The Hindu Business Line : High or low, information is information

Braunschweig, a city that wants to be the cultural capital of Europe in 2010, commissioned an international ideas competition to prepare for its candidature. Winning a first prize was the idea of "Breathing Braunschweig" (http://home.wanadoo.nl/aroeterink/bs/index1.html), an idea that would help people navigate the city.

The idea is simple, with a mix of low- and high-tech elements. The basic idea is to have balloons on poles at important locations across the city. The balloons will be illuminated from the inside when it is dark.

The size of the balloons will depend on the number of people at that location and the balloons will be colour-coded according to the nature of the event. This means that one can find out the most `happening' event of a particular type at a glance.

At the base of each of the tethering poles, there will an information kiosk or display that will offer views and information, background material and history, and tickets and souvenirs.

The balloon installations will also act as an information-gathering network on traffic, density, and path patterns of visitors.

Wish you could have colour-coded balloons tracking different bosses at work and at parties?

N. Nagaraj

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