Solar Lighting Upgrade Project for the African Renaissance Monument Grounds in Dakar, Senegal

Project Overview

This project upgraded solar lighting around the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal, covering the entrance, pedestrian routes, seating areas and supporting buildings. The monument stands on the Mamelles hills in Dakar and is one of the city’s recognised landmarks. Its sculptural group depicts a man, a woman and a child facing toward the horizon.

Before the upgrade, some paths and seating areas had insufficient night-time lighting, while lighting continuity around the entrance and supporting buildings needed improvement. The project covered approximately 9,500㎡ of public grounds, with main pedestrian routes extending about 540m. Solar outdoor garden lights were installed along paths, ramps and landscaped areas. Solar wall lights were mounted on visitor facilities, entrance walls and low-rise building facades to improve pedestrian visibility and wayfinding.

Local Environmental Conditions

Dakar is located on the Atlantic coast and receives strong sunlight. However, salt in coastal air, seasonal rainfall and windblown dust increase the need for corrosion protection, weatherproofing and maintenance. Installation points and wall fixings were protected, and path-light locations were planned with sunlight direction in mind to reduce shading from trees, buildings and terrain.

The monument grounds sit on elevated terrain, with level changes between paths, ramps, steps and seating areas. Night-time lighting needed to make routes and entrances clear while preserving the landscape character of the site.

Project Objectives

1. Raise average illuminance along the main paths and entrance areas from 7–11 lux to 18–26 lux.
2. Achieve illuminance uniformity of ≥0.65 on primary routes, improving visibility at steps, ramps and turns.
3. Install solar outdoor garden lights along paths, ramps and landscaped areas to improve night-time wayfinding.
4. Install solar wall lights at entrance walls and visitor facilities to supplement local illumination.
5. Strengthen weatherproofing and corrosion protection for the coastal environment.
6. Maintain clear lighting layers while reducing glare and bright hotspots.
7. Improve the night-time visitor and pedestrian environment while reducing conventional wiring and maintenance workload.

Project Outcomes

After completion, average illuminance along the main pedestrian routes and entrance areas reached 22 lux, with route uniformity reaching 0.70. Solar outdoor garden lights were installed along paths, ramps and landscaped areas, improving visibility at steps and turns. Solar wall lights supplemented illumination near the entrance and visitor facilities.

The upgraded lighting is more continuous at night, with clearer spatial definition along visitor routes and around seating areas. The solar lighting blends with the landscape and reduces the site disruption associated with conventional cabling, providing a stable environment for evening visits and use of the surrounding public spaces.