MAIN LIGHT
with Andreas Lang
Main-Light is a climate- and resource-conscious lighting concept for public space, developed as part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 program. The project responds to the ecological challenges of conventional street lighting by creating an autonomous, climate-neutral lighting system that operates without electrical infrastructure and makes renewable energy generation directly tangible in the urban environment.
The installation integrates innovative organic solar foils (developed in collaboration with Asca), an insect-friendly light spectrum, and an intelligent, demand-responsive lighting control system (in cooperation with ewo).
During the day, the colorful, translucent solar foils cast vibrant light patterns onto the ground, creating shaded „third places“ that enhance comfort, invite people to linger, and help mitigate urban heat islands.
This flexible installation will be temporarily deployed in Frankfurt in 2026 to illuminate previously dark areas in a safe and sustainable way. At the same time, Main-Light adds a distinctive aesthetic presence to the cityscape, strengthens local cycling infrastructure, and functions as a platform for education and dialogue on lighting, the energy transition, and sustainable urban development.