Willemsburg | Rotterdam

Willemsbrug – Rotterdam

Largely inconspicuous during the day, the Willemsbrug in Rotterdam is to become another outstanding symbol in the cityscape at night. Through the language of light, it sparks a kinship with the neighboring Erasmusbrug. The resulting lighting design is based on the use of modern planning tools and careful coordination with the planning team and partners.

The Willemsbrug in Rotterdam is one of the city’s three major bridges, along with the Erasmusbrug and the Van Brienenoordbrug. The 356-meter-long cable-stayed bridge, designed by architect Cor Veerling, crosses the River Meuse, the city’s lifeline and link between the North Sea and the hinterland. It is a symbol of modern engineering: clear, functional and, with its red-painted steel structure, stands in direct contrast to the white Erasmus Bridge. During the day, it fades into the background next to the Erasmus Bridge (architect Ben van Berkel) as its big sister, but its shape and color earned it the name “Golden Gate Bridge of Rotterdam”. It also remained largely invisible in the cityscape at night.

The core idea for the lighting design is that the two neighboring bridges in particular should stand side by side as a family with independent but not competing characters. While the form of the Erasmusbrug is highlighted in the nightscape by illuminating the steel cables, this lighting approach was definitely dismissed for the Willemsbrug. As a result, the neighboring bridges enter into a kind of dialogue. The existing red color serves as an essential feature for the illumination of the Willemsbrug, which is also intended to express its symbolic character at night. The LED components specially made for this bridge consist of white and red LEDs that can be controlled independently of each other. Thus, the aging of the surface coating can be visually counteracted with the light. The base of the bridge bathed in cold white light establishes the relationship to the water. A line of light on the two horizontal sides of the bridge connects both sides of the riverbank and leaves a bright red band above the Meuse.

3-D models were first used to test various ideas and aid in the decision-making process. The critical points as well as the fine-tuning were done with on-site mock-ups with an interdisciplinary commission, which focused in particular on light color and intensity. The aspect of human perception thus complements and completes the preceding technical planning. The particularly energy-efficient as well as ecologically compatible lighting is based on existing planning standards, which ensure a minimum of light pollution both into the sky and into the water. Studio DL accompanied the construction planning as well as the construction in order preserve the light image and the quality.

With the illumination of the Willemsbrug, the lighting designers have produced an object that not only emphasizes its independent character at night, but also blends harmoniously into the city skyline without taking attention away from other important buildings.