Method and arrangement for producing experiences

The present invention relates to a method for producing experiences, wherein a person (3) is brought, within boundaries (1, 4) to be the object of artificial climatological and/or seasonal conditions, wherein the person at the same time has the possibility to encounter different separate activities and/or meet different conditions or creations. Of these at least a part are based on artificially generated solid and/or semi-solid elements or structures (9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 19′) associated with refrigeration of water. The present invention also relates to an arrangement for generating experiences, where there is at least one space (2) which can be secluded. Said space includes arrangements (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 19′) which present different climates and/or seasons in real-time and at least partially three-dimensionally, by means of which certain artificial elements (9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 22) can be observed by the person (3) in order to form a comprehensive three-dimensional experience. The present invention also relates to the use of the method and the arrangement.

The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for producing experiences, especially so that the person or group of persons constituting the object of the experience is subjected to certain impulses.

A person will have the feeling of encountering an experience especially when having the possibility to meet or getting into a situation where she/he meets conditions which differ from those of normal life. Usually an experience is a positive thing, but the nature of an experience can also include, as one element, a situation where the person experiences a certain degree of danger, threat, fear or pleasure or some other exceptional situation differing from the secure everyday life. In order to encounter such an experience it is, especially for an urban person, generally enough that such situations are induced under controlled circumstances which feel safe.

Typically, one tends to arrange situations which produce experiences as a part of leisure, tourism or entertainment or as an enlivening element in context with some more factual event. A teaching or educational process is also especially effective, when capable of inducing a feeling of experience for the student.

The object of the present invention is to disclose a method and an arrangement by means of which experiences related especially to Nordic or Arctic conditions are produced, and especially so that interaction between different states of aggregation of water are utilized as one element.

The method according to the present invention is characterized by bringing a person subjected to encounter an experience, to constitute the subject for such arctic conditions that are artificially formed within boundaries and/or especially boundary surfaces which are essentially closed, closable or at least can be clearly defined, in order to render it possible for said person to encounter a comprehensive experience, in such a way that the person himself within the same context can experience various separate arctic activities and/or meet different conditions or creations, wherein said activities, conditions or creations at least to a significant extent are based on artificially created solid and/or semi-solid elements or structures which relate to the freezing of water.

In a physical sense this means arranging such demarcated conditions within which one can produce and at least temporarily maintain frost or at least such conditions that are required for freezing water to ice.

Correspondingly, the arrangement for producing experiences according to the present invention includes spaces located within boundaries which are favorably essentially confined or which can be closed, to which spaces people have access, said spaces including arrangements which depict different climates and/or seasons in real-time and at least partially three-dimensionally, by means of which arrangements certain artificial climatological elements and/or elements connected to a season can be observed at different distances so that a comprehensive three-dimensional experience is formed.

In the FIGURE, an area or space2is shown by means of a boundary1indicated by a phantom line, where a person3is schematically shown in the center. The words “area” and “space” should here be broadly interpreted to comprise all conditions that can be defined by a border which is present physically or mentally, i.e. mainly imaginative. Such a space can have a physical roof/wall structure which fully or partially defines the space, as the cupola4which is allusively shown in the FIGURE, or the space can be defined mainly by allusive definitions. The entry and exit of the space2lead through one or several openings5, which can be physical openings or merely an imaginary means of passage. The border of the space does not necessarily attach to any physically perceivable border, structure or arrangement, and the expression also covers a situation where the boundaries of the space at the same time define both an area and its corresponding airspace8or an underground space related to the area, as long as these at least mentally can be perceived as pertaining to the space defined by the boundaries. Thus, a thin phantom line within the boundaries1shows a real or imaginary horizon line6which within the space constitutes a border between a surface7and an airspace8.

Despite the fact that the word “space” thus can be interpreted in a rather abstract way a favorable embodiment of the present invention, however, is usually based on that said space2is closed off or can be closed in such a way that some requirements related mainly to commercial or social exploitation are set to give access to the space. As a general example of this kind of space which as such is defined in a physical sense the spatial arrangement according to the applicant's earlier international patent application No. PCT/FI99/00934 can be mentioned.

According to the present invention one or several persons3dwelling in this kind of secluded space2, which also as such may be a passage leading to another space or area, is brought to encounter a comprehensive experience so that the person3himself will have the possibility to meet with several separate activities related to climate and/or season of the year and/or the diurnal rhythm. In the FIGURE some activities of this kind are disclosed in an exemplifying manner, such as suitably an Arctic mountain landscape9, Nordic wood landscapes10and11, a snow castle structure12to which a snowy slope13usable for skiing is connected which suitably ends on a field14imitating, e.g., the icy surface of a lake, at the edge of which there are disclosed elements of art and/or elements15influencing the nature of the atmosphere in the space2.

The FIGURE further discloses, in a schematic manner, a number of separate spaces which are arranged within the defined space2. Such separate spaces, for example a building arranged for functions such as restaurants, shows, entertainment, education, accommodation, service or the like can have resemblance to a traditional Nordic residential building, or it can be some other structure having an appropriate architecture. Favorably, the arrangement is such that the heating of the building16utilizes heat from the refrigeration of some other element, e.g., a ice field14as disclosed in the FIGURE, in which case a machinery17or some other arrangement serving, e.g., a heat exchange or some other maintenance functions, or some other arrangement such as refrigerating and heating apparatus18,18′ can be located completely or partially within said defined space2or outside thereof.

Separate spaces arranged within said defined space may include spaces19arranged for other functions, within which spaces different functions connected to the personal comprehensive experience for a person3inside the defined space2. As examples of such separate spaces can be mentioned the spatial arrangements known from the applicant's earlier international patent application No. PCT/FI02/00408, according to which for example a water basin19′ adapted for spa functions can be arranged in this kind of spaces.

According to the present invention the produced personal experiences relate especially to the utilization of phenomena related to freezing of water and melting of ice, whereby the structures which contribute to the experiences favorably at least partially are formed as a result of refrigeration and heating functions directed to water. As a consequence an experience which is produced in accordance with the present invention will be especially associated with Arctic or at least cold conditions and with events and phenomena which occur under such conditions, which does not bar the fact that a temperature or some other conditions generally prevailing in a space may correspond to the temperature and the conditions in some other part of the world. As such, an experience is a rather subjective matter, and the forming thereof depends, besides on the persons inner character and, correspondingly, external influences for which he is the subject, also on the general atmosphere within the space and other sometimes rather abstract influences. By artificially maintaining mutually contrary conditions where a warm space has cold elements, or vice versa, an effect is generated which improves the encounter of an overall experience.

Especially, according to one embodiment of the present invention, different structures related to water are utilized for generating the comprehensive experience. Such structures, of which the decorations referred to as15are only one example, are formed as subjects related to Arctic conditions so that water, water mist and/or steam is refrigerated below the freezing point of water, suitably so that the energy which is set free by the refrigeration18at the same time is used for heating special structures16which are located within said boundary surfaces. Special arrangements for generating such structures are disclosed in the applicant's earlier patent EP-0 470 085 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,136.

Besides structures based on changing the state of aggregation of water favorably also other phenomena which occur in nature under arctic conditions or relate to such conditions, and/or artificial phenomena resembling or imitating such phenomena, are formed within the boundaries4of said structures2comprehensively or as separate operations. Thus, for example, in a forest landscape10and/or11one can artificially or naturally produce conditions which depict the different seasons, such as snow cowering the ground in winter, melting of the snow and the effervescence of streams in spring, the whistle of grass and bird's singing in summer, a windy rainy day in autumn, etc. In the same manner, by means of suitable growing one can cause the color of the leaves of certain trees and bushes to change in a way which imitates the phenomena of Nordic forest glowing in the autumn.

According to an especially favorable embodiment some part or the space, for example an area connecting to the vicinity of the artificial horizon6and rising up towards the sky, is provided with a reflector surface20, onto which by means of a projector21located within the space or outside thereof some images22which have an impact on the overall experience, of which images the FIGURE discloses a phenomena which imitates Northern lights. For such a reflector surface a glass structure is favorably used where the glass as such has a structure which regarding its properties such as transparency can be artificially influenced. By projecting images on a background of physically existing elements and structures, which images present an “extension” of the structure, an impression is generated which to a person3looking at the physical structure may seem to extend into infinity. This impact is based on the effect that a person3who looks at a physical object which is near him will attach his main attention expressly to the physically existing, whereby an image structure behind the object and in the background will have less attention while at the same time still contributing to the instinctively formed comprehensive observation and thus also to the personally encountered experience.

Such projected structures22can be static as well as dynamic. Typical static structures may comprise, e.g., landscapes and trees, while dynamic structures may present such phenomena as the sun's rising, progress and setting, the progress of the moon and stars, Northern lights as disclosed under reference22in the FIGURE, etc. As a complement acoustical effects are suitably generated in the space2by means of appropriate apparatus21′, such effects here being considered as belonging to dynamic structures or dynamic functions, which further may include even such elements like sledge riding. The FIGURE further discloses a snow cannon23″ for generating artificial snow, by means of which snow cannon a blanket of artificial snow is generated or maintained on locations where this improves the forming of the experience. For clarity, such machines and devices have been omitted in the FIGURE which, e.g., the maintenance of a ski slope13possibly would require.

The above described static and dynamic structures or other phenomena which, as such, would be associated with nature or normal human life, or matters of which at least a part already due to their nature may associate to Arctic conditions or to prevailing ideas thereof, contribute to an improvement and diversification of the effect of experience which especially a low temperature evokes in the mind and feelings of a human being.

The method and arrangement according to the present invention are favorably used in conditions where the Arctic world as such is regarded as distant, unknown, mythical or even dangerous. Especially, the present invention can be utilized as an element in tourist, catering, entertainment or educational arrangements open to a limited group of people or to the public.

Above the present invention has been described in an exemplifying manner in the form of some embodiments, but for the professional it is clear that the invention can be realized also in many other ways within the scope of the appended claims.