Delivered in August 2012 by German shipyard Lürssen Yachts, the 147.25 metre superyacht Topaz is the fifth largest yacht in the world. In 2009, lighting designer and architect Beatrice Witzgall and her company i3D accepted an invitation to develop an exterior lighting proposal for the vast vessel, and by 2012, Topaz was proud owner of an innovative lighting concept that had the potential to transform the identity of the yacht using innovative and colour changing LED lighting technology. Until now, renderings of this lighting system have been kept private.
Witzgall installed linear LED strip lighting into the ceiling overhead and belt lines around the perimeter of the yacht. Using lighting control software, the linear lighting offers the owner the ability to change the colour and feel of the yacht depending on the desired ambiance.
To make the achievement of the ideal ambiance easier, Witzgall also developed a number of curated lighting scenes. For example, when anchored or at night, there is the option of a dimly lit, subtle lighting, or if hosting a party, she could boast illumination with a vibrant colour scheme. These lighting scenes can be controlled on board the vessel.
Throughout her career, Witzgall has implemented similar lighting concepts into more than a dozen superyachts internationally, where preset moods such as such as 'sunset', 'relax', 'cocktail hour', 'party', ’late night’ and ‘romantic’, can be found. These curated light scenes extend beyond the exterior illumination, continuing below deck.