Ultraviolet light concept cleans air and helps to make evening events safer

The design team wants to bring back the joy of shared experiences, while keeping safety as paramount

Spotted: Created for use with coronavirus safety measures already in place, particularly social distancing and mask-wearing, Studio Roosegaarde’s Urban Sun concept cleans air with far-UVC light. Inspired by scientific studies of the use of light to treat aerosol-borne viruses, the social design lab wanted to find a way to help facilitate the return of cultural events that bring together large groups of people.

The design team emphasises that the Urban Sun helps make spaces safer, not safe. The light is not a replacement for current safety measures nor a stand-alone solution to preventing transmission of the coronavirus. Far-UVC light is a narrow subset of UV light that has germicidal properties when used in low dosages and appears to be safe for use around humans. The studio asked the Dutch National Metrology Institute VSL in Delft to measure and calibrate the light so that its use meets the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) safety guidelines for ultraviolet light.

So far, the light is available in a range of sizes, from 100 metres squared to 3,500 metres squared, with a range of other sizes in development. Far-UVA light is invisible to the human eye, so Urban Sun replicates the gold glow of the sun to make visible the area being cleaned. People and organisations interested in using the light are asked to contact the studio for more details.

Studio Roosegaarde’s innovations have been spotted by Springwise several times, with a recent art installation that doubles as a healthy crop growth enhancer and earlier, a sustainably powered art project celebrating the historic importance of water in The Netherlands.

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