Lighthouse made of steel, glass and Jakob ropes
Initial situation and concept:
Since summer 2025, a new landmark has been rising on the north pier of the Société Nautique de Genève: the 21-metre-high "Ylliam" lighthouse. Made of gleaming chrome steel and spanned by fine stainless steel ropes, it is used for navigation on Lake Geneva and also makes a filigree architectural statement.
The tower not only illuminates the harbor entrance, but also houses an office that is directly connected to the harbor master of the sailing club via fiber optic cable. This provides the volunteer timekeepers with ideal working conditions during important regattas.
The design for the lighthouse was developed and planned by the Geneva-based architecture firm BUREAU (Daniel and Galliane Zamarbide and Carine Pimenta). Following planning permission in February 2023, construction began in October 2024 and was completed in spring 2025.
Construction and implementation:
The metal construction company RUCH (Altdorf) and the team from BUREAU Architects were responsible for the implementation. Jakob Rope Systems supplied the rope structures and tension rod systems, which make a significant contribution to the load bearing structure. The tower is made of chrome-nickel steel – a material characterized by high corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. Ideal for a filigree construction that can withstand wind, water and strong temperature fluctuations.
A circumferential curtain of pre-streched stainless steel ropes provides horizontal bracing for the structure. Equipped with turnbuckles and clevises from Jakob Rope Systems' Forte series, they efficiently distribute the wind loads and enable the slim silhouette of the lighthouse. Inspired by rope structures used in bridge construction, this is modern engineering in a maritime context.
Chrome steel, stainless steel ropes, glass and concrete are the materials used in the lighthouse construction. This creates challenges at the material transitions. The materials glass, steel and concrete have different thermal expansion coefficients. The structural and climatically stressed components must be precisely connected at their interfaces. Architecture, metal construction and rope technology create the technical balance for this in this construction project.
Jakob products and services:
- Open spiral strand rope Ø 10 mm, with Forte M16 turnbuckle and clevis, approx. 13,000 m
- Circular wire strand rope, Ø 4 mm, approx. 27 m
- 72 Forte M10 tension rod systems
- Suspension rope holders, Ø 10 mm
- Preliminary dimensioning of ropes and tension rods
- Adjustment and measurement of ropes on site
Project partners:
Building owner: Société Nautique de Genève, Cologny
Architects: BUREAU, Geneva
Metal construction: RUCH Metallbau, Altdorf
Rope structures: Jakob Rope Systems
