Philips Lighting creates a new sparkle for Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi

Philips’ architectural LED lighting system lights up the iconic first address in the country 
 

New Delhi, India– Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, announced the illumination of the Rashtrapati Bhavan building in New Delhi using Philips dynamic façade lighting, as the country celebrated its 69^th Republic Day on 26^thJanuary, 2018. This iconic building is the official home of the President of India and is located at the Western end of Rajpath in New Delhi, India. This illumination project follows the recent installation of dynamic façade lighting for the North and South Block buildings of the Central secretariat, that was completed by the company in October last year.

The majestic building was built in 1929 as the official residence of the Viceroy of India and was later christened as the official residence of the President of India, when India gained its independence in 1947. It is a strong emblem of Indian democracy and its secular, plural and inclusive traditions. The H-shaped building occupies 5 acres of the 330-acre Presidential estate, consisting of four floors and 340 rooms with a floor area of 200,000 square feet. The building is surrounded by the grand presidential gardens called Mughal Gardens and is one of the largest residences of a head of state in the world, in terms of area.

“As the most prestigious address in the country, the iconic Rashtrapati Bhavan deserved attractive and dynamic lighting that emphasizes its architectural splendor and rich cultural heritage. We are proud to illuminate this historic landmark building with our dynamic LED façade lighting using a palette of 16 million colors” said Sumit Joshi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Lighting India.

Philips Color Kinetics utilizes the latest advancements in LED technology to create themes and customized light recipes that can be used for important national festivals and celebrations. A total of 628 light fittings have been installed for illuminating the building in preparation for the 69^th Republic Day celebrations. The light fittings are equipped with lenses of both narrow and wide range, with a narrow beam lens highlighting specific objects such as the lotus on the Jaipur Column and a wider beam lens used to spread light over a larger area. Special focus has been given to structures such as the Jaipur Column, the dome of the main building, the Chattris, fountains at the terrace and ground level, as well as the Loggia columns. The façade lighting was officially inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind, in the presence of the Union Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, just ahead of the Republic Day celebrations in the country.