Icoon Afsluitdijk is finished and has been opened on November 17, 2017.
Now we all can drive the 32 kilometers over the Dutch dike (De Afsluitdijk) to see this light spectacle which consists of 3 projects: Gates of Light, Windvogel and Glowing Nature.
The Gates of Light: the entrance to the Afsluitdijk.

Icoon Afsluitdijk is a design innovation program, commissioned by the Dutch Government to Daan Rosegaarde. It enhances the innovative character of the legendary 32 kilometer Dutch dike and highlights its key functions: water protection & heritage, energy and mobility as an exemplary model of a smart landscape for today and tomorrow.

Gates of Light: The new futuristic entrance of the dike Gates of Light brings the 60 monumental floodgates of 1932 back to their former glory. Every day 20.000 cars pass by. The structures, which were originally designed by Dirk Roosenburg, the grandfather of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, have been fully restored and augmented with a retro-reflective layer. In the dark, the architecture of these structures is illuminated by the headlamps of passing cars, reflecting the light through small prisms. If there are no cars on the road, the structures are not illuminated. This way of using light requires zero energy and does not contribute to light pollution. It will be accompanied by the installation of Windvogel, energy generating kites, and Glowing Nature, immersive bioluminescent algae placed in a historical bunker.
Windvogel: are energy generating kites which have the potential to create up to 100 kW and can supply up to 200 households with green energy. Floating in the air, the smart kites move around and are connected with a cable to a ground station. This push and pull of the cable transforms into electricity, like the dynamo of a bicycle.
The project is a tribute to the Dutch astronaut Wubbo Ockels († 2014). Roosegaarde brings his dream to life, together with the spin-off of the TU Delft, and complements Windvogel with a special designed fiber line crafted exclusively for WINDVOGEL. Whilst flying, Roosegaarde’s Windvogel creates a visual symphony of dancing lines to celebrate the beauty and poetry of green energy.
Glowing Nature: shows the beauty of nature on the Afsluitdijk by means of a unique encounter between man, biology and technology. It will be exclusively exhibited in one of the historical bunkers, providing an interactive and mysterious experience with live bioluminescent algae. The algae are one of the oldest microorganisms in the world that light up for an extended period of time when perfectly maintained. Here visitors are able to magically interact with the algae that glow upon your steps as a concrete example of our future streetlights.
read more: studioroosegaarde.net