Step into these awesome "Climate Portals" at Stockholm Airport

At the top of our list of Exciting New Things We Want to Try this week has to be the new installation at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport (ARN) — the “Climate Portal.”

In an effort to connect the world even closer to Sweden, the airport worked with Studio NOC, "a brand activation agency" to create three almost Futurama-like booths (without the "slow and horrible" death option), where users can experience the current weather at destinations around the globe with just the push of the button. The effect comes from a battery of wind generators, temperature controllers and audio-visual cues to replicate the heat of the desert, chill of the tundra, or stickiness of the city — depending on real-time readings from online weather services.

In the Climate Portal's YouTube video, Dev Malhotra, executive technical director of Studio NOC, said:

“No matter who you are or where you’re from, [weather] affects you. It’s the first thing you see when you look out the window in the morning, when you check your phone, and it’s the most popular conversation topic in the world.

It’s a brilliant piece of marketing, to say the least, and burnishes the reputation of Swedish ingenuity in addition to highlighting ARN's connections to the world.

And if it reminds you to buy a pair of sunglasses or tanning lotion in the airport shops, all the better The Climate Portal remains in operation at Terminal 5 until the end of August, about the same time when Swedes can finally enjoy their own weather.