Lighting studio Licht Kunst Licht has reworked the cologne cathedral lighting with more than 700 surface-mounted LED luminaires. The installation drills no holes in the Gothic stonework, and the studio says it has cut overall energy consumption sharply.
The project came from a partnership between Licht Kunst Licht (LKL), the utility RheinEnergie and the Dombauhütte Köln restoration workshop. The cathedral is also Germany’s most visited landmark.
From floodlights to fixtures
Before the upgrade, floodlights mounted on nearby buildings handled the cathedral’s illumination. Each lamp was a 1,000-watt metal halide unit. LKL says these lamps used a great deal of power and washed the building in a flat, neutral white light.
The new scheme swaps those floodlights for warm-spectrum LED fixtures. Backlighting picks out the Gothic tracery, while vertical grazing light brings out the ornament on the facades.
Lighting that works with a historic facade is a growing field, and Programmed LED sculpture lighting Walt Disney Concert Hall shows how light can respond to a building’s own rhythm and life.
LKL’s led lighting design philosophy is simple: the light should follow the architecture. Rather than blanket the building, the fixtures aim light to show depth, rhythm and vertical lines. The studio says the scheme now has a sculptural presence at night, and the fixtures almost disappear by day.
Cologne cathedral lighting in practice
Poles, clamps and dimmable modules
The team’s main engineering choice was a set of custom multifunctional lighting poles. Each pole attaches to the structure with bespoke clamps that protect the stone. Crews can remove the poles without affecting the historic fabric.
Every pole holds a glare-free light module. The modules provide facade lighting or circulation lighting, and they dim fully. Operators can adjust them for events, seasons and ecological needs.
Philipp Schmitz, lighting designer and LKL project lead, said the team had few detailed architectural plans to work from. Digital simulations could not capture the cathedral’s complex, uneven structure. The team therefore ran years of on-site tests, adjusting optics, angles and fixture positions until the Gothic details looked right.
Less spill, fewer disturbances
Fixtures located away from the building now supply 10 percent of the cologne cathedral lighting. Previously that share stood at 80 percent. Fewer distant fixtures mean less light scatter and more precise aiming.
LKL also states that the switch to long-wave light reduces disruption to nocturnal species.
On the cathedral plaza, a series of minimalist stainless-steel pylons now lights the entrances. The pylons also highlight selected elements of the facade.
According to LKL, overall energy consumption fell by 80 percent, and the visual quality of the lighting improved at the same time.
A building with a long build
Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne. It is a well-known monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture.
Construction began in 1248 and stalled around 1560. Work restarted in the 19th century, and the building was completed to its original medieval plan in 1880. For a short time after completion, it was the world’s tallest building. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1996.
The cathedral’s long construction history has parallels in other protected buildings, and Vienna’s 1826 Stadttempel renovation preserving history and function offers a closer look at how restorers balance heritage with modern needs.
Dezeen readers voted LKL’s scheme lighting design of the year in the public vote at this year’s Dezeen Awards. The project now competes for the overall title. A jury of industry figures, including Norman Foster, Michael Anastassiades and Jaime Hayon, will choose the winner.
The most striking part of the project is what visitors may never notice. The fixtures stay out of sight by day, and the lighting is targeted rather than indiscriminate floodlighting.
H/T dezeen.com
Frequently asked questions
Who carried out the lighting upgrade at Cologne Cathedral?
The upgrade was done by lighting studio Licht Kunst Licht (LKL), in a partnership with the utility RheinEnergie and the Dombauhütte Köln restoration workshop. The project used more than 700 surface-mounted LED luminaires.
By how much did Cologne Cathedral’s lighting energy consumption fall?
According to LKL, overall energy consumption fell by 80 percent, and the visual quality of the lighting improved at the same time.
What lighting did Cologne Cathedral use before the LED upgrade?
Before the upgrade, floodlights mounted on nearby buildings lit the cathedral, with each lamp being a 1,000-watt metal halide unit. LKL said these lamps used a great deal of power and washed the building in flat, neutral white light.
Does the new Cologne Cathedral lighting require drilling into the stonework?
No, the installation drills no holes in the Gothic stonework. The poles attach with bespoke clamps that protect the stone, and crews can remove them without affecting the historic fabric.
More in
Design
All Design
More like this
Bright Orange Timber Structures Animate Nijmegen’s Historic Besiendershuis
WOLOLOW's 10-Inch Saucer Lamp Keeps Its Shell When the Bulb Dies
H3O Architects Transform Barcelona's Casa Plató with Subtle Elegance and Modern Charm
UAD Alamedas Tower: Gothic-Inspired Design Transforms Mexican Campus
Bold Red Design Features and Local Symbolism Define Jihlava's Striking New Arena
