Kortrijk’s belfry was originally built in the 14th century but finalized in the 15th. Located in the main market square (Grote Markt), it is one of the most prominent symbols of the city.
© Susanna Antico . Published on June 20, 2013.
The tower used to be floodlit by in-ground luminaires that were both glary to passers-by and that began deteriorating and reaching their end-of-life. Additional accent lighting was provided from the façades of the buildings on the west side of the market square. Despite that, the top of the tower, including the central spire and the four corner turrets as well as the guilded Jacquemarts (bell strikers) were invisible after dark.
Detail
© Susanna Antico . Published on June 20, 2013.
Strict budget limitations resulted in a concept that retained the current installation, reducing the carbon footprint that a new project would have entailed, but changed some luminaires and all of light sources in such a way as to minimize glare, obtain a soft and even wash of vertical surfaces, light the top elements of the tower, while slightly reducing the overall power of the installation. The only new location for lighting equipment was one on the sloping roof of the Belfort, providing accent lighting to the Jacquemarts while leaving the small luminaires practically undetectable. The façade mounted projectors were replaced with smaller and narrow beam projectors that gave a light emphasis to the spire and the corner turrets.
Reverse side
© Susanna Antico . Published on June 20, 2013.