The water tower presumably dates back to the early Soviet period, although its architecture has features characteristic of earlier industrial development. Originally, the structure was used to store and supply water to the city’s water supply system. Nearby was Bazarnaya Square, one of the centres of urban life, surrounded by Chkalovsk’s historic buildings. Today, the tower has lost its original engineering function but has retained its significance as a prominent vertical architectural landmark.
In spring 2026, an architectural lighting project was implemented here as part of the development of the public space and efforts to increase its tourist appeal. The new lighting design helps reveal the character of the tower anew, emphasise the brickwork and make the structure more noticeable in the evening panorama of Chkalovsk. Thanks to its location in an open area near the Gorky Reservoir, the silhouette of the tower is clearly visible both from the streets and from the water.
The architectural and artistic lighting of the tower was developed and installed for ANO “ASIRIS” and with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod Region as part of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”. The concept was developed by the team of IRGSNO — the Institute for Urban Environment Development of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The lighting equipment was supplied by ATRIA. Specialists from ATRIA and INTILED developed the technical part of the lighting solution: they carried out lighting calculations, selected the power and optics of the luminaires, and determined the light directions and equipment installation points.
The upper tier of the tower is illuminated by INTILED SLIM luminaires with 60×90° oval optics and a colour temperature of 3000 K. The luminaires are installed around the perimeter and create a smooth light gradient from the belt to the top of the tower.
INTILED LINE linear luminaires with narrow 15° optics and warm 3000 K light are installed in the recessed sections. The luminaires are directed from bottom to top and from top to bottom — the light beams move towards each other, from one luminaire to another, emphasising the length of the vertical elements.
INTILED RAY luminaires with 10° optics and a colour temperature of 4000 K are installed on the projecting sections. The narrow beam makes it possible to precisely highlight individual surfaces and the mural without overlapping the warm lighting of the brickwork.
The placement of the luminaires is aligned with the geometry of the structure. The LINE luminaires are centred in relation to the buttresses, while the RAY luminaires are installed along their central axes. This arrangement ensures the precision of the lighting pattern and maintains the symmetry of the architectural composition.
The housings of all luminaires were custom-made: the equipment is finished in RAL 7024 with a matt surface. The dark neutral shade reduces the visibility of the luminaires during the day and helps preserve the coherent perception of the brick facade.
No lighting control system was used in the project — the expressiveness of the lighting is achieved through the precise selection of optics, colour temperature, luminaire placement and the results of preliminary lighting calculations.
The architectural lighting has emphasised the significance of the water tower within the urban environment. Its open location and contrast with the low-rise surroundings have made its silhouette more noticeable in the evening panorama. The structure has become a more expressive part of the urban environment, strengthening its place in the tourist image of Chkalovsk.
