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Brussels’ Urban Heritage: The Evolution of TEMPORE
The TEMPORE lantern is an urban heritage piece with an Art Deco aesthetic, which quickly became the visual signature of Brussels. While over 4,000 TEMPORE lanterns light up the Belgian capital, most of them had become obsolete and energy-intensive. As part of the city’s energy transition, Sibelga, the city’s lighting operator, launched a large-scale programme to renovate the heritage lanterns. Rather than replacement, this strategy focuses on reuse, adaptation and optimization. We proposed two solutions to Sibelga to meet their various requirements and enable the integration of modern technologies while preserving the original design of the lanterns. The first option was a retrofit kit to modernise the existing lanterns without altering their structure. The original optical units were replaced with connected LED modules that consume less energy, have a longer lifespan, and can be controlled remotely. The blue stone mounting bases, heritage brackets and Art Deco cast- iron supports were preserved because these elements are integral to the lanterns’ visual identity. Secondly, a new polycarbonate version of the luminaire, TEMPORE GEN2, has been designed to replace damaged lanterns or to equip new areas, all the while maintaining the original aesthetic. All the lanterns are fitted with Zhaga nodes, which enable Sibelga to control them remotely and adjust the lighting intensity according to the time of day. This generates energy savings of up to 60%. These solutions enable Sibelga to preserve the distinctive character of neighbourhoods while standardising technical components to improve operational management and ensure long-term resilience.
Thanks to a retrofit approach, which involves upgrading the technology inside a luminaire while retaining the housing, Sibelga is demonstrating how public lighting can be made smarter and more energy- efficient, thanks to LED technology. This innovative approach is part of a circular economy strategy that reuses as much of the existing infrastructure as possible in order to minimise costs. It enables public spaces to evolve while preserving the architectural and heritage identity that makes Brussels’ streets so charming and unique.
Bertrand Perignon Public Lighting Project Manager - Sibelga
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