Dom Tower,
Utrecht, Netherlands

An evolution of our award-winning 2013 light art installation, the new permanent lighting transforms the Tower's image from a solid daytime landmark into a vibrant, open beacon after dark. Each level ascended is progressively lighter and more transparent, celebrating the Tower's Gothic heritage. Added design flexibility enhances its role as a community symbol, bridging its historic past to a luminous future.
Client
City of Utrecht
Date
2022-2024 and 2010-2013
Project Manager
Antea Group, Ralph Backer
Heritage Architect
Rothuizen
Main Contractor
Nico De Bont
Electrical Contractor
Vansantvoort
Photographer
Jelle Verhoeks
Project Team
Keith Bradshaw, Benz Roos, Adrien Flouraud, Iain Ruxton


“
It is a rare honour to be able to work on a heritage project but it is unique to work with the community of the city to use light as a metaphor and communication tool within the context of an historic monument.”

In 2013, we were commissioned to develop an art installation for the iconic 14th-century 112 m-high Dom Tower as part of the city's light-based art trial, Trajectum Lumen. In Lumino Tuo, saw the Tower come to life as a living monument, appearing to 'breathe' and communicate through light with the citizens of Utrecht. The installation opened to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht peace accord, winning several awards. It remained in place for five years until Tower renovation works started in 2019.

In 2022, Utrecht's city council offered us the unique opportunity to reimagine and evolve their work into a permanent design. The new brief extended the scope beyond an art installation into a broader set of interests put forward by community stakeholders, reflecting their passion for the history and architectural significance of the Tower, its importance both within the fabric of the city and to the contemporary life of Utrecht's citizens.

Our updated design sees the Tower lit predominantly from within, highlighting the building's three-dimensional qualities and architectural richness after dark and revealing key Gothic architectural details usually obscured by shadows in natural light. The Gothic aspiration to reach for the sky is reflected in the illumination of the vaulted ceilings and in the way the lantern structure at the top is illuminated on the outside and the inside so that it appears more transparent and lighter.

The new design also celebrates the unique stained-glass windows in the Chapels. During the day, the colours of these windows are imperceptible from the outside. Backlighting now reveals their vibrant colours by night, in a detail that remains lit for one hour after the main lights are switched off at 11 pm, allowing the windows to be the central focus for a brief period each day.

“
We listened very carefully to the mirror group, as we wanted our design to reflect their passion for the history and architectural significance of the Tower”



The base of the Tower remains unilluminated other than the underpass to create a solid base above which the more intricately detailed upper layers appear to float.


An expanded brief

We added the facility to create colourful scenes and graphic effects on the faces in response to the community's desire for the Tower to take a more active role in the city's narrative. On a select number of days in the year, this facility will be used to celebrate special events and occasions agreed upon by council vote to ensure that these truly reflect the diverse cultural tapestry of Utrecht.

In achieving the aims of the lighting brief, we remained mindful of our responsibilities to the environment, ecology, and neighbours. Light levels and energy have been kept as low as possible without losing impact; we adopted more ecologically friendly warm light sources and reduced the amount of light spill into the sky through design, fixture placement, optical technology, and timed controls.


We also re-used as much of the product from the 2013 installation as possible for sustainability reasons. This involved a considerable effort in sorting, cleaning, and upgrading the light sources of the equipment to be suited to the new scheme, as well as reconfiguring the installation method to suit the new, permanent installation.