Brussels' Grand Place lights up for winter festivities

The Grand Place is fully illuminated with colourful LED lights since Wednesday. By using LEDs instead of traditional lighting, the energy bill for the annual display is five times lower, writes De Standaard.

A total of more than 1,600 individually controlled LED strips, 20km of cables and 500 switchboards were installed yesterday on the historic Grand Place, where every building is now fully illuminated in an endless number of colour combinations. The LED technology is especially energy efficient and easy to maintain.

Several Brussels politicians were present at the inauguration of the new environmentally friendly light display, including mayor Yvan Mayeur and public works minister Els Ampe. “The UNESCO World Heritage site – and one of the most beautiful squares in the world – finally gets the fairy-tale lighting that it deserves,” said Ampe. “Ecology and fun go hand-in-hand.”

The light and sound showcase was realised just in time for the start tomorrow of the city's annual Winter Wonders event by the internationally renowned lighting designers Isabelle Corten and Patrick Rimoux.

Beliris, a consultation committee of the federal government and the Brussels-Capital Region, invested a total of €3.4 million in the project.

photo: Winter Wonders 2014 / Visit Brussels