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100th Anniversary of Berlin Radio Tower Celebrated with Robe illumination

In the timecoded light show, the iBOLT beams also highlighted the tower's delicate steel structure and its intricate symmetry through targeted and alternating illumination of the platforms. Photo: Alexander Hufner

To mark its 100th anniversary, the 505'-high Berlin Radio Tower in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany, was illuminated in a light show featuring 32 Robe iBOLT moving lights and 36 Robe iESPRITE LTL luminaires on March 20.

The event planning and implementation were carried out by TSE AG, Berlin, on behalf of its client, Messe Berlin GmbH, which organizes international trade fairs and congresses. It is the Messe's full-service provider.

Constructed between 1924 and 1926 to a design by architect Heinrich Straumer, the tower was inaugurated in September 1926 in the grounds of the Messe for the opening of the third Great German Radio Exhibition. It is one of the best-known and most loved landmarks of the city, and while no longer used for broadcasting, it remains a popular protected monument and tourist attraction.

The iBOLTS were a central element of the installation designed by Bjorn Hoschler and programmed by Tom Herfurth from the TSE AG team. Sixteen units were installed on the ground, with 16 on the roof of the tower restaurant, on the first support platform. The parallel were clearly visible from distances of up to .6 mile.

In the timecoded light show, the iBOLT beams also highlighted the tower's delicate steel structure and its intricate symmetry through targeted and alternating illumination of the platforms.

The tower's upper structural segments were accentuated with iESPRITE LTLs positioned on the stair steps, with four fixtures rigged at the top of the tower.

Initial discussions about the Radio Tower lighting design began in the second half of 2025, complete with a detailed visualization of the monument created in Depence. The iESPRITE LTLs were chosen for a combination of their brightness, zoom range of 3 to 57 degrees, and a long-throw mode of 0.7 to 2 degrees, plus the fixture's compact size. The iBOLTS were deployed at the customer's request after a demo.

Setting up for the event, the Robe fixtures had to be manually carried up a narrow staircase with every effort made not to affect the protected structure, so weight and size played a crucial role. For applications where fixtures are carried upright, Robe offers removable handles that click into mounts on the yoke, designed for this type of installation scenario. These UpLift Handles are available in various sizes to fit the respective fixture yokes.

The design was finalized and pre-programmed in a tight two-week time frame, with only four days available for the complex site installation and fine-tuning. The show was set to the song "Your Idol" from the soundtrack of the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, as selected by the client.

The lighting setup consisted solely of Robe fixtures, which made implementation easier because the operating philosophy and structure of DMX charts and functionality were consistent.

Marcel Fery, CEO of TSE AG, says, "We delivered an impressive result under great time pressure and are delighted that this spectacular production had such a positive impact on our distinguished guests and the public.

"The smooth execution was assisted by utilizing lighting fixtures that worked perfectly as well as the Robe network with Robe Germany, who coordinated the iBOLT dry hires and once again proved to be a reliable partner.

"We look forward to the other planned events as part of the anniversary and their implementation in the coming months."

WWWwww.robe.cz


(8 May 2026)

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