A New Multimedia Exhibition on the History of the Port of Liepaja Is Taking Shape in the Liepaja Lighthouse

The Liepaja Lighthouse will soon open its doors to visitors in a new form, becoming a unique cultural and tourism destination where modern technologies will bring the story of the Port of Liepaja to life. The new multimedia exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the development of the port, from its origins to the present day.

A multilayered multimedia exhibition is currently being created inside the lighthouse. Spread across five floors, it will combine projections, sound, lighting and animated historical stories to offer visitors an immersive insight into the history and development of the Port of Liepaja.

The project, “Creation of a Digital Performance on the History of the Port of Liepaja at the Liepaja Lighthouse,” aims to make one of the port’s navigational facilities accessible to the public, highlighting its significance as a cultural and historical heritage site. At the same time, the project will create an innovative visitor experience where historical heritage is combined with modern digital technologies.

“This is a unique and challenging project in Latvia. All multimedia elements will be synchronized to operate as one integrated show across all five floors,” says Jānis Zučiks, Project Manager at SIA “ProVision Baltic”. “Given the Liepaja Lighthouse’s status as a cultural and historical heritage site, one of the main challenges was to install all the necessary equipment without damaging the lighthouse, while also ensuring that the technology can operate throughout the year in Latvia’s changing weather conditions.”

From a technological perspective, the project is one of the most complex solutions of its kind in Latvia. The interior of the lighthouse will feature projections of up to 250 degrees, delivered by 14 projectors and complemented by specially composed music by Andris Vilcāns, as well as sound and lighting effects. All these elements will work together across the five floors to create a unified multimedia experience.

Drawing on the Liepaja Museum’s extensive research, the creative team has developed five multimedia animated stories. Through immersive projections and a multichannel sound environment, the stories will reveal the development of the Port of Liepaja and the city, its international role in trade and transport, as well as stories of the courage, enterprise and perseverance of the people of Liepaja.

The multimedia performances are being created by video artist Māris Kalve and the specialists of SIA “Kalvestudija”.

“The central idea and guiding theme of the Liepaja Lighthouse exhibition is the human will in the face of the forces of nature. The lighthouse is a symbol of the will to live and to endure,” says Māris Kalve, author of the exhibition concept, director, screenwriter and video artist. “The overarching purpose of the five stories told inside the Liepaja Lighthouse is to remind us of the ever-present and essential importance of human decency.”

Through multimedia performance, the lighthouse itself becomes a symbol of the ability to overcome challenges. Its vertical structure allows visitors to travel through different eras as they ascend, discovering the development of the port, maritime and fishing traditions, the growth of the city and the stories of the people whose lives have been shaped by it.

“There are many lighthouses around the world that visitors can climb to enjoy breathtaking views. But only one allows you to see not only the landscape, but also time itself. That is the Liepaja Lighthouse,” says Pauls Ķesteris, director and screenwriter of the exhibition. “As visitors ascend through the lighthouse, they journey through centuries, discovering the development of the port and the city, people’s stories, maritime and fishing traditions, the upheavals of history and visions for the future.”

The Liepaja Lighthouse is an integral part of the navigation system of the Port of Liepaja and continues to perform its primary functions, guiding seafarers and fishermen. The lighthouse is owned by the Maritime Administration of Latvia and is under the management of the Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority.

Following the completion of the project, the multimedia performance on the history of the port will be transferred to the management of the Liepaja Museum. Organized tours will be available with a guide or a lighthouse staff member.

The Liepaja Lighthouse will thus become a new and significant destination for discovering Liepaja’s cultural and historical heritage, telling the story of the Port of Liepaja - its past and present, while looking towards the future.

The project is being implemented by the Liepaja City Municipality, with a total budget of EUR 387,144.34. It is co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, the Latvian state and the Liepaja City Municipality. The project is also supported by the Liepaja Region Partnership.