What comes to mind when you think of a weather station? Probably a sleek, tablet-like device with numbers and graphs. Swedish designer Gustav Rosén set out to challenge that image with Skymill, a mechanical weather display that brings forecasts to life through movement and light. Instead of using digital screens or numbers, Skymill uses a series of metal arms that physically move and shift in real time to reflect changing weather conditions. It offers a poetic and tactile way to stay updated on the weather forecast.
Each Skymill unit functions as a kinetic sculpture, made of metal arms topped with weather symbols that represent changing weather conditions. As the sun rises, the sun icon on Skymill rises while the moon gently sets. When it begins to rain, the rain symbol lifts and aligns with the cloud. This continuous motion creates a captivating visual experience that’s impossible to ignore.
Skymill features nine unique weather symbols that can combine to represent over 35 different weather conditions. The sun and thunder icons are crafted from polished brass, the moon from polished copper, and the remaining symbols from polished steel, each chosen for its reflective appearance. The weather station connects to an online forecast service to automatically update in real time and reflect current weather conditions through its mechanical movements.
Skymill has a simple knob that lets you check the weather throughout the day. You simply need to turn it to see the current forecast or jump ahead in 3-hour intervals for up to 24 hours. There is a small diode display that shows the outdoor temperature. You can press the knob twice to see indoor temperature and humidity while pressing it once will light up the top lantern, which gently lights up with the moving arms.
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Surprisingly, Skymill also functions as an indoor air quality monitor. If levels of CO₂, dust, or other pollutants are above the recommended limits for more than 10 minutes, a small bird icon lifts up to alert the user of this vulnerable condition. The device is powered via a USB-C port and runs on minimal energy.
Skymill transforms weather updates into a calming visual experience, unlike the typical swipeable forecasts on screens. Instead of detailed charts and numbers, it showcases weather through mechanically moving arms with symbols. If you want to own one, you will need to pre-order it through Kickstarter. You will have to back its campaign for a minimum of €315 (about $360) to get one in April 2026.
