Fernandine Wall enhanced with smarter and more sustainable lighting system

25/09/2024

Porto is highlighting its historical heritage through light. The installation of 239 new LED luminaires and a remote lighting control and dimming system has now been completed on the first section of the Fernandine Wall, located between Batalha and Guindais.

The section of fortification that has undergone renovation is one of the few remnants of the city’s old defensive walls, completed during the reign of King Ferdinand I. The project, managed by the municipal company Águas e Energia do Porto, aimed to modernise the monument’s lighting, reinforce the electricity network in the surrounding areas, and improve energy efficiency, mobility, and safety.

The architect responsible for the project believes that ‘the architectural features of the wall are now highlighted through grazing light on the masonry’ and that ‘its volume is accentuated by deliberately leaving certain faces in shadow, emphasising the abrupt edges of the turrets’. ‘From the wall-walk, the lighting serves two purposes: to highlight the battlements and merlons and to illuminate the patrol path along the wall’, explained Diana Del-Negro.

The entire project was designed to be reversible, ensuring no damage to the listed heritage. In addition, the equipment features a remote control system, allowing for energy consumption to be managed and the light levels on the wall to be adjusted according to need..

‘The wall was previously lit with outdated and inefficient floodlights, using a type of lighting that did not properly showcase the monument’s image’, emphasised Diana Del-Negro. According to the specialist in artificial lighting, whose work has been recognised in Portugal and abroad, ‘several lanterns positioned in front of the wall caused glare and obstructed the view of the monument. In the new project, these luminaires have been removed, providing an unobstructed view of the monument both during the day and at night’.

In the surrounding Batalha-Guindais section, 32 LED luminaires have been installed along the pedestrian path next to the wall, 11 LED luminaires on Rua Arnaldo Gama, and 4,600 metres of electrical cabling to power and regulate the installed equipment. All new street lighting equipment has been positioned out of the wall’s line of sight and fitted with luminous flux control. The garden’s pedestrian lighting is now provided by low-height fixtures, enhancing the visibility of the roadways without interfering with the monument’s lighting.

This is just the first phase of a larger project aimed at highlighting one of the most significant elements of Porto’s historic landscape during night-time. Until the 19th century, this crenellated fortification, with its turrets, gates and shutters, shaped the urban planning and architecture of the historic centre. Today, scattered sections of walls and towers remain, often almost invisible amidst the surrounding buildings. Following this project, interventions will take place on the staircases at Caminho Novo and Palácio de S. João Novo.

The architectural lighting of the city’s medieval walls and some of the surrounding public spaces, undertaken by Águas e Energia do Porto, is part of the City Lighting Rehabilitation Programme, which aims to make the city’s lighting more sustainable and efficient. The goal is also to enhance the city’s night-time image, foster interest in its heritage, and promote the night-time enjoyment of these spaces by using the latest technologies.

It is worth noting that the city is currently implementing a series of measures, including the production and sharing of renewable energy, the promotion of sustainable mobility, increasing building efficiency, promoting energy savings, investing in smart LED lighting, and enhancing circularity.