Cats adorn a railway bridge in Kerava

Kerava’s railway bridge is an outgrowth of interactive town planning. The bridge that crosses the trunk rail line was given a unique appearance as a community project. The hundreds of cat figurines cut into the steel rail are the handiwork of Kerava’s art school’s students. The design feature turns crossing the bridge into an adventure in itself, with the lighting solution mounted on the renovated bridge rail illuminating the cats even on dark evenings.

With its illuminated railing, Kerava’s railway bridge arcs over the rail line, bringing joy and a sense of safety to people walking in the area in the dark. Creating a frame for the railway area, the silhouette of the bridge contributes to an elegant and harmonious townscape. In addition to the railing, the bridge has three gates decorated with cats, which serve as resting spots and meeting points.

Airam’s Rigel LED strip illuminates the railing

The bridge railings and resting spots are illuminated with Airam’s Rigel LED strips. The Rigel II LED strip is designed for outdoor spaces where long, continuous lines of light are required. Rigel II brackets were used to fix the strips to the railing structure, with an aluminium profile installed to create glare-free, indirect light. The galvanised steel installation profile ensures that the strip is installed straight and that it remains in place. This technique was also used in lighting solutions for exercise steps in Parola and Kuopio. The Rigel II Flex strip, which bends sideways, can be installed on curved surfaces for effective illumination in every direction. The strip can be bent up to 40 degrees. Thanks to its IP65 protection class, the Rigel strip can be mounted on a wide range on outdoor structures and surfaces and in wet spaces indoors. 
 

Everyday aesthetics in an urban environment

Kerava’s railway station has a long history. The station was built in 1878, with rail traffic on the Helsinki-Hämeenlinna line starting in 1862. The bridge crossing the trunk line was renovated in 2018, and later illuminated Corten steel railings decorated with cats were added to create an interesting design feature.
The illuminated bridge is a feast for the eyes, creating an inviting environment for walks and rest breaks, even on dark evenings. The City of Kerava realised the project in collaboration with Kerava’s art school. The project gave local children and youngsters an opportunity to participate and influence their surroundings. The idea was the brainchild of Mayor Kirsi Rontu. Kerava’s traffic planner Jari Sillfors was immediately excited about the idea and took care of the practical arrangements for the city.

Cats with individual characters

On the part of Kerava’s art school, the project was coordinated by the school’s head teacher, Saara Mesterton. Cats were selected as the theme for illuminated feature because of a well-known TV sketch show. Twenty cats were carved into the steel sheets fixed to the bridge railing, all of them in the mold of their own individual characters. With each sheet featuring five cats, a series of four sheets is repeated in the railing. As a total of 78 sheets cover the railing, almost 400 cats decorate the bridge.

‘It was important to us that the children’s and youngsters’ work is visible in the project,’ says Mesterton, adding ‘A cat can be just a cat or a metaphor for a human being. Some of the cats combine feline and human characteristics. Pupils each independently created a figurine and teachers were tasked with selecting interesting characters for the railings.’