Hungary’s Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge in the capital.
Photos: A-Híd Zrt
By Katianne Williams
Hungary’s Chain Bridge, it is said, belongs to everyone. Stretching across the Danube, the suspension bridge first connected the cities of Buda and Pest in 1849, setting the stage for the formation of Budapest in 1873. Today, it is the center point of Budapest nightlife, a meeting place, and a rendezvous. It is also the center of the country, so much so that kilometer marker 0 sits by the base of the bridge in Clark Ádám Square, with every highway in Hungary measured from that point.
Both the Pest and the Buda sides of the bridge are protected heritage sites, and the history of the bridge is storied. The official name is Széchenyi Chain Bridge, after Count István Széchenyi, Minister of Infrastructure, who advocated for the building of the bridge, the story goes, after missing the funeral of his father because he could not cross the Danube. The bridge, spanning 375 meters (~1,230 ft), is anchored by two stone towers. Iron chains drape between them, giving the bridge its silhouette and name. At each end, stone lions stand guard.
Lighting fixtures were calibrated in collaboration with city government officials.
When a 2011 inspection revealed that the iconic bridge suffered from major structural problems, plans were made for repairs. As part of the renovation, the city of Budapest opted to update the lighting as well. In 2016, LED lighting specialist Lisys-Project partnered with planning and design firm FŐMTERV Zrt. to develop the initial lighting concept and fixture layout. Gábor Nyéky, lighting designer and project manager at Lisys-Project, explained, “As all wash and streetlights were still fitted with metal halide lamps and the chains were decorated with light dots sporting compact fluorescent bulbs, a complete LED overhaul was agreed upon.” This redesign focused on improving energy efficiency, introducing dynamic lighting capabilities, and streamlining maintenance and control, all while preserving the historical integrity of the 19th century structure.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge’s soft light reflects off the Danube’s waters.
The lighting project began in 2021 and took 18 months to complete under the leadership of A-Híd Zrt., with Árgus-Security Kft. serving as general electrical contractor. Lisys-Project operated as a subcontractor to Árgus-Security, providing the lighting equipment, control system installation, and programming. The Lisys-Project team consisted of László Deme, lead designer; László Kiss, project manager for luminaires; Gábor Kele, project manager for controls; and Nyéky, who was also in charge of control system design and programming.
Nyéky grew up in Budapest and understood the significant responsibility with which his team had been tasked. As a teenager, he used the bridge as a meeting place and has since stepped onto the terraces of Fisherman’s Bastion and climbed Buda Hill for a view of the bridge at night to view its soft white lights reflecting off the water. He described the structure as “very iconic and very sensitive”; for a bridge that belongs to everyone, any modification runs the chance of displeasing somebody.
Throughout history, the bridge’s lighting scheme has changed only a few times. At its inception, iron lamp posts mounted along the roadway provided vehicle and pedestrian visibility. For the Eucharistic World Congress in Budapest in 1937 and 1938, temporary light dots were strung along the chains in what was among Hungary’s earliest experiments in decorative lighting, creating a dramatic outline of the bridge’s profile for the first time. When the structure was destroyed by German bombs less than a decade later, it was rebuilt in its original form but fitted with a new lighting aesthetic spotlighting the prominent neoclassical stone towers.
“While the bridge had different lighting schemes in the past for various reasons, chief architects working on the project decided to keep its latest design, established in the 1970s,” said Nyéky. The original 2016 plan proposed fitting modern WE-EF streetlight heads into the historical candelabras. However, in 2020, a historical building specialist commissioned by FŐMTERV revised the approach, opting for a post-World War I candelabra design that was significantly smaller than the existing fixtures, rendering the original solution incompatible. In response, Lisys-Project engaged Kandeláber Manufaktúra, a well-known Hungarian lighting manufacturer specializing in historical lamp posts and candelabras, to develop a custom LED fitting suitable for the revised design.
As part of the restoration effort, 24 existing candelabras were restored, four of which were originals from the Széchenyi era, and 32 columns were reconstructed as three-pronged candelabras. Each fixture was equipped with modern LED engines designed to provide sufficient illumination to the road surfaces and pavement. Today, road surfaces meet the M2 class of 1.5 candelas per sq meter of luminance with uniformity of 0.4. Pedestrian sidewalks meet the P1 class with 20 lumens per sq meter and uniformity of 0.3.
For the decorative lighting, Nyéky turned to Griven Italy, a brand he said, “proved reliability multiple times in the past when it comes to quality outdoor solutions with RGBW LED engines and DMX/RDM capabilities.” The chain illumination alone consists of over 1,000 fixtures. All told, the decorative lighting is made up of 1,500 fittings, and the solution comprises 56 Griven Capital 100 RGBWs, 64 Griven Capital 200 RGBWs, 128 Griven Parade L4 RGBWs, four Griven Ruby RGBWs, and 1,180 Griven Graph-i-Cell RGBWs.
Replacing the in-ground metal halides with LEDs presented a technical challenge. “We are always struggling with in-ground fixtures,” said Nyéky. “In-ground metal halides are up to 250 watts and produce enormous amounts of light. It is impossible to this day to reach the same illumination levels with LEDs for in-ground fixtures.” Ultimately, German lighting company WE-EF provided 16 WE-EF ETC140 RGBWs. “Only they could provide quality RGBW fixtures with sufficient luminous output,” added Nyéky.
For the decorative lighting control system, Nyéky looked to Pharos Controls, his “personal go-to when it comes to high-end reliability and flexibility on any scale.” BDK, the municipal department responsible for public lighting, maintains all lighting fittings in Budapest and could not be hindered by a system that required extensive programming or special knowledge of the digital control signals. The installed system consists of one Pharos Controls LPC20, two Pharos Controls EDN20, and one Pharos Controls BPS UK. All basic lighting systems and scenes are automatically started by the city’s central control system, while special lighting scenes are recalled by an eight-button wall panel in a secure room on the Buda side of the bridge.
Voltus Holding Kft. tackled the challenging installation, where, Nyéky explained, “almost all lighting fixtures were to be installed either in great heights or great heights above water.” Industrial alpinists traversed below the bridge with ropes and used heavily ballasted carts so that installers could reach the sides of the bridge.
A preset color scheme displays the pride of the Hungarian people.
Another key challenge, according to Nyéky, was “to keep the look as close and authentic to the desired design with totally different form factor and color spectrum lighting fixtures.” Additionally, there was the subjective artistic interpretation as the team stepped back to look at the bridge. “It is the center point of Budapest nightlife,” noted Nyéky. “You can see in one frame the castle in Buda and the palace, the Matthias Church. They don’t have the same illumination levels, the same color, so it was always a debate, which to incorporate.” To this end, fixtures were precisely calibrated in collaboration with city government officials. Color temperature was modified a percentage point at a time, adding a percentage here, taking one away there, adding a bit more red, a bit less yellow, and so on, until the desired result was achieved.
The bridge was closed for a year before road traffic was allowed in December 2022, once the streetlights were fully functional. Pedestrians were permitted to cross after August 2023 when the decorative lighting was in full operation. Still today, per a city initiative to reduce car traffic through the center, the roadway is only open for buses, taxis, and cycling.
The redesign, Nyéky said, “is popular and publicly acclaimed,” with the Chain Bridge’s night illumination attracting the eye in what many describe as a magical view. The linear lights coming from the pylons are striking, and beside the bridge, string lights glisten from the river cruise boats that dock along the banks, while the gold-toned lights of the Hungarian Parliament Building shine upriver from the bridge. Budapest at night remains romantic, classic, and timeless.
The year 2023 marked the 150th birthday of Budapest, and as part of the celebration, the city offered bus tours highlighting the local architecture and decorative lighting. For this event, the bridge’s lighting scheme was programmed to closely resemble photographs of the original design. After a tour stop at the structure to learn about the history of its illumination, tourists witnessed the bridge transform, lit with the tricolor red, white, and green of the Hungarian flag.
For most of the year, the bridge is illuminated in a soft, white light, honoring its traditional appearance. At the same time, the advanced lighting system also allows for the bridge to be bathed in color on special memorial days, offering a modern touch for commemorative moments. In this way, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge embraces both heritage and innovation through a flexible lighting design that can be appreciated by locals and tourists alike.
THE DESIGNERS | László Deme is a lead designer at Lisys-Project.
László Kiss is a project manager at Lisys-Project.
Gábor Kele is a project manager at Lisys-Project.
Gábor Nyéky is a project manager at Lisys-Project.
THE AUTHOR | Katianne Williams, co-author of the STEM guide Count Girls In, enjoys writing about innovative projects and inspirational people.
