology has great potential in bringing new life to indoor spaces. Possible applications include everything from dark apartment bathrooms to dreary hospital wards.
Presented at the 2014 Biennale Architettura, the design is making people excited about the many new ways in which architecture can transform people’s experiences of everyday life. The skylights are currently available in three versions—representing Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Tropics sun exposure—and priced from £40,000. In the future, researchers look forward to creating even more nuanced lighting options, and market demand will hopefully make the design more affordable in time.