Cape Town – Global giant Royal Philips unveiled a lighting makeover of the iconic Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on Thursday night.
It was at the conclusion of its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow.
Philips’ latest innovative Vaya Flood LED range lighting technology has been utilised to create colourful lighting effects, while allowing energy savings of 80% over the traditional lights that are currently used at the Castle.
“Philips is very proud to have placed its know-how and technology at the service of this iconic monument,” said JJ van Dongen, senior vice president and CEO of Philips Africa.
“For us the challenge was to devise effective lighting that would enhance the beauty of the site without at any time overwhelming it. We believe this spectacular illumination of the Castle of Good Hope contributes hugely to Cape Town’s unique distinction as the World Design Capital of 2014”.
According to Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of the Castle of Good Hope it is great that the iconic Table Mountain will now have a wonderfully well-lit Castle at its feet.
"We are extremely proud to work in the Castle of Good Hope; to see the visual and perceptual transformation of this historic building to such an extent is magnificent and a real credit to Philips," said Gilfellan.
Cape Town is the final stop on Philips’ annual flagship Cairo to Cape Town roadshow, which focuses on key challenges facing Africa today.
This includes the need for energy-efficient lighting and the revitalisation of African healthcare infrastructure.
The roadshow kicked off in Cairo on April 14 2014 and concluded on September 4 in Cape Town, visiting ten cities and seven countries en route.
Philips had committed to lighting up and illuminating iconic monuments in every country visited during the roadshow, including The Baron Place in Cairo, the Maqam Echahid in Algiers, the Wilaya City Hall of Casablanca, the Kenya National Archives building in Nairobi, the Nigerian National Arts Theatre in Lagos and the historic Black Star Monument in Accra.
“Although we are concluding our fifth Pan-African roadshow, Philips remains dedicated to continuing the engagements, partnerships and commitments we have made on this journey," said Van Dongen.
"Issues like mother and child care and energy efficiency are of high priority for policy makers and societies. Philips recognises this need and will continue to create dialogue and cooperation between governments and non-governmental organisations, between public and private stakeholders."
- Fin24