Copenhagen in Denmark is a catenary lighting delight. Practically the whole of the city centre is lit using this method. This is a
typical scene with these dome shaped lanterns. Many are actually
LED versions made by Phillips.. There are also
white versions,
and here. This makes a for a far
less cluttered street scene compared to columns. In many cases the catenary is live and provides power as well as support, but sometimes
insulated feeds are used. Older versions of the lanterns are used, some run SON but most use elliptical MH lamps
here.. In some areas of the city the lanterns have been designed with a
contemporary twist. Made by the international lighting firm Louis Poulsen, the outer dome is translucent and glows at night. The lantern uses a MH lamp.
Columns are extremely rare but usually
functional. However there is a sign of the past in
these columns
but not with original lanterns. Very similar columns were found
elsewhere but with different lanterns and
decorations!. Nearby was a
shorter cast column. There were some old heritage lanterns that were originally gas and have been converted to electricity
here and
here, no modern repros!
The real surprise was finding some GEC lanterns, what looks to be very similar to a
Clearmain on an old warehouse but the real find was in the former Carlsberg brewery, now a museum.
GEC Z5640 lanterns but with
copper canopies (they were green with copper verdigris, so not painted) rather than aluminium. The
wide brimmed version was also present.
There was also a row of
these fluorescent lanterns in a loading bay. Lanterns similar to this are still use to light streets in the suburbs near the airport.
I spotted a similar but longer lantern lighting a
courtyard. Saving the best to last... A look on GSV before I left showed a street lit with catenary fluorescents not far from my hotel. That imagery dated from 2009. However when I went to check them out, they had all been replaced with the Philips white domed LED lanterns apart from
this single span. What a disappointment. The lanterns look to be
1980s vintage. However it seems that “cul de sac luck” works outside the UK as well. A few hundred metres away in a cul de sac were 2 of these
much older open fluorescent lanterns. Now only fitted with one 5ft 80W tube, they give an insight to how Copenhagen must have been lit back in the 1950s and 60s.