Castle of Croia

Facades & Architecture

Rruga Kala, Krujë, Albania

Products

Application

Outdoor

Location

Rruga Kala, Krujë, Albania

Lighting designer

Fulvio Baldeschi

Photo

Pietro Savorelli

Year

2020

Castle of Croia

The Tale of Albania between Past and Present

Krujë is the ancient Albanian capital, a city that symbolised resistance against the invasions of the Ottomans and the birthplace of the national hero George Castriota Skanderbeg. Its name seems to derive from the word krua, meaning spring, in connection with the presence of numerous fresh water springs coming down from the surrounding mountains. Geographically, Croia is part of central Albania and lies at the foot of the western slope of the mountain of the same name. This particular location, at the meeting point of the routes that connected the entire country, enabled its commercial development and determined its dominant role towards the neighbouring territories. The symbol of the city is the Castle, perched on a rocky ridge on the eastern side of the city; built around the 5th/6th century A.D., it still retains its internal structures with the Skanderbeg National Museum, dedicated to the Albanian hero and history, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Clock Tower, a 16-metre high watchtower that offers a breathtaking panoramic view.

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Hierarchies of light

The Castle of Croia, compared to the Castle of Rozafa (read more here), is actually a fortification that houses within its walls not only restaurants and private homes but also important iconographic elements, primarily the Tower. The lighting project studied by lighting designer Fulvio Baldeschi was aimed at enhancing these most appealing elements, establishing a sort of 'hierarchy of light' that saw the creation of lighting where it was not planned (as in the case of the Tower itself), the rebalancing of light beams where they were too present (as in the case of the Museum), and finally, the accentuation of areas such as the entrance, characterised by a Venetian door and a series of arches. Even the walls, which are rather irregular and frayed, were the subject of a careful study of light and shadow to give depth and avoid a flattening effect.

The lighting design studio opted for a mix of professional and industrial solutions by Linea Light Group, which produced a truly excellent result.

For the lighting of the entrance area and the barbican, there are Envelope markers flanked by Archiline. Inside to rebalance the lighting of the Museum, and outside to emphasise the walls, Prolamp by I-LèD Industrial was chosen, the projector that combines in a single product the robustness necessary for outdoor use, with high professional performance: efficiency of the light source, high colour rendering, and the ability to maintain aim. For the lighting of the Tower, the true symbol of the Castle, a study was made of the surrounding terrain, which being predominantly rocky required a solution with variable optics. The answer was provided by Iris_67 projectors used with a wide beam downwards and a narrow beam upwards, to emphasise the height of the structure and its majesty. The projector's graduated focus-on-board ring allows the beam aperture to be calibrated, simplifying the aiming operation. In addition, the facilitated focus locking system allows for an aperture exactly corresponding to the gradient shown along the ring. Great attention was also paid to interior parts, from the city walls to the passage arches, where the Periskop design projector has found extensive use, both for its modern lines that adapt well to different contexts, and for its ability to highlight architectural details. Also for the lighting of the Croia Castle, most of the luminaires were equipped with an external Bluetooth dimmer with Casambi protocol, for a more effective programming of the light in relation to the kilometric length of the walls.