The new lighting design rethinks the role of the tower in the urban space: from an infrastructure facility, it has transformed into a "living" light beacon that changes the night landscape of Yerevan every day.
Photo courtesy of Expolight
The lighting content is dynamically generated based on data about the city's life - traffic intensity, sunset, air temperature and wind speed. The tower looks new every day, "breathes" with the city and reflects its rhythm and mood.
In addition, the system reacts to events: it launches thematic lighting scenarios for holidays, sports victories, visits by guests of the city, and is illuminated in the colors of the flags of different countries.
Every hour after sunset, the TV tower "celebrates" the beginning of a new hour with a special light show. Each hour has its own color, emphasizing the rhythm of the city and making the passage of time visible to its residents.
Personal interaction plays a key role in the project. Using a specially developed mobile application, Yerevan residents and visitors can choose lighting scenarios by scanning a QR code in the central square and at the observation deck near the Mother Armenia monument. Users select symbolic wishes and corresponding color themes, which trigger light “pulsations” on the tower and laser systems.
The author and developer of the project was a Ukrainian studio of lighting design and media art. Expolight.
Photo courtesy of Expolight
“We wanted to create a living light sculpture that would become part of Yerevan’s cultural space and reflect the rhythm, energy, and collective presence of the city,” says Mykola Kabluka, founder and art director of Expolight. “Our system allows the tower to respond to human interaction in real time, so everyone can convey their lighting wishes to the city in the universal language of light.”
The project is based on a specially designed lighting system consisting of 486 media luminaires and over 15,000 individually controlled light pixels integrated throughout the entire height of the tower. All elements operate in a single control system based on software developed by Expolight, allowing for the creation of complex visual scenarios and real-time interactivity.
Photo courtesy of Expolight
The project also uses unique long-range laser systems, visible at a distance of over 10 kilometers. Their operation is coordinated with aviation services and meets international safety standards.
The next stage will be the synchronization of the TV tower's lights with the fountains on Republic Square. After this stage is completed, the two city symbols will work as a single light and sound system, creating a large-scale spectacle in the city center.
Combining architecture, advanced lighting technologies, and citizen participation, the project transforms the TV tower into a new symbol of unity and technological progress — a shared urban experience shaped by light.
Technical characteristics of the project
Lighting system:
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486 media lights combined into a single control system;
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15,166 individually controlled light pixels;
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6 powerful dynamic laser systems of the new generation;
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The luminaires are installed along the entire height of the tower - from 0 to 312 m;
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centralized intelligent light and content control system developed by Expolight.
Help about Expolight
Expolight is a Ukrainian lighting design and media art studio that implements projects all over the world: from concept and artistic dramaturgy to engineering, production, installation, and subsequent system support.
All projects are created under the personal creative guidance of the studio's founder, Mykola Kabluka. Expolight has its own R&D center and develops individual technological solutions - from unique luminaires to cloud-based software for controlling lighting systems.