In 2014, Herning Main Library moved to a new location and expanded its function to serve as a community hub, hosting a variety of activities ranging from theater performances and line dancing to a café. The commissioned artwork was installed on the facade of the renovated building in the heart of Herning. It consists of six figures made of Corten steel, mounted on the raw concrete wall and illuminated from behind with LED lighting.
The same rustic Corten steel is used for the horizontal facade bands, while the six colored lights interact with the varying tones of the adjacent recycled tile facade. The white horizontal LED lights incorporated into the architecture are reinterpreted in the artwork, transforming into different colors and shapes.
The six figures change in appearance throughout the day. During daylight hours, when the lights are off, the rusty steel plates stand out in their raw materiality. After dark, when illuminated, the plates appear as dark silhouettes, strongly backlit.
The choice of imagery encourages viewers to form a multitude of associations, marking the building as a space that embraces almost everything—a place of knowledge, growth, challenge, experience, and community.

Herning Main Library received Realdania’s RENOVER Award in 2015.

Photo: Martin Schubert.