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Royal Philips, the global leader in lighting, today unveiled a stunning lighting makeover of the historic, Wilaya building in Casablanca city of Morocco , as part of its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow
Philips has installed its latest range of LED luminaires providing a palette of 16 million colours that can create an inspiring lighting show and highlight the Wilaya’s features as never before. The innovative LED lighting allows energy savings of up to 80 percent and has a lifetime of up to 100,000 hours compared to 12,000 hours with conventional lighting solutions.
According to Africa Press,the Roadshow will make its way across seven countries and ten cities in Africa. The next stop will be in Kenya on June 17, 2014.
All of the installed luminaries are dimmable and able to change colors making it possible to modify the lighting according to the event taking place (ceremonies, concerts, prayers, etc.) any time of day or season. The illumination of the Wilaya has contributed to the beautification of the city, while significantly reducing energy consumption, which is aligned to the ambitions of the Moroccan government to be more energy efficient.
”As our regional headquarters for the Maghreb region, Morocco has always been very important to Philips. We enthusiastically support Morocco’s ambitious energy efficiency goals,” says Eric Heutinck, CEO, Philips Maghreb.
Energy demand in Morocco is expected to double by 2020 and triple by 2030. As part of their ambitious energy strategy, Morocco aims to save 12 percent of energy by 2020(2). “We wanted to illuminate the Wilaya monument to demonstrate that our cutting-edge LED lighting technology can save energy and enhance the beauty of a city; they can both go hand in hand,” says Heutinck.
“In addition and to reiterate how innovative lighting solutions can make a real difference in Morocco, we will officially open a Philips community light center on May 30 in Quartier Fath, Rabat. A Philips community light center is an area of 1000m2, or the size of a small soccer pitch, which is lit up with the latest solar-powered LED lighting. The light center “extends the day” using the power of the sun thus providing safety and security and enabling community life after dark”, Eric Heutinck adds.
Philips is committed to significantly expanding its business footprint in Morocco in the coming years by addressing local needs with meaningful innovations. The Philips Casablanca office serves as the regional headquarters for Maghreb.
The company is making substantial investments in hiring local talent and brand building and will inaugurate a new office in Casablanca in the second half of the year to broaden its reach and expand the range of product offerings and customer services. “Our expansion and continued growth in Morocco is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the Maghreb region, and is part of the strategic vision of Africa as an important growth market for Philips,” concludes Eric Heutinck.
Philips is placing its state-of-the-art LED technology at the service of the iconic Wilaya building in Casablanca, located on the Mohammed V Square, Casablanca’s city hall. Wilaya is the city’s primary place of government, and it was designed by French architect Marius Boyer and completed in 1927.
The building is considered one of Casablanca’s architectural assets. The design is a combination of Muslim and Moorish styles with remarkable intricate mosaics and archways. Philips use of LED lighting will enhance the beauty of this iconic local monument and will undoubtedly contribute to the tourism value of the Wilaya.
Advantages of led lighting installed at Wilaya include dynamic lighting which makes it possible to adjust the atmosphere of the site, and the LED lighting system which reduces energy consumption up to 80 percent compared to conventional lighting.
Casablanca is the third destination on Philips’ annual flagship Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow from April 14th until September 3, 2014, which focuses on two key challenges facing Africa today- the need for energy-efficient lighting and the revitalization of African healthcare infrastructure.
Philips has committed to illuminating one iconic monument in every city visited during the roadshow with the latest LED technology. As the number one LED lighting company in the world, Philips will now provide a stunning lighting makeover of historic, well-recognized monuments in African cities.