Adelaide Railway Station’s new architectural lighting has been officially switched on in a highlight for Illuminate Adelaide’s (1-31 July) City Lights spectacular.
General Manager Major Projects and Pipeline at Renewal SA, Tony Cole said the heritage icon’s façade was awash with colour, highlighting the true beauty of its neoclassical detailing.
Mr Cole said a network of ultra-modern LEDs and spotlights – discreetly embedded within the station’s many nooks and ledges – had been used to enhance both the interior and exterior of the station, with careful attention paid to respecting the station’s original fabric.
“Inside the station, the existing heritage wall lights and pendant lights have been re-lamped to retain an important piece of the past, while a mixture of soft uplights and downlights have been installed to enliven the vaulted ceiling and the station’s many niches, curves and lines along the concourse and ramp,” he said.
Mr Cole said the architectural lighting project formed part of Renewal SA’s vision to uplift the station and surrounding public realm through extensive restoration works and the creation of new retail and dining experiences reminiscent of the station’s heyday.
“A new lighting scheme on the building’s exterior will deliver greater visual prominence to the station’s most exquisite architectural elements, including its friezes, parapets, plinths, porticos, cornices, arches, balustrades, columns and windows,” he said.
Mr Cole said Renewal SA had set out to recreate a memorable sense of place and wonder at the century-old building and that the impressive new lighting, along with the building’s thoughtful restoration, had delivered just that.
“When the station first opened in 1928 it was touted as the most magnificent and contemporary railway station in the Commonwealth,” he said.
Mr Cole said to better understand the station’s story and architectural significance, the team from design studio FPOV liaised with Heritage SA.
