Well thought-out and sustainable

The architecture of Ghent's illuminations 

Ghent's Light Plan is so much more than simply pointing a spotlight at St Bavo's Cathedral. A fully fledged plan lies behind it and also takes into account the power consumption and the impact. Because if something is fit to be seen, you need to be smart when it comes to illuminating it.  

Ghent wasn't actually the first city to come up with this idea. Lyon was. The city of Lyon was beautifully lit even before 1999 in an atmospheric, but highly ingenious way. Our city deserved that, too. The same ‘light architect’ who made Lyon such a wonderful city of lights then drew up a complete Light Plan for Ghent and his plan then took shape with the assistance of a Flemish consultancy firm. The vision that the city had back then still stands today, though of course, we are constantly adjusting the locations that are illuminated and, in the meantime, are making use of the latest energy-efficient LED technology.  

Ghent's first Light Plan therefore first saw the ... light back in 1999. It focused not only on public buildings, but also on entire cityscapes – examples being the view of Graslei and Korenlei that has already won awards – and private and protected buildings, such as museums, schools and monuments, of course, along with commercial businesses on a shopping street or government buildings such as the Old Law Courts. Those buildings don't all belong to the city, so a lot of consultation is involved. That is a job for my colleague, the urban lighting consultant.  

The enlightened Krook and Tower of the Sint-Baafskathedral at Valdacht in Ghent
The illuminated Krook with St Bavo's Cathedral in the background

Light that extends beyond Ghent's "Kuip"

Mood lighting is nice, but of course you also need functional light when it's dark. The Light Plan also includes that type of light, both for the city centre as well as for the suburbs and adjacent municipalities. Since 2007, the Light Plan has been in operation for the entire city centre and in 2011, a further plan for North Sea Port Ghent and the Canal Zone was added.  

It is definitely worth jumping on your bike and exploring the illuminated locations outside the historic centre as well. For example, the town centres of Drongen and Oostakker have just been renovated and now include atmospheric accent lighting on the central abbey building (in Drongen) and the church (in Oostakker). The churches in Afsnee, Mariakerke and Ledeberg, amongst others, have also been fitted with mood lighting.  

 

“As part of our Light Plan, we also honour Ghent's industrial and architectural past.”
Lieve Staes
Illuminated building in round arches with an eclectic style with Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic elements.
St Anne's Church illuminated

Fortunately, Ghent's history is more than just churches and abbeys. As part of the Light Plan, we are also honouring an increasing number of monuments from the city's industrial and architectural past. Simply take a look at the gas holders at the Tondelier site and the majestic green ST1 crane at Houtdok. Modern buildings too are also being allowed to see the light: the illumination of De Krook library, for example, is absolutely breathtaking. Let the light show you the way and you too can discover these hidden gems of Ghent.  

Green industrial harbor crane that is illuminated at dusk in a park.
Illuminated ST1 crane at Houtdok

Smart lighting, minimal impact

Lighting that also looks beautiful is nice, but ... doesn't it consume a huge amount of energy? And doesn't it also create ‘light pollution’? In the Light Plan, we also took these things into consideration as well.  

Sustainability and rational light consumption are the cornerstones of the Light Plan. We also consciously allow darkness. We use a clever interplay of projectors to highlight buildings and details using light. Thanks to the latest technologies, we reduced the electricity consumption. Of course, we resolutely choose LED bulbs, which consume much less power and last longer. We also replaced all of the traditional mercury vapour bulbs, thereby reducing the average power. We are also systematically replacing the old monument lighting with LED bulbs that emit light in an identical warm-white colour: 3000K.  

De verlichting van de Oude Vismijn spiegelt zich in het water bij avond
The Old Fish Market illuminated

We also take the possibility of light pollution into account.  Minimal lighting is used in parks so as not to disturb fauna and flora. And we only illuminate where necessary. The mood lighting and monument illumination are therefore turned off at the stroke of midnight and the functional street lighting then takes over. You should definitely try to witness this as it happens, as it's a magical moment – especially now that Ghent's three towers also remain unlit after midnight. 

New locations to be illuminated are being added to the Light Plan in a systematic way. Fancy discovering them all for yourself?

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Lieve Staes

Lieve Staes handles the communication of complex spatial projects at the Project Office for Space of the City of Ghent. Her favourite subjects are the Light Plan and water. Professionally, she shares all the details through the website and walks, among other things. But even in her spare time, she can't resist taking family and friends around fairy-tale Ghent at dusk.  

Read all blogposts by Lieve Staes
Lieve Staes poses with the light artwork 'The Blue Birds' by Maurice Maeterlinck along the water in Ghent.