Telling the story of Kaohsiung by light The Tower of Light 用光訴說高雄的故事──高雄光之塔
From the end of May, along Love River, there is a new landmark which is colorful
New landmark of north Kaohsiung
Passers-by are enchanted and cannot help themselves from slowing down and taking a good look at this beautiful light tower. As a matter of fact, this was a high-voltage electric tower long time ago. During 1950s to 1970s, when Kaohsiung became a city of industry, high-voltage electricity was the backbone of industrialization. Thus, the high-voltage cable went right through the city space of Kaohsiung people's life. Not only did it play a highly important role in economic development, but it was also regarded as a symbol of prosperity and progress.
With the demand of modern people for a high-quality environment, the high-voltage electric cable in Kaohsiung City gradually found its way underground. The electric towers were also dismantled. By the finish, the whole electrical cable was underground and all the towers along the line were taken down.
Creative ideas from the community
The electric towers symbolize an important period of the history of electric power and of city development. Since history should not be forgotten, the City Government formulated the plan of keeping the fourth electric tower located in the square in front of Hakka Cultural Museum and also proceeded with the plan of rebuilding it. Under this plan, the architect studio in Sanmin District was put in charge of design and execution. The plan won the blessing of Taiwan Power Company. So, finally, the fourth electric tower remains and is given to Kaohsiung's citizens.
The Tower of Light regains its life like the legendary phoenix. It not only changes from black-and-white into color but also changes from the image of "No Climbing" in the past into that of a high three-floor watchtower. The climbing wall is also arranged so that energetic and active young people can have the same feeling as that of maintenance workmen climbing up to the top (45-meter high). With the careful and thoughtful designer's effort, the insulators on the tower become artistic devices like "Insulator Wall", "Insulator Pillars of Light", and so on.
Fantastic expressions
The main feature of the Tower of Light is, of course, the light. The electric tower keeps a memory of city. Therefore, not only does the tower have the basic function of lighting, but it also adds the element of memory. By using light, the story of Kaohsiung is told.
All the way up the tower are light-emitting diodes (LEDs)─point-shaped lights fuelled by solar energy. Each night, the light emits automatically for four hours. There are hundreds of colors, variants on the primary colors, red, blue and green. These LED lights vary and portray different themes. For example, shining white lights form "the Memory of Fireflies", seven colors form "the Suite of the Rainbow", the tone of blue and green decorated with white forms "the Beauty of Ocean", and so on. During festivals and weekends, a shining-to-the-eyes projected light beam will turn round and round and gather all the energy inside the tower.
The tower once symbolized the golden years of Kaohsiung's period of heavy industry. Now, it transforms into north Kaohsiung's brilliant landmark. On the Tower of Light, people can see past history, the beautiful scenery of the present, and a future of unlimited hope.
五月底開始，愛河邊多了一個色彩繽紛的新地標：高雄光之塔。它就位在三民公園裡、客家文物館對面，塔身燈光閃爍變化著各色光彩，使得愛河中游一下子亮了起來！
北高雄新地標
這個讓過往人們忍不住放慢速度、多看一眼的漂亮燈塔，以前其實是座高壓電塔。民國五十至七十年代，正是高雄轉變為工業都市之際，高壓電就是推動這股工業潮流的主要動力之一，因此在這個時期，高壓電纜穿越高雄人生活的都市空間，不僅在台灣的經濟發展中扮演著極重要的角色，在當時更被視為繁榮進步的表徵。隨著高壓電纜逐漸地下化，電塔也面臨被拆除的命運。完成全線地下化後，沿線鐵塔便一一拆除。
社區創意火花
電塔象徵著電力與城市發展歷史的重要片段，為保存城市的記憶，市府便提出保留位於客家文物館前活動廣場之第四號鐵塔、並將其進行再造的計劃，同時由三民區社區建築師工作室負責設計執行，也獲得台灣電力公司的支持，把四號電塔保留下來，送給高雄市民。
「高雄光之塔」如同浴火重生一般，不僅從黑白變成彩色，更一反過去高壓電塔「禁止攀爬」的形象，架設了三層樓高的瞭望台，還設有攀岩牆，讓好動的年輕朋友體會電力公司維修人員攀登45米高塔的感受；同時在電塔上的絕緣零件「礙子」，也在設計師的巧思下，成了「礙子牆」、「礙子柱燈」等藝術裝置。
光塔豐富表情
「光之塔」的主角，當然是「光」。電塔保留了城市的記憶，因此在燈光的設計上，除了照亮塔身的基本功能外，更加入回憶的元素，藉由燈光向人們訴說高雄的故事。
沿著塔身而上的，是使用太陽能發電的ＬＥＤ點狀燈，每晚會自動發光四小時，以紅、藍、綠三原色變化出數百種多彩顏色，呈現不同的主題，像是：以閃爍的白色燈光形成的「螢火蟲的回憶」、七彩的「彩虹組曲」、藍綠色調中綴入白點的「海洋之美」等，節慶週末時，耀眼的投射燈光束更將在塔內外旋轉流動，匯聚所有的能量於塔內。
「高雄光之塔」曾經象徵著高雄重工業時期的黃金歲月，如今搖身一變，成了北高雄耀眼的新地標，在「光之塔」上，看到的不僅是過去的歷史，還有現在的美好風景，更可以看到未來的無限展望！