Client: Kai Restaurant & Bar
Event: Urban Space Festival
Location: Tallinn Linnahall Outdoor Area (seaside)
Date: June 2025
Attendees: 1,500 (including yacht and motorboat audiences)
My Role: Lighting designer & programmer
Event: Urban Space Festival
Location: Tallinn Linnahall Outdoor Area (seaside)
Date: June 2025
Attendees: 1,500 (including yacht and motorboat audiences)
My Role: Lighting designer & programmer
Linnaruumifest presented three constraints that defined the entire design approach:
Nearly 24-Hour Daylight
Mid-June in Estonia means sunset around 11 PM with civil twilight lasting until 2 AM. Traditional lighting effects would be invisible against the ambient light.
Mid-June in Estonia means sunset around 11 PM with civil twilight lasting until 2 AM. Traditional lighting effects would be invisible against the ambient light.
Extreme Power Constraints
The entire production—sound and lighting combined—ran on one 32A and one 16A outlet. No budget or space for generators.
The entire production—sound and lighting combined—ran on one 32A and one 16A outlet. No budget or space for generators.
Stage in the Sea
The performance platform sat on a former sculpture foundation in the water, connected to land by a narrow concrete bridge. When speedboats passed, waves would wash over the platform.
The performance platform sat on a former sculpture foundation in the water, connected to land by a narrow concrete bridge. When speedboats passed, waves would wash over the platform.
Concept: "Geometric Minimalism by the Sea"
The site already provided dramatic architectural elements: two rectangular concrete piers framing a circular pad in the water. I designed a triangular pyramid truss structure as both the stage framework and lighting rig—creating a geometric focal point that contrasted with the organic seaside setting.
The lighting strategy centered on perception over output. Rather than competing with daylight, I positioned fixtures to slightly blind the audience intentionally, supplemented with silent fireworks using colored powders to create visual peaks during key musical moments. When you can't create darkness, you create direct visual intensity and spectacle.
The Pyramid Structure
The triangular truss pyramid served multiple functions: providing rigging points in an otherwise riggingless outdoor space, creating a striking geometric form visible from boats and the surrounding piazza, and allowing beam fixtures to be positioned at audience eye level for maximum visual impact despite daylight.
Rather than overhead lighting washing the stage (which would be invisible), fixtures aimed directly at the crowd created intense beam effects and audience participation through light interaction.
Compensating for Daylight
The silent fireworks became essential to the design strategy. During musical peaks, colored powder bursts provided dramatic visual moments visible even in bright ambient light—creating spectacle that traditional lighting couldn't achieve. The silent nature kept focus on the music while adding visual punctuation.
Combined with audience-aimed beam fixtures and strobes, this created a multi-layered approach: constant low-power architectural wash, intense beam moments, and explosive color bursts timed to the music.
The seaside piazza filled completely, with attendees staying until the 2 AM city noise curfew forced the event indoors. Even then, many remained on the waterfront enjoying the lingering twilight and music filtering outside.
The triangular pyramid structure became the visual signature of the event, photographed extensively from both land and water. The colored powder bursts created shareable moments that appeared throughout social media coverage.
Embracing constraints as creative drivers made this work. Instead of fighting 24-hour daylight with impossible power demands, we repositioned the entire approach: lights as visual objects aimed at people, silent fireworks for spectacle, and architectural lighting for mood.
The minimal equipment list forced clarity. Every fixture and effect had a specific purpose, and the pyramid structure provided architectural elegance that made the production feel intentional rather than limited.
Looking for creative solutions under extreme constraints?
I design lighting experiences that transform limitations into distinctive visual language. Whether it's minimal power budgets, challenging daylight conditions, or unconventional outdoor venues, I find creative approaches that deliver impact without compromise.
