Bowtie Life Insurance Tower
Hong Kong, 2019
Application: Building Façade
Product: WASH, STRIP
Model: ARCHI UPLIGHT 40, FLEX MILKY SLIM TOP BENDED
Bowtie Life Insurance Tower, formerly Trust Tower, stands at 68 Johnston Road in Wan Chai. As part of its renovation, the facade lighting was reimagined to reinforce the building's tapering silhouette, articulated by a dense array of vertical fins that define its architectural identity.
The vertical fins establish the tower's geometry, drawing the eye upward along its converging profile toward the crown. The lighting design was conceived to extend this architectural language after dark through a carefully calibrated gradient of light—strong at the base of each fin and gradually softening toward the top—allowing the facade to convey depth, rhythm, and verticality rather than uniform illumination.
Each fin is illuminated using ARCHI UPLIGHT 40 fixtures for precisely controlled uplighting, with output progressively reduced as the light travels upward. This measured distribution follows the building's natural taper, translating its architectural form into a refined nighttime expression while preserving the clarity of the facade. At the base of the tower, STRIP FLEX MILKY SLIM TOP BEND luminaires trace the podium level, extending the facade's lighting language into a continuous, dot-free line at street level. IP67-rated luminaires provide reliable long-term performance under Hong Kong's demanding outdoor conditions.
The completed facade presents a unified relationship between architecture and light. Each illuminated fin begins with a stronger luminous base before fading naturally upward, accentuating the tower's taper and revealing its vertical rhythm with clarity, depth, and restraint after dark.
The vertical fins establish the tower's geometry, drawing the eye upward along its converging profile toward the crown. The lighting design was conceived to extend this architectural language after dark through a carefully calibrated gradient of light—strong at the base of each fin and gradually softening toward the top—allowing the facade to convey depth, rhythm, and verticality rather than uniform illumination.
Each fin is illuminated using ARCHI UPLIGHT 40 fixtures for precisely controlled uplighting, with output progressively reduced as the light travels upward. This measured distribution follows the building's natural taper, translating its architectural form into a refined nighttime expression while preserving the clarity of the facade. At the base of the tower, STRIP FLEX MILKY SLIM TOP BEND luminaires trace the podium level, extending the facade's lighting language into a continuous, dot-free line at street level. IP67-rated luminaires provide reliable long-term performance under Hong Kong's demanding outdoor conditions.
The completed facade presents a unified relationship between architecture and light. Each illuminated fin begins with a stronger luminous base before fading naturally upward, accentuating the tower's taper and revealing its vertical rhythm with clarity, depth, and restraint after dark.
