A milestone for KARDORFF: winning the competition in 2000 to design the lighting for the Brandenburg Gate, the national symbol of our history. The lighting concept subtly enhances the spatial impact of the Brandenburg Gate, no matter from which direction one approaches it. The lighting highlights the gate as the most important building on Pariser Platz and emphasises its silhouette along the long axis stretching from the Tiergarten to the historic centre of Berlin. Thanks to uniform light colours, the landmark is now particularly easy to photograph at night.
In autumn 2026, the lighting system will be upgraded and energy-efficient LED lighting installed.
 

Bebelplatz is one of Berlin’s most important urban squares on the main boulevard Unter den Linden. Framed by historical buildings, such as the State Opera, Cathedral of St. Hedwig, and the Humboldt University, the square is defined at nightfall by
the uniformly lit facades. In 2006, we developed a light pole for this project which unites all the necessary modules into one very minimized form. In 2023, we updated the project with LED luminaires.

With only 16 instead of 32 headlights, the facade of the Berlin city-West's historical landmark is illuminated. Thanks to the energy-efficient LED technology, the old tower ruin is set up with an upwards diminishing light intensity. Thus, detrimental scattered light is avoided and the blue windows of the buildings keep their original effect.

The lighting concept underpins the spatial proportions of the square. The luminaires outline its polygonal shape, showcasing the fountain, the world clock, and the entrances to the underground train.

The illumination of Pariser Platz emphasizes the horizontal areas. There is no direct lighting of the building facades. As an historical monument, the Brandenburg Gate is placed at the focus and is illuminated deep into its structure.

The French Dome stands on one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin, the Gendarmenmarkt, and is part of an architectural ensemble with the Deutscher Dom (New Church) and the Schauspielhaus.

The light master plan covers the historic Berlin Mitte. The master plan was drawn up in such detail that the city and future planners will have direct information on the implementation. Now nearly ten years later, the master plan has been almost completely realized.