In 2000 the City and Port of Copenhagen gave West 8 the mandate to create a masterplan for a residential and office neighbourhood called “Amerika Plads”. As part of the creative realization of the masterplan, West 8 designed the Dragonlight as the streets illumination for the new quarter.

From the original drawings of West 8 the foundry of Bruijs in Bergen op Zoom (The Netherlands) made a wooden 1-on-1 model that later was split up into cast patterns to produce five separate aluminium pieces (body, 2 wings, tail and head). Bruijs used sea-resistant aluminium, a special alloy of aluminium/magnesium and silicium, to create the lighting element.

The light fitting which allows the light to come out of the beak of the Dragon is produced by Se’Lux, they are also responsible for the specially dimensioned poles. Se’lux developed a special system in order to provide in sufficient light output without dazzling the visitors and neighbors. The eyes of the Dragonlight are lit red which completes the atmosphere by night.

The Dragonlight received the European Aluminium Award 2008, in the category Industrial Building & Construction.