Day followed by night is a routine that proves the fact that the Earth rotates on its axis every day making a day all of 24 hours. But imagine not being able to experience the light of day? Imagine not knowing when to wake up and go to work because it is dark 24/7.?
This is what happened to Rjukan, a little town in Norway that does not get sunlight for over seven months because it is in a valley surrounded by mountains. But to get that vitamin D, the town has come up with a solution that makes impossible, possible.?
In 2013, the mayor of the town, Steinar Bergsland, inaugurated the installation of giant mirrors, which have finally brought winter sunshine to their town centre.
The city of Rjukan has a rich history. It was?built between 1905 and 1916 by its founder and entrepreneur Sam Eyde who constructed a hydroelectric power plant there. To help factory workers to provide sunlight, he dreamed of making a giant mirror to deflect the sunlight to get a bit of ray by 1913.?
However, it could not happen during his lifetime. As an alternative, a gondola lift, also known as an aerial tramway or cryogen, was built to take citizens into the mountains so that they could get some vitamin D.
So, the local people who had forgotten how it feels like to have sunlight tried to make Sam's dream come true. After a wait of almost 100 years, the ¡®Rjukan sun mirror¡¯ was officially used and now the local residents can take sunlight in an area of 6,500 square feet of the city. With the help of mirrors, about 80 per cent of the sun¡¯s rays are sent towards the city.
Rjukan's mirror project was revived in 2005 by artist Martin Andersen.?