architecture

12 stunning lighthouses

i’ve been meaning to finish this for quite some time but the huge amount of lighthouses on earth made it a slow process. the examples below have been chosen for different reasons (e.g. design, location, history) and, as always, they’re what i consider to be the best in the world. if you disagree, let me know.

many of the photos are from flickr and link to the user’s page where you can hopefully see larger versions. as for the google maps links, some of them i had to search for myself. that means some of them may be slightly incorrect due to the team at google maps selfishly not labelling every single structure on earth. again, if you notice a mistake, let me know and i’ll change the link.

first of all, i’m assuming you all know what a lighthouse is. just in case, here’s a quick definition from wikipedia…

‘an aid for navigation and pilot at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, safe entries to harbors and can also assist in aerial navigation.’

also, i’m only including lighthouses which are still standing. unfortunately that immediately excludes the pharos lighthouse of alexandria, at one time the tallest building in the world. check it out here.

so, in no particular order…

1. enoshima lighthouse, japan

google maps link

in 2003 the enoshima lighthouse in japan was renovated, the stunning results of which you can see in the photo above. the spiral staircase to the top is surrounded only by a steel frame which is lit in different colours that change throughout the night, making it pretty hard to ignore. it sits on enoshima island, a tiny peice of land just off the coast of japan

2. torre de hercules, spain

google maps link

the torre de hercules (tower of hercules) is the only roman lighthouse still in use and holds the title of ‘oldest active lighthouse in the world’. it was built by the romans in the 2nd century and renovated in 1791 by a team led by engineer eustaquio giannini. the 185ft lighthouse still stands today and looks as sturdy as ever.

3. madang lighthouse, papua new guinea

google maps link

this still active lighthouse, also known as the coastwatchers monument, was built in 1959 as a memorial to the coastwatchers during the 2nd world war. apparently intended to resemble a giant torch, the four-finned base makes it look more like a rocket. either way, it’s an incredible look. as for the light itself, the ‘flame’ encased lamp at the top can produce an impressive 1,000,000 candlepower beam.

4. yokohama marine tower, japan

google maps link

at a height of 348ft, the yokohama marine tower was, prior to its ‘temporary closure’, the tallest lighthouse in the world and could be seen by ships 20 miles away. built in 1958 as part of the 100th anniversary commemoration of the opening of the port of yokohama, the lighthouse immediately became a landmark, many people not realising it was actually a lighthouse due to it’s unconventional lattice tower design.

5. pigeon point lighthouse, u.s.

google maps link

pigeon point lighthouse is perched on the edge of a cliff in california and at 115ft is one of the tallest in the united states. each november the picturesque lighthouse is visited by photographers eager to capture the annual lighting of the lens, seen in the photo above, a spectacle which shows off an extremely powerful lens composed of 1008 hand-polished lenses and prisms which help in providing 500,000 candlepower illumination.

6. low lighthouse, u.k.

google maps link

at only 9 metres tall, the stunning ‘low lighthouse’ in burnham-on-sea is one of the smallest you’ll find. it was built in 1832 and is still used as a navigation tool, providing a white flash every 7.5 seconds from the window at the front in addition to a red, white or blue light, the colour differing depending on which direction it’s viewed from.

7. kiz kulezi, turkey

google maps link

the 2500 year old kiz kulesi (maiden’s tower) is one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world and sits on a tiny islet off the coast of istanbul. over the years the small piece of land on which it sits has been used as a burial chamber, customs area, quarantine area and more - these days the lighthouse is a hugely popular tourist destination with the body of the tower now housing a cafe.

8. cape hatteras light, u.s.

google maps link

around 1.25 million bricks were used to build the tallest lighthouse in america, a huge structure which lights up every 7 seconds to assist ships through the ‘graveyard of the atlantic’, the diamond shoals. on clear days it has been visible from 50 miles and just before the millenium was moved, in one piece, 2870ft inland to escape the eroding shore. photos of the mammoth operation can be seen here.

9. middle bay lighthouse, u.s.

google maps link

built in 1885, the middle bay lighthouse in alabama is an example of a screwpile lighthouse - those which are screwed into piles which sit on sea or riverbeds. this hexagonal beauty was recently refurbished, improvements including a new slate roof and a solar-powered red light on top.

10. promthep cape lighthouse, thailand

google maps link

one of the world’s newest lighthouses is this strange looking, gold topped example in thailand, built in 1996 to honour the reign of king bhumibol adulyadej. it can be found on the southern coast of phuket, a major tourist spot in thailand. i have no idea how much the construction cost but i’m guessing it wasn’t cheap.

11. sullivan’s island lighthouse, u.s.

google maps link

this incredible modern lighthouse originally contained a lamp capable of producing a whopping 28,000,000 candlepower. however this apparently proved too dangerous and was replaced with one with a comparitively modest 1′000′000 candlepower maximum. compared to other lighthouses, this is practically space-age, facilities inside including air-conditioning and an elevator.

12. knarrarós lighthouse, iceland

google maps link

in my opinion one of the most aesthetically brilliant lighthouses you’ll find, the stark white knarrarós lighthouse was built in 1938 and is the tallest building in southern iceland at 86ft. perched on top of a white base, the building is surrounded by grass, the colour contrast just adding to its mystical appearance. the light is still active and flashes for a 3 second period every 1/2 minute.

extra:

- the structure itself isn’t one of the best looking in the world but it had to be included purely for this photo. the building in the middle of the picture is seltjarnarnes lighthouse in iceland. of course, the beautiful light show is aurora borealis.

- the following photo is by jean guichard of the jument lighthouse in france. frightening.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

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