Moving lights against the wall of the  Electrical Power pavilion. This allmost 40 metres long ornament was the biggest neon construction of the world fair

Neon signs and well lit lettering at Expo 58

The well lit pavilion of Argentine

Ground floor lighting was hidden between the greenery

 

 

Practically all fountains got their own illumination by night. 

Fountains of the Esplanade above,

Benelux Av. (center) and the Reception Hall (below)

Expo By Night

Expo 58 by night:

Let there be lights !

 

The exhibition was renowned for its atmospheric illumination. By night, all kinds of lighting  plunged the exhibition in a wonderful fairyland.

 

From long distant  people could notice the bright lighted gates of the Expo site, some of them were equiped with striking ornaments like the floating V’s of the Nation Gate.

 

The changeable colours of the Esplanade fountains were harmonious with the splendid blue facade of the main halls but in sharp contrast  with the roaring flames in the pools.

Each corner of this square was marked by impressive light beacons of more than 10 metres height.

 

The Atomium with the twinkling stars on its spheres raised all over the expo as a gigantic X-mas tree.

 

Transparent pavilions like France, U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. glowed from inside out like big lit-up boxes of blocks.

 

The Belgium Avenue was divided with a downhill water stairs. Each step had an illuminated basin. After 450 metres the stairs ran out at the Benelux Gate.

 

Neon signpost were placed all over the exhibition site. Various colours guided the visitors trough the several sections of the nocturnal world fair.

 

And there still were the fair ground lights of the attractions park, the omnipresent lamps between the bushy vicinity of the Ossegem park, the horned light pillars of the Belgian Congo section, the glowing obelisk of the International section and last but not least the starry overpass flanked by its 5 pointed expostars.

Breathtakingly beautiful !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3000 powerful lights on the Atomiumspheres created twinkling effects

A colourful atom representation in the pavilion of Czechoslovakia

Examples of atmospheric lighting at the Brussels world fair. The neon lighting of the Eternit Tower in the Belgium Section, the horned lightpillars of Congo Square

Light artwork in the Ossegem park. These attractive illuminations were portrayals of the four seasons.

Electricity for the Expo

 

A total of 135 km’s of electric wiring was needed to provide all pavilions with electric power.

 

45 km for primary high voltage cables, 25  km for secondary  high voltage cables, 30 km low voltage cables, 25 km for public lighting and 10 km for aid connections. 

 

There was a lot of fluorescenced lights at the Expo: 35 000 m of tubes with cold cathodes and 10 000 m of tubes with hot cathodes. All this consumed 42,5 million KW-h.

 

Expo 58 got a gas consumption of 3 million m³ and 1 million m³ water  was used up troughout te exhibition periode.

 

 

 

 

 

Night view of the Belgium Avenue

The bright lighted floating V’’s at the Gate of Nations

Stairway to heaven: by night, the overpass became a fairy-tale promenade due to the illuminated Expostars

A look at Esplanade Square shows illuminated fountains and waterfalls. A new facade of the Grand Palace was specially made for Expo 58. The indirect lighted peace dove had a wing beat of 20 m.

The U.S.A. pavilion was the biggest circular construction ever built. At night when it was illuminated it looked like a just landed flying saucer.

The French pavilion with the glowing Expostars of the overpass in the background. The transparency of this building caused a golden glow

A view from Belgium Square to the Atomium shows a wall of illuminated fountains.

Thanks to its glass walls the Russian pavilion became a gigantic brilliard at night.

The pavilion of Spain with inside lighting, you can clearly see the numerous pillars with star shaped top supporting the ceiling of the building

Pavilion of The Holy See by night with the open clock tower far right. In the centre of this picture you can see the lagoon  at the main entrance of the U.S.A. pavilion. The fountains did rotating movements which made the pool very vivacious.

The Esplanade Square lit up by the lighting of the big Transport pavilion

The atmospheric lighting of the Belgium Square with magical front illumination of the main Heysel hall

The downhill waterfall with illuminated steps of the Benelux Avenue.