The Spira arts centre in Jönköping, a massive music and theatre complex that was opened in November 2011, has already become a local landmark.

Five, three-metre tall glass lanterns, the heaviest weighing 1.2 tonnes, decorate the foyer and match the style and colour of the building.

The lanterns were designed by Ingegerd Råman, a glass designer. Fagerhults Belysning ab carried out the construction, a task that István Magyarovari describes as an exciting challenge.

“For one thing it was difficult realising the artist’s vision of an airy minimalist construction without any bolts, screws, cables or visible joints. And then there was the practical side, such as working out how the lanterns could be serviced without lowering them to the ground or having to work at a height,” he explains.

The solution was to use long rods of plexiglass and aluminium that can easily be removed for repair or to replace the built-in led strips and other fittings. Aluminium offered the right balance of low weight and strength, and despite the tight production schedule Sapa was able to deliver the five specially designed profiles for the lanterns.