A 120-year old lighthouse on the shoreline of Denmark celebrated a new lease of life with a stunning light display after it was moved further inland on rails to avoid coastal erosion.
Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse was built in 1900 near the town of Lønstrup in the northwest of the country, but ever since then it has been staring down the harsh reality of an untimely end, thanks to shifting sands and coastal erosion. The lighthouse was built 60m above sea level on the highest point of the coastal slope, approximately 200m inland. Sand dunes have formed around the structure, caused by high coastal winds, and coupled with the coastline falling away, locals had resigned themselves to the fact that one day the lighthouse would give way to the sea.
This week however saw an incredible solution to the problem being implemented, with the 720-tonne structure being hoisted onto rails and physically moved approximately 80m inland. Beams were inserted onto the base of the lighthouse before it was raised onto rails and carefully and precisely shifted.
After some debate, local authorities made the decision to move the structure at a cost of five million Danish kroner. It has been said that the new location will allow the lighthouse another 40 years of safety. In 1980 the lighthouse was decommissioned and transformed into the Sand Drift Museum, which gives details on the history of the region. Locals celebrated the lighthouse’s reopening with an eye-catching light show that saw the tower being bathed in a cool blue illumination.
Three years ago, an immersive art installation saw the lighthouse being transformed into a kaleidoscope that harnessed the power of wind and light to create a natural shimmering lightshow.
More information on Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is available at the official website.
