The New Hope Lighthouse is located in the Anaya community along the coast, adjacent to the Lonely Library. It was chosen by community residents as the best New Year’s Eve building plan through a public voting process. Following two months of detailed design and construction, the lighthouse was officially completed and inaugurated on December 31, 2022, to welcome the arrival of 2023.
The concept behind the New Hope Lighthouse began with a simple idea: architects step back from the spotlight to invite the public to participate in the creative process. Through collective “co-creation, co-construction, and sharing,” community members contributed their energy to complete this unique New Year’s Eve architectural project. The lighthouse’s facade was entirely painted by the public using colorful brushes. On the final night of 2022, the last remaining white panel was filled with vibrant colors, and at midnight, the lighthouse was fully illuminated.
During the upcoming Spring Festival, the lighthouse will continue to offer a fresh artistic experience to both residents and visitors. This project explores the relationship between architecture, people, and time, as well as investigating material processing, lightweight construction, and the use of recyclable, environmentally friendly building strategies.
The co-creation plan was designed to unite people’s New Year’s wishes through architecture, connecting life enthusiasts worldwide. This initiative, called the “New Hope Lighthouse Co-Creation Plan,” features painted facade panels with both online and offline participation.
The facade consists of 204 custom polycarbonate panels. After extensive testing for pigment weather resistance and transparency, acrylic paint was selected as the final coloring medium. Offline, community residents and visitors were invited to contribute freely during public welfare events. Online, social media campaigns launched the “New Hope Lighthouse – Online Drawing Collection Activity,” gathering and selecting standout artworks for display.
Participants expressed their hopes for 2023 through varied brush strokes—thin, dotted, and thick. Every thoughtful creation became an essential part of the architectural enhancement. Each contributor became an “architect” of the New Hope Lighthouse.
The New Hope Lighthouse was truly completed on New Year’s Eve 2022-2023. Emphasizing the ritual of New Year’s Eve, people gathered beneath the lighthouse to witness the pre-lighting activities and the countdown lighting ceremony. As the New Year’s bell rang at midnight, the lighthouse was fully illuminated, showcasing 204 artworks filled with wishes from around the world. It became a symbolic beacon of collective hope and energy along the coast.
The main steel structure of this permanent installation stands 12 meters tall. Its steel frame and foundation counterweight plates were prefabricated in local factories. They were then transported and assembled on site using a crawler crane capable of operating on the beach, where the components were welded to the foundation steel plates.
Through multiple rounds of refinement, the lighthouse’s form was optimized to accommodate construction and scheduling requirements. An 8 cm thick solid steel plate was selected as the counterweight to minimize site disruption and allow for future recycling.
For the facade, we chose highly transparent polycarbonate sheets. This material’s unique clarity allows the lighthouse to display different effects depending on the lighting conditions, highlighting the interplay between time and nature.
The installation features vertically layered boards, each tilted 5° toward the viewers on the ground. These boards are supported by triangular wooden wedges with simple craftsmanship, connected to the steel frame using dovetail nails.
Throughout the day, natural light filters through the gaps between the angled panels, creating changing visual experiences as time passes. By day, the lighthouse displays a smooth, semi-transparent texture that blends subtly with the surrounding buildings. Sunlight illuminates the faintly visible paintings on the panels, with soft flickers of color.
The structure is supported by a central column and is open on all sides at its base, inviting visitors inside to admire the artwork above.
At night, internal lights softly flicker, transforming the lighthouse into a glowing “container” that showcases 204 unique “wishes” to the community. Standing 12 meters high, these paintings can be seen clearly from multiple vantage points, even from afar.
The New Hope Lighthouse embodies hope, guidance, and an enduring spirit. This project is a special architectural practice that prioritizes environmental stewardship. Upon fulfilling its purpose, the steel structure will be recycled, and the painted panels will be gifted to participants of the co-creation plan, allowing the lighthouse’s story to continue in a new form.
Project Drawings
△ Hand-drawn sketch
△ Base schematic diagram
△ Plan view
△ Plan view
△ Elevation drawing
△ Elevation drawing
△ Section diagram
△ Structural schematic diagram
△ Partial detailed drawing
Project Information
Architect: Vertical Architecture
Area: 20 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographers: Existential Architecture – Architectural Photography, Long Zhiyu, Wild Photography Studio
Manufacturers: Shanghai Pincheng Holdings Group, Saite Bangliang (Shenzhen) Lighting Co., Ltd
Principal Architect: Ma Qirui
Design Team: Ma Qirui, Long Zhiyu, Lin Pengxiang
Planner: Architect Season of ‘Heartwarming Offer’
Architectural Design: Ma Qirui, Long Zhiyu, Lin Pengxiang
Architectural Consultants: Zhang Han, Feng Chaoying, Tao Wei, Zhao Liangliang, Lv Ru, Li Jinteng (working directly with the firm)
Structural Consultant: Ma Zhigang, Cultural Heritage Protection Center, Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute
Lighting Consultants: Zhang Xin, Wang Dan, Zhao Xiaobo, Tongyuan Lighting Studio, Tsinghua University Architectural Design and Research Institute
Lighting Fixtures Sponsors: Zhang Zhengguo, Wang Xingang, Feng Wenjie, Saite Bangliang (Shenzhen) Lighting Co., Ltd
Construction Party: Liu Hanfu, Changli County Construction Engineering Co., Ltd
Special Thanks: Tian Bowen, Fu Yizhi, Ma Long, Hu Yang, Li Jinyi, Luo Guifu, Li Chaofan, Li Guanjia, Chen Shuyan, Yang Xiyan, Chen Guoen
Client: Anaya International Cultural Development Co., Ltd
Location: Qinhuangdao
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