As a way to highlight its culture and history, the Governor's office of Edirne, Turkey, launched an initiative to rejuvenate its local monuments using light. The 400-year old Tunca Bridge was the first landmark to receive new dynamic LED lighting that highlighted its architectural beauty while still preserving its structural integrity.
The bridge, located outside of the city center and in an area with relatively low light levels, had previously been lit using simple projectors to highlight the structure's silhouette. The new lighting design would provide functional lighting for pedestrians and cars but also showcase the beautiful architecture of the bridge at night.
To keep consistent with the low light levels of the area, the new lighting design focused on the 12 vault-shaped arches underneath the bridge. Color-changing Color Kinetics C-Splash 2 fixtures were used to highlight each arch. Because the luminaires could potentially be exposed to rising water and other harsh weather elements, the submersible LED spotlight with its watertight housing proved to be the most viable choice.
The functional lighting on the upper part of the bridge was kept simple and incorporated decorative fixtures. However, in the center of the bridge, an inscription pavilion shines like a beacon—its exterior illuminated using color-changing ColorGraze MX Powercore (now specified with
ColorGraze IntelliHue Powercore) grazing luminaires and its interior dome with ColorBlast Powercore wall-washing luminaires. To preserve the historical and structural integrity of the bridge, the luminaires could not be installed directly onto the stone. Instead they were mounted to steel plates that were then secured to steel cables. The cables were then wrapped around structural elements of the bridge and tightened to hold the steel plates in place.
Overall, the combination of lighting creates a subtle, but beautiful effect, especially as it reflects on the water. For the majority of time, the colored lighting is programmed to match the natural colors of the stone but can also be changed for holidays and special occasions. The new system is also projected to use 53% less energy than the original projectors. Citizens and visitors alike now enjoy the beauty of the bridge that holds such historical significance to the area.
