Sightseeing in technicolor: how Guangzhou’s sparkle reflects in China’s Pearl River

May 22, 2018 - Signify turned 24 buildings into illuminated works of art in Guangzhou’s Pearl River area with smart architectural lighting

Shanghai, China – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world’s leader in lighting, announced today that it completed the illumination of 24 buildings in Guangzhou’s central business district along the Pearl River area in China. The large-scale connected LED lighting project, which includes façade lighting and animations projected onto buildings, further underlines the company’s leadership as the lighting company for the Internet of Things.

Sightseeing in technicolor

Home to a population of over 14 million, Guangzhou is one of the most populated and fastest growing cities in the world. The 2,000 km Pearl River runs through the city and is known for its vibrant waterfront and high-rise buildings.

During the night the lights from the buildings are reflected in the river, creating spectacular watercolors to enchant citizens and tourists. As well as highlighting architectural features, the connected LED lighting is used to create dynamic light effects and images to be projected on the buildings such as blossoming flowers.

“Connected architectural lighting unifies technology and art, unlocking new possibilities for urban lighting projects and designers. By illuminating the city’s riverside buildings, a dazzling urban artform has risen to enthrall citizens and visitors alike. The beautiful lighting is also highly energy efficient and illustrates our leadership in connected lighting and lighting for the Internet of Things.“ said Jacques Letzelter, Global Business Leader Public Segment at Signify.

Energy-efficient and smart lighting

The newly illuminated buildings include the Hotel Landmark Canton, Tianzi Plaza, Jiangwan Business Center and the Guangdong Navigation Building. To illuminate all 24 buildings a staggering 200,000 Philips Color Kinetics light points were used and are monitored and controlled by Philips ActiveSite. Compared to conventional lighting, the new LED lighting system is expected to save up to 75% electricity compared to conventional lighting as well as reduce operational and maintenance costs.

Signify became the new company name of Philips Lighting as of May 16, 2018.