A New Beacon of Light over Jena

At 144.5 metres high, JENTOWER is the tallest office building in the former East German states. After the former INTERSHOP sign was removed at the end of 2020, the landmark tower was to receive a new, highly visible name: JENTOWER.

The Project

NEL GmbH from Leipzig was commissioned in 2021 to design the new lettering. The objective was clear: the appearance of the former neon sign should largely be retained, but with modern, energy-efficient LED technology.

The choice fell on hansen swing~light. Its neon-like appearance made it ideal for the project.

Lighting at 125 Metres

Before production could begin, a sample letter was produced on a Dibond panel and installed directly on the tower. This allowed the lighting effect, mounting and construction to be tested under real conditions.

One particular challenge was the geometry of the building. Although JENTOWER appears round from the outside, its window sections are arranged at an angle of around 6°. Each letter therefore had to be individually adapted and precisely angled.

The light itself was also designed to shine specifically towards the front. Specially bent edges of the letters prevent the light from escaping sideways.

Precision Down to the Last Detail

The lettering is 25.60 metres long, with each letter measuring 3.10 metres in height. Due to the limited load capacity of the service lift, every individual component had to be precisely planned.

The only way to transport the components to a height of 125 metres was via the service lift. With a maximum load of 240 kg, the weight of each individual letter section had to be carefully calculated, including tools and installers.

The swing~light profiles were integrated directly into the letters at NEL’s workshop. As with the original sign, a double contour was used. The converters were installed space-efficiently inside the lower sections of the letters.

Installation at 125 Metres

Industrial climbers were also brought in to support the façade installation. A total of 150 M16 bolts were anchored into the façade.

The individual components were first lifted by crane to the terrace on the third floor and then transported upwards using the service lift. The journey to the installation point took around 20 minutes.

The first letter was installed in mid-June 2023. Due to the height and wind conditions, approximately one letter could be installed per day.

At the beginning of July, the time had finally come: the complete JENTOWER sign was illuminated above Jena.

Sustainable Illuminated Signage

A total of 245 metres of swing~light profiles and 34 converters were installed. A daylight-dependent control system automatically adjusts the lighting according to the ambient brightness.

The entire system has a power consumption of just 2.2 kW, combining impressive long-distance visibility with energy-efficient LED technology.

The Result

A new name, a familiar look and modern technology: JENTOWER has regained its highly visible beacon of light.

Technical Details

• Sign: 25,600 mm long
• Letter height: 3,100 mm
• 245 m of hansen swing~light
• 34 converters
• Daylight-dependent control
• Power consumption: 2.2 kW
• Installation height: approx. 125 m
• Double contour with a neon-like appearance