February 11–12: Utö – site + lighthouse

The temperature took a turn for the frigid.

8690

The requisite morning shot shows the remaining skims of snow from the squall.

8696

Not much heat to be gained from the sun today.

8704

There were beautiful altocumulus textures all day on the 11th, though.

8705

More altocumulus.

8710

And yet more, around sunset.

8711

Clearer skies to the south.

8754

The next day was as cold as it looks, and there had been another light snowfall overnight.

8778

On that day, we went to explore our project site (Kattrumpan), which is a military area, but we got permission to enter it.

8785

The lookout tower on the western edge of the site.

8793

A jetty, which would play an important part in my design. The project was the "Sanctuary of Silence," a sort of non-denominational monastic retreat.

8797

An old brick-plaster building next to the road going through the site.

8806

Looking back toward the village and the lighthouse.

8807

Bunker.

8813

A boathouse near the jetty.

8824

And then, in the evening, we got quite a special tour of the interior of the lighthouse. Note the massiveness of the walls.

8827

The stairs were steep and many.

8851

Great timber structure for the floors.

8852

Through this hatch you can see the grand hall in the level below; this level is a chapel.

8857

We even got to see the lighthouse lens itself.

8859

Here it is. Note that the lenses are arrayed in a rhombic shape (if you're looking at it from directly above), which means that the angles and thus the timing between the projected light beams alternate between short and long. I had noticed how the beams came by in quick pairs separated by longer intervals and, I think, had thus conjectured that the lenses had a rhombic arrangement, so it was rewarding to have my hypothesis confirmed!

8866

Looking up into the inside of the light.

8874

The light on the back wall.

8883

The chapel.