Judges called it “groundbreaking” and the CoeLux artificial skylight was crowned Light Source of the Year during the 2014 Lux Awards in Italy. Indeed, it may be the most advanced innovation in artificial sunlight technology to date.
Developed by a group of Italian scientists, the false window is said to be so effective that it will trick those who bask in its glow into thinking they are under the actual sun. How does it work? According to This Is Colossal:
…it involves filtering a light source through a layer of nanoparticles that mimic Earth’s atmosphere. Because of this, not only does the color match sunshine but the quality does as well. In the photos above—which CoeLux insists aren’t digitally altered—you can get an idea of how realistic the light is, and see it in action in the video.
The CoeLux system comes in three configurations simulating different types of sunlight: tropical, Mediterranean and Nordic environments. The inventors suggest it would make a great addition to regular homes, subterranean homes (ever heard of an “earthscraper”?), hospitals, airports, malls and underground transit systems.
Want one of your own? That will cost you about $61,500 USD in addition to the price of installation which will set you back another $7,600. Hopefully the cost comes down as the designers work to improve the system, giving users the ability to change the position and temperature of the faux sun.
