The town hall, the Kunsthalle, the Schauspielhaus, many other projects have directly followed this language of light. A Hamburg success story that still continues after 20 years,” says Batz.
The illumination is particularly effective in the dark season. The soft, indirect light emphasises the historical character of the building ensemble and atmospherically sets the scene for the neo-Gothic façades with an interplay of light and shadow. Guided tours at blue hour through the streets and courtyards of Speicherstadt as well as twilight cruises with launches across the canals are correspondingly popular.
Speicherstadt illumination shines climate-neutrally
Since its foundation, the association has always kept up with the times. The non-profit organisation has acted sustainably in the implementation of the light art project from the very beginning. “We started with particularly energy-saving luminaires. Ten years later, we converted the illumination to energy-efficient, low-maintenance and long-lasting LED lights. This was followed in 2019 by the switch to green electricity,” says Dr Roland Lappin, chairman of the Licht-Kunst-Speicherstadt association. This means that the light art project is now operated in a completely climate-neutral way, says Lappin, who is also HHLA‘s Chief Financial and Real Estate Officer. Thanks to HHLA‘s careful and sustainable neighbourhood management, the Speicherstadt has developed from what was once the world’s largest warehouse complex into a lively, inner-city quarter.
Lighting of further buildings in preparation
The Licht-Kunst-Speicherstadt association has many plans for the future. The circle of supporters is to be broadened even more in order to create the basis for further projects: By 2025, the 10th anniversary of the Unesco World Heritage status, further buildings in the Speicherstadt are to be illuminated. So far, a good 75 per cent are illuminated, especially the façades on the canals and buildings facing the city. Now the warehouses facing HafenCity, which are still largely unlit, are to follow suit.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the board of the association produced an anniversary film under the leadership of Mr. Batz. It is available for download here.