Eindhoven First with Philips ‘Floating’ LED Street Lighting
Since the end of March, Catharinaplein in Eindhoven has been lit by FreeStreet, the latest street lighting from Philips. The atmospheric square is a pleasant meeting-place because of the ´floating´ light beneath and between the trees.
Eindhoven has opted for FreeStreet because the floating lighting system is adapted to the way people move and behave, rather than people having to adapt to where the lighting is located.
"I think this is a good example of technological progress,” says Mary-Ann Schreurs, Municipal Executive Councillor for Innovation, Culture and Public Spaces in the municipality of Eindhoven. “On the one hand we benefit from the new lighting due to the minimal use of lamp-posts, since this makes it possible to create additional public space for pedestrians and cyclists. On the other hand the atmospheric light contributes to the intimacy of the square in the evening.”
“Another important consideration for us was that the LED street lighting is sustainable and energy-efficient,” says Schreurs. “In addition, maintenance costs are lower than with conventional lighting solutions.”
Finally, Schreurs says: “I don’t think people will even notice the new lighting because it doesn’t hinder them. They will however be able to make greater use of the atmospheric square, which is well lit in the evenings, as a pleasant social meeting-point with benches all around the newly planted trees.”