Rundle Lantern

The Rundle Lantern is the name given to this eye-catching piece of electronic public art situated in the heart of the Australian city of Adelaide. The structure covers around 40 percent of UPark, a public car park operated by Adelaide City Council. Covering all nine stories, the lantern is made up of 748 square panels which illuminate the sky at night through a special type of LED lighting. The lighting display is carbon neutral, with the power coming from renewable sources and the angled paneling also serves the purpose of ventilation through the floors of the car park.  

It’s found on the corner of Rundle and Pulteney Street, which is one of the most bustling areas of the city. The Rundle Lantern operates every night from dusk until midnight and displays a variety of light patterns that can change depending on the time of year and special events. Even when the lights are off in the day, visitors are still drawn to see the lantern as the structure itself is seen as a contemporary architectural structure.  

South Australian design organizations Fusion, BB Architects and Russell Group worked in collaboration to construct and project at an estimated $2 million total cost and it was unveiled to the city by the Lord Mayor of Adelaide Michael Harbison on October 2008.