Alpiq subsidiary installs new Christmas lights in Zurich
End of October in the heart of Zurich. Markus Gut winds his lifting platform into the night sky. The sound of music comes from a radio, the Urania restaurant seems almost within reach. More than 20 meters above the Bahnhofstrasse the bustle on the street below is hardly noticeable. Shortly after 21:00 hours, Markus Gut and his four colleagues from the Kummler+Matter department for external electrical installations have the air space above the jiossing with Sihlstrasse fully under control with their four lifting platforms. They are busy every night above the Bahnhofstrasse until 5:00 in the morning with their assignment to put up "new Christmas lights" – and this has been going on since the summer. First they installed the support cables, now it is the turn of the LED crystals. More than half of them are already installed.
"Lucy" eradiates warmth and tranquillity
"Lucy" is the name that has been given to the new Christmas lights, and their name has not been by chosen by chance. Its "diamonds" are luminescent and light refracting LED crystals that will float above Zurich's famous street like a cloud. With white, red and blue lights. "Lucy" has taken up her position to eradiate warmth and tranquillity in the time leading up to Christmas – and to conjure up enthusiasm. Something that the old Christmas lighting "The World’s Largest Timepiece" apparently did not do. After just five years and many heated debates it has now been removed forever.
When on the 25th of November "Lucy" shines brightly between the Main Railway Station and Bürkliplatz with its more than 10,000 LED crystals, Markus Gut and his colleagues will know that the 18 months preparation time and their 19 weeks of night work were all worthwhile. Then the eyes of the whole of Switzerland and the world will be focussed on Zurich and will marvel at the masterpiece from Kummler+Matter.