Lighthouse of Genoa

Overlooking Genoa from the Capo di Faro (Cape of the Lighthouse) promontory, the Lanterna di Genova (Lighthouse of Genoa) is the highest lighthouse in the Mediterranean. The treasured structure is 77 m (252 ft) tall and stands 117 m (383 ft) above sea level.

To effectively enhance the iconic symbol of the city, the client requested a new and artistic lighting system that could be used to raise awareness about important topics. The system needed to be flexible and provide color-changing capabilities, enabling the lighthouse to communicate with the city according to the UNESCO calendar.

Adhering to the ‘Together for the Lantern’ initiative for the enhancement of the monumental complex, the new lighting system allows the Lantern to reaffirm its role as a signal - from a time when banners on the tower indicated anniversaries and communicated messages of good wishes to inhabitants and travelers to today, when chromatic nuances of the lighthouse change to mark special days, as well as UNESCO and United Nations initiatives.

The lighting design intended to provide a dynamic and colorful grazing effect to the top portion of the 30 m (98 ft) tall light tower. A comprehensive, end-to-end Color Kinetics lighting system was selected for its high reliability, advanced and seamlessly integrated control system, and ease of use.

Three continuous lines of Color Kinetics ColorGraze MX4, RGBW, Narrow Beam 9°x9°, 4 ft luminaires were placed on each of the tower’s four sides, mounted on the external banister of the first balcony. The luminaires paint color on the tower with superb color precision and independence from the adjacent luminaire. Precise control over each 1 ft module of the luminaire delivers a smooth color transition along each side of the tower - perfect for painting banners with light. The system is controlled by Color Kinetics iPlayer 3 and powered by Color Kinetics Data Enabler Pro.

The Lantern’s previous metal halide floodlights (12) each consumed 165W of power, compared to Graze (12), at 74W each, for a reduction of more than 1,2kW of power, or a 60% energy savings.

Completed in 2017, 690 years after the installation of the oil lantern for which the lighthouse was named, the Lantern is now equipped with a new lighting system that enables it to be in constant dialogue with the city, recovering its ancient communication role. Learn more about the Lantern of Genoa, including a calendar and Webcam.