Royal Philips (AEX: PHIA, NYSE: PHG), the global leader in lighting, today unveiled a stunning lighting makeover of the historic and iconic Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town at the conclusion of its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow. Philips’ latest LED lighting technology has been utilized to create eye-catching, dynamic and colourful lighting effects that will bring this architectural monument to life, while allowing energy savings of 80% over the traditional lights that are currently used in the Castle.
The magnificent Castle, which is in the foothills of the iconic Table Mountain, remains a major international tourist attraction, in addition to being an architectural masterpiece with a rich history and unique design. Philips’ visual lighting concept will provide the building with an imposing look, with the world famous Table Mountain acting as a splendid backdrop behind the Castle. Philips has used its innovative Vaya Flood LED range combing a spectrum of red, blue and green lighting creating an almost mythical atmosphere around the Castle that brings history to life.
Philips enlivens marquee Castle in World Design Capital 2014
“Philips is very proud to have placed its know-how and technology at the service of this iconic monument” says JJ van Dongen, Senior Vice President and CEO, Philips Africa. “For us the challenge was to devise effective lighting that would enhance the beauty of the site without at any time overwhelming it. We are very delighted by the final results and hope that this enhanced lighting will improve the tourism value of the Castle; in addition, we believe that this spectacular illumination of the Castle of Good Hope contributes hugely to Cape Town’s unique distinction as the World Design Capital of 2014”.
The Castle of Good Hope
The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. Constructed between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, it was once a fort, but today functions as a museum of the Cape’s early days. It is an example of a “star fort”, and attracts thousands of visitors annually. The spectacular Philips LED lighting is likely to significantly improve the tourism and marketing value of the monument.
“We are delighted with this historic project Philips has completed at the Castle of Good Hope,” states Mr Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO, of the Castle of Good Hope. “It is great that the iconic Table Mountain will now have a wonderfully well-lit Castle at its feet. We are extremely proud to work in the Castle of Good Hope; to see the visual and perceptual transformation of this historic building to such an extent is magnificent and a real credit to Philips. With the spotlight now firmly on us, our goal - to bring the people to the Castle and take the Castle to the people - has now received a significant boost”
The advantages of the LED lighting provided at the Castle of Good Hope include:
• Dynamic lighting that makes it possible to adjust the atmosphere of the site (change of intensity and color).
• A longer lifespan of the installation: around 50,000 hours compared to 12,000 hours with conventional lighting.
• A reduction in maintenance costs: LED luminaires require little maintenance, while at the same time they cut energy consumption by 80%.
The fifth pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow
Cape Town is the final stop on Philips’ annual flagship Cairo to Cape Town roadshow which focuses on key challenges facing Africa today - the need for energy-efficient lighting and the revitalization of African healthcare infrastructure. The roadshow kicked off in Cairo on 14th April 2014 and concluded today, 4 September, in Cape Town visiting 10 cities and 7 countries enroute.
Philips had committed to lighting up and illuminating iconic monuments in every country visited during the roadshow and it delivered this commitment by providing a stunning lighting makeover of historic, well-recognized monuments in African cities including The Baron Place in Cairo, the Maqam Echahid in Algiers, the Wilaya City Hall of Casablanca, Kenya National Archives building in Nairobi, Nigerian National Arts Theatre in Lagos and the historic Black Star Monument in Accra.
JJ van Dongen summarizes, “Although we are concluding our fifth Pan-African roadshow, Philips remains dedicated to continuing the engagements, partnerships and commitments we have made on this journey. Issues like Mother and child care and energy efficiency are of high priority for policy makers and societies. Philips recognizes this need and will continue to create dialogue and cooperation between governments and non-governmental organizations, between public and private stakeholders. Philips remains committed to Africa which is an important growth market to us.”
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Royal Philips.
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