A COMMON THREAD THROUGH A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

A trail of red light flanks the ring promenade around the industrial monument Zeche Zollverein in Essen. The trail of light, which is comprised of ETC119 LED inground uplights from WE-EF, provides orientation, marks the central portion of the area and connects its various sections in a visual manner.

At the height of its productive period, Zeche Zollverein and its coke oven took up an area equivalent to 200 football fields, and up to 8,000 people worked there at any given time. Since 2001, the Zeche Zollverein has been a UNESCO world heritage site and a much-noticed industrial monument and centre of the creative industry. In 2011, it attracted 1.5 million visitors.

A ring promenade forms the 2.5 kilometre perimeter for the central portion of this large area. Access routes to the mine grounds are located along this ring. As a bike and footpath, it passes by all the attractions. The ring promenade can even be used for exploratory excursions during night-time hours, as it is transformed into a red shimmering path that meanders through the landscape, thanks to the inground LED luminaires.

This project involves the use of WE-EF ETC119 LED inground uplights, which are integrated into a band made of Corten steel that flanks the path. Due to weathering, the surface of this construction steel gradually turns into a thin coating of rust, while the area under it simultaneously develops corrosion resistance. The ETC119 LEDs are flush mounted into the steel band. The project uses a special built-in ring welded to the steel by the customer.

In view of the project’s size, this particular section is being implemented gradually. Currently, the luminaires highlight approximately two thirds of the path. Of course, they are also adapted to the current state of rapidly progressing LED technology for each work section. Whereas the first ETC119 lights were still fitted with 24 red LEDs, with a power input of 4.5 W each, 1 W LEDs have been used with the 575 luminaires in the most recently completed section of the path.