More than any other structure, the Porta Nigra is the symbol of Trier, Germany’s oldest city. As the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 2019, the “Black Gate” has been colourfully highlighted by BEGA.
The Romans built the Porta Nigra from more than 7000 stone blocks in 170 AD. The Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate) has borne this name since at least the Middle Ages, although the origin of the name has never been conclusively determined. It is most likely due to the Kordel sandstone it is made of, which appears dark, almost black, due to weathering. Today, the Porta Nigra is home to the Roman city’s central information centre.
Since December 2019, Trier’s iconic landmark has been shining in BEGA light, and no longer just in warm white light as it has done for the last 25 years, but also in different colours such as purple, blue and green. Adding more colour variation to the lighting of the Porta Nigra for special occasions, while at the same time giving the architecture more defined contours and converting it to modern, energy-efficient LED technology – this was the challenging brief given to the public works by the city of Trier. Five BEGA high-performance floodlights with wide beam light distribution provide the colour. The DALI-controllable RGBW luminaires (DT8) create a suitably atmospheric backdrop for various situations, such as urban events. The luminaires made of cast aluminium, aluminium and stainless steel are equipped with BEGA Unidure® coating technology and an LED module with Thermo Management® to shine with an outstanding life expectancy.
High-performance floodlights with symmetrical narrow beam and symmetrical wide beam light distribution mounted on luminaire poles provide the everyday, warm-white illumination. Also featuring shields, they really bring the historical building to life. Here, too, the focus is on longevity. The light-directing and efficiency-optimising materials used for the luminaires – glass, silicone and aluminium – are practically impervious to wear and ageing. Moreover, the LEDs and power supply units have an extremely long service life.
By using BEGA luminaires, the city of Trier was not only able to create new ways of showcasing the Porta Nigra, but also to reduce the energy consumption of the lighting by around 50%.
