The Kunstsilo (Art Silo) is on the small island of Odderøya in Kristiansand, Norway, and opened its doors in May this year.

The stunning concrete building is a former grain store that has been ingeniously transformed into an impressive minimalist-style art museum housing more than 7,500 unique works, including the Tangen collection, the world’s largest collection of Nordic modernism.

The architects made a feature of the building’s cathedral-like silos, which are 38 metres high. Illumination from such high ceilings presented a challenge but lighting designer Kathrine Hjelmeset of Henning Larsen Architects took inspiration from industrial lighting, specifying 26 Glamox i90 industrial LED luminaires. These powerful lights are more at home in lighting high-ceiling warehouses and industrial plants and were installed by OneCo.

The industrial luminaires are suspended from the ceiling in each silo, providing a narrow beam and controlled using a DALI control system. Only around 40 percent of each luminaire’s 60,000-lumen illumination capacity is used, and the luminaires have a long 100,000-hour lifetime. They provide a neutral white light (at 4000K with 90 CRI).

The overall project of lighting the Kunstsilo, of which the silo lighting is the part provided by Glamox, has been nominated for the Norwegian Lighting Award.

Photo credit: Halvor Gudim.

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With a capacity of 5,900, the Sun Princess boasts brand-new entertainment venues and innovative concepts. The ship has recently been equipped with a comprehensive Robe Lighting package, including 4 FORTE FSs, 4 RoboSpot systems, 27 ESPRITES, 76 PAINTES, 22 Spiider LED wash beams, 24 LEDBeam 350s, 43 LEDBeam 150s, 57 Spikie+s and 14 T11 Profiles with gobo modules, plus 21 ParFect 150s, 42 Tetra1s, 30 iPAINTES, 13 iSpiiders, 17 iBeam 350s, 5 iTetra2s and 19 iBar 15s.

The Sun Princess, the most impressive and luxurious “Love Boat” ever created, introduces an innovative ship platform designed exclusively for the world’s most iconic cruise brand. Mesmerising shows and engaging activities abound across the ship, highlighted by transformational entertainment venues. The Princess Arena, the most technologically advanced Princess Theater design, offers three configurations to maximise sightlines and deliver a truly captivating experience. The Dome, featuring a pool by sunlight and a stage for shows by starlight, is a glass-enclosed space inspired by the hills of Santorini. It showcases acrobatic performances created in partnership with the renowned Cirque Éloize. Princess Live!, an intimate lounge, offers non-stop entertainment throughout the day and night with trivia, game shows, the daily Wake Show, live concerts, and late-night comedy. The Piazza, the ship’s hub, spans three decks and features outward-facing suspended spheres that transport guests to new dimensions with expansive ocean views, complemented by world-class entertainment supported by moving stages, performer flying, and a 3-story LED wall. Additionally, O’Mally’s Irish Pub offers good food, good drinks, and lively music from a resident Irish folk band. Robe Lighting plays a vital role in bringing these spaces to life and more.

Built at Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy, the Sun Princess is the largest cruise ship ever constructed in Italy, weighing in at 178,000 gross tons and featuring a total guest and crew capacity of 5,900. As part of Carnival Corporation’s green cruising initiative, the Sun Princess is one of 11 new ships in the corporate fleet powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) fuel technology, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The ship also features ingenious energy recovery systems for eco-conscious cruising.

The lighting design for the Sun Princess was selected and coordinated by Princess Cruises’ Fleet Supervisor for Lighting/Video & SFX, Matt DeJong, who explained that Robe was the clear solution for this new build project.

In coordinating the lighting systems, including lighting positions and fixture selection, Matt DeJong noted that multiple rounds of reviews were necessary to finalise the system design for the venues. As the Sun Princess is a concept ship, creating the venues from scratch required careful planning with venue architects, LES Integrators, and the shipyard. On a cruise ship, overhead availability is always a concern, and since trim heights are often lower than in traditional venues, selecting fixtures with the right size, zoom range, and features was key.

Robe’s TE (TRANSFERABLE ENGINE) family of fixtures emerged as the perfect solution for the Sun Princess. Additionally, the ship is entirely LED, with both entertainment and public area lighting. This decision aligns with Princess’s commitment to eco-friendly cruising. Robe’s TE series provided various light engine options, allowing for a balanced lighting rig that still delivers powerful performance. “We could select the most recent fixtures, and ones that best served the needs of our productions and designers. Not being locked into the shipyard supply, which is often defined years and years in advance, allowed us to stay relevant and up to date with the latest and greatest lighting technologies that matched exactly what we needed,” said Matt when explaining the process and benefits of the option to “owner-supply” the main moving light package for this new build project.

The lighting rigs on a new ship are expected to last about 8-10 years from delivery. The onboard production staff manage the day-to-day maintenance and operation of the lighting systems. The TE family was an ideal choice for Matt because the easy swapability of the light engine extends the lifespan of the fixture beyond the rated hours of the light engine. The future-proof TE series, along with fantastic support from Robe, made it the ideal choice for Sun Princess. The TE family includes a range of fixtures with varying sizes, light engines, and feature sets, enabling Matt to select fixtures with reliable feature sets based on the available overhead space and venue requirements. The Dome also required IP-rated fixtures as it serves both indoor and outdoor functions since humidity plays a factor with the venue containing a pool and open-air opening. Having the option to use the same type of fixtures, such as the PAINTE, Spiider, and LEDBeam 350 in both IP20 and IP65 with iSeries fixtures was a significant advantage for streamlining onboard storage of spare parts and maintenance items.

Matt and the Princess Production Resource team, led by Denise Saviss and Mark Simons, have had great success with Robe in the past for main lounge refits. A combination of an impressive feature set, light output, size, weight, and strong support presence made the selection of Robe fixtures an easy decision. Tony Perez, Robe’s global maritime sales director, played a key role in supporting Matt and the Princess team by coordinating shootouts prior to the specification phase.

Tony’s support and ability to coordinate special requests, such as custom factory gobo loads, made the entire process very smooth and ensured that Princess received exactly what they needed and wanted. Tony’s assistance was also crucial in ensuring the on-time delivery of lighting fixtures to the shipyard for installation onboard, meeting the deadlines of both the shipyard and the creative teams.

The Robe Lighting fixtures are the primary workhorses for the production shows and entertainment on board this next-generation ship.

The Arena Theatre production shows include Vallora, A Pirates Quest (lighting by Ben Cracknell, programming by Matt Davis), Fiera! (lighting by Mat Stoval & Trevor Burke for Visual Noise, programming by Zach Matusow), Viva La Musica (lighting by Ignacio “Iggy” Rosenburg, programming by Max McDougall), and Stage Struck (lighting by James Whiteside, programming by Michael Fox). The Dome and The Piazza feature Princess Cirque shows with Montreal-based Cirque Éloize: Art Beat, Blue, and Come Fly Away (lighting by Laurent Routhier, programming by Hunter McCune). The Piazza events were designed and programmed by Nathaniel Cromwell and Michael Gionfriddo for EMF Lighting, with additional lighting design and programming by Matt DeJong, Sandee Roque, and Octavio Ahumada.

The numerous creative teams appreciated the Robe fixtures for their impressive output and consistent color mixing between the TE range and the LEDBeam/Spiider range. Lighting designer Laurent Routhier from Cirque Éloize, who utilised the iPAINTE, iBeam 350, iTetra2, and iSpiider in the Dome, remarked,

“Robe is my favourite brand so I knew it would work. The design of the dome being quite special with no top lights and few backlights meant we needed some moving lights we could rely on, and as usual Robe delivered. And the small size vs the brightness of the lamps was perfect for that venue.” The Princess Cirque shows from Cirque Éloize play in The Dome and feature three full shows that run 2-3 times a night during a voyage. Laurent also had the pleasure of using the Robe fixtures in the Piazza for a special Champagne Toast event featuring a trapeze act performance with the circus artists.

Nathaniel Cromwell and Michael Gionfriddo, working with EMF Lighting, were responsible for the design and programming of all shows and events in the Piazza, the ship’s heart. This venue, which runs all day and features anything from daytime washes to game shows and full production shows, needed dynamic and reliable fixtures. Michael remarked, “I think that the selection of fixtures from Robe in the Sun Princess Atrium was a perfect fit for the space. The PAINTE as a hard edge with an LED engine provides great color clarity and low maintenance considering the location of the fixtures. The Spiiders and Tetra1s live up to their reputation, providing vibrant looks and endless FX possibilities.” The Piazza also serves as one of the two nightlife spaces, featuring late-night discos in the center of the ship. Nathaniel added, “Robe lights consistently proved themselves to be the right job for the role. The Piazza is an important centerpiece to the Sun Princess. Having fixtures that are vibrant, quiet, and reliable is essential to the space, and Robe excelled in all categories.”

The Arena Theatre presented several challenges due to its multi-configurable nature. Matt explained, “The lighting rig needed to function for proscenium mode, in-the-round mode, and thrust mode, all without re-hanging the rig and without placing fixtures where they were only useful in one mode.” One key challenge was determining the follow spot locations. “From the start, it was clear we needed four or more fixtures to support the venue,” explained Matt. In the end, four FORTE fixtures were carefully placed to be functional in all modes. Four RoboSpot base stations were selected to run the FORTE fixtures from a backstage loft area. The ultimate architectural design of the venue prevented traditional follow spot locations and systems. “The ability to use the Base Stations and fixtures like a matrix selection was the most impressive feature, as it allowed us to be more flexible in our user needs, and the setup was easy enough to change as needed for the different configurations,” said Matt. The FORTE fixture’s large zoom range also contributed to its selection for this venue. The long throws combined with the 5.5-degree minimum zoom meant that a more traditional follow spot system was no longer required.

In the Arena Theatre, four full production shows are installed. Each show will run twice each night during a voyage, featuring fully produced performances with the production cast, scenery, media, and lighting. Lighting designer Ignacio Rosenburg shared his experience: “I absolutely loved designing a show on Princess’ new vessel. It’s certainly a departure from my usual haunts, but walking into a theater as impeccably beautiful and modern as this was breathtaking. We have a long history of using Robe products, and we often turn to them for their light quality, feature sets, and dependability. It really speaks to the attention Princess pays to their entertainment division that this theater was stocked full of the latest and greatest from Robe’s catalog. Having access to both entertainment-style fixtures like Spikie and PAINTE, as well as powerhouse theatrical ones like ESPRITE and FORTE, and the fantastic RoboSpot system, meant I could thread the needle between my more rock-and-roll style lighting and the needs of a theater environment.”

The Arena Theatre features a large LED wall at the back that runs for all shows. The impressive engine output from the TE fixtures like FORTE, ESPRITE, and PAINTE, along with the Osram engine from the Spiider and LEDBeam fixtures, was crucial to allow the lighting to cut through the video content.

The Dome and the Piazza lighting were installed in just two days by Videlio HMS. The lighting rigs in the Arena, Princess Live, and all other venues were installed by Matt DeJong, Karen Hii, and the supernumerary install and setup team, including Sandee Roque, Dusan Milosavljevic, Octavio Ahumada, and Sabiniano (Buboy) Martinez. Across all venues, over 400 individual fixtures were delivered across Europe, stored in a warehouse, and then loaded into the Monfalcone shipyard using various shipping and handling options. Matt and the Princess team were impressed that each unit worked right out of the box. Matt explained, “Normally, with the volume of fixtures for this project, you would expect a few issues or small problems with one of the units. However, there was a 100 percent out-of-the-box working rate, which proves the quality control and care that goes into production from the factory in the Czech Republic.” The on-time delivery and 100 percent working rate were instrumental in keeping the installation and creative phases on track during the new build process.

The Sun Princess Robe lighting rig continues to perform exceptionally. The availability of service documents and ongoing support from Robe North America and the global support team, along with the dedicated communication and support from Tony Perez, positions the Sun Princess for long-term success. The entire Princess Entertainment technical team, show creation team, and onboard technicians are delighted with the performance, reliability, and features of the Robe fixtures onboard Sun Princess. The Robe moving light rig is complemented by other conventional units, and additional moving lights were provided by Videlio HMS for select venues.

Sun Princess is the first in the Sphere Class for Princess Cruises.

Photos by Matt DeJong.

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Blank canvas

Starting from scratch in an empty warehouse, Luceco carried out a survey of the site to decide the best indoor, outdoor and emergency lighting for the space.

This warehouse had to double up as both a printing warehouse and an office space, so the lighting had to be suitable for both applications, as Chris Bryant, Group Managing Director of Electrical Solutions (Scotland) explains: “The brief we were given by our contractors, Advanced Building Contractors Ltd, was to supply a lighting scheme for a manufacturing space and a small office in the same warehouse. The client had limited knowledge of lighting, so working with Luceco we were able to recommend the appropriate lighting and fittings for the job.

When we visited the site with Luceco, we carried out a survey and produced a lighting design to meet their requirements. One thing we knew we had to get right was the balance of natural lighting in the space. The warehouse featured big skylights, which in the day provided the best natural light that wasn’t too warm or cold. We needed to replicate the same natural light when it got darker as accurate colour rendering is essential for printing environments and so LED lighting was an ideal solution.”

The perfect solution

LED lighting provides the perfect solution for industries that require the LG1 recommended Colour Rendering Index (CRI), as it has only a small oscillation in light output and eliminates the strobed effect often caused by traditional lamped luminaires.

Following the site survey and lighting design, Spirit Label Solutions chose to use Luceco’s Elara Bay, cost-effective LED luminaires ideal for high ceiling mounting positions in industrial and warehouse environments, and surface mounted LuxPanels for the office spaces.

Chris said, “We chose to work with Luceco as we trusted them with their proposal and knew we were going to have their support throughout the entire project from planning and ordering to fitting and future repairs, and the client was delighted with the transformation.”

Luceco Project Manager, Grahame Scott, said: “It was great working with Chris and the Electrical Solutions team after previous projects together.

Knowing accurate colour rendering was essential for this warehouse project, we knew our Elara Bay and LuxPanel luminaires would deliver the results that Spirit Label Solutions was looking for in their new manufacturing and office space.”

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Also known for its world-class performances and high production values, the venue has recently invested in 43 Robe FORTE moving lights, which are rigged in its 1,070-capacity main stage venue. These were supplied by Robe’s Polish distributor, Prolight, who won a competitive tender to supply the new tech.

Bartosz Wolak has worked at the Theatre for the last 11 years as chief LX and head of lighting, a multiplexing role that also encompasses designing and operating the lights for their own productions. He and his lighting team of eight were instrumental in choosing Robe for this major technical upgrade that ensures Theatre Muzyczny will continue presenting the very best-looking shows, including frequent licenced productions coming hot from London’s West End.

The FORTES replace the previous moving lights – from another brand – which were installed in another major modernisation in 2013 which included the addition of the new Nova Theatre space plus some structural changes to the main auditorium.

The previous fixtures were becoming costly and time-consuming to maintain, and “apart from that, we needed more up-to-date technology and more flexible lighting to keep pace with increasingly demanding productions,” Bartosz explained.

Some of their shows are ‘full length theatrical dramas with music’ and can last up to three and a half hours, while others are a more traditional musical format which go in and out or run in repertoire with 2-day changeovers in between, a programme also benefitting from more adaptable lighting.

Bartosz and his team wanted FORTES for several reasons, including “the power, the beautiful colours and the stunning effects,” and with 43 in the rig, they can be used for both beams and spot lights, so with all that power and versatility on hand, they physically need less fixtures to light a show well.

They all love the frost filter and have a 30 percent frost implemented here, which effectively allows the FORTES to also become an excellent wash light.

“This is a really magical transformation,” notes Bartosz. Critically, it allows them to light a wider range of shows – from complex musicals to typical dramas – with ease.

The animation wheel and the fantastic dynamic effects that can be produced using it also made an impression with everyone, and silent mode was important, as low noise is essential for musical theatre environments, especially for the orchestras. The original moving lights had too often made their presence felt in the auditorium!

High CRI was also a factor, an aspect making the transition from tungsten to LED easier for the actors, who also must get used to working with new LED light sources and their different texture and feel. And of course, that is related to attaining those gorgeous rich flesh tones that allow the makeup to glow and enhance faces with depth and texture. “The actors have noticed that it’s different and are now enjoying working with the FORTES,” he confirmed.

Robe’s TRANSFERABLE ENGINE (TE) technology was something the team also considered could be useful to Theatre Muzyczny as its production schedule is intense and involves a lot of lamp-hours. “The option to replace the lightsource of an LED fixture was definitely interesting to us,” Bartosz said.

The stage is 16 metres wide and 20 metres deep – also the largest musical stage in Poland – complete with high side wings and a double revolve. It is both a producing and a receiving house and their own shows are specifically tailored and designed to fit their space. Theatre Muzyczny is frequently licenced to replicate West End shows, underlining the standards of the productions.

For Calendar Girls The Musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, the show was scaled up from its Leeds Grand Theatre premiere in the UK and subsequent London Phoenix Theatre run, and most of the musicals contain plenty of WOW factors.

There is some history of Robe fixtures in the house – eight ColorSpot 700E ATs were acquired for Shrek The Musical in 2012 – which have been well looked after and are still in use on the small stage!

This lighting upgrade and the FORTE investment is also part of the ongoing switch to LED lighting.

The choice of FORTES was partly driven by visiting production riders, including those of Polish TV who cover a large annual film festival hosted by the theatre and some other events, and the house receives several international ballet and dance shows and music concerts.

The FORTES were integrated into all the main stage lighting productions – new and revivals – over a 3-month period as soon as they arrived.

The original part of the Main stage – remaining from before the 2013 refit – has only 3 lighting bridges, so some of the lighting positions are limited, but as the FORTES are so useful and multifunctional, Bartosz reckons that 43 fixtures can easily do the job of many more profiles, spots, beams and washes – with just one unit instead of 4 of different types of light!

Photos: Show shots from the 2024 production of “Quo Vardis” by Rzemieslnik Swiatla and  courtesy of Teatr Muzyczny.

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28 projects from ten countries were recognised and applauded for demonstrating exceptional lighting design and contributing to the professional community.

IALD Awards Co-Chairs Yah Li Toh, IALD, CLD, and Uno Lai, IALD, CLD, enthusiastically hosted the evening’s celebration. “Year over year, the calibre of winning projects speaks to the passion – and talent – of lighting designers everywhere,” Yah Li said. “We can only imagine where the profession may evolve in years to come.”

The project with the highest score received an IALD Award of Excellence and the highest honour of the ceremony, the IALD Radiance Award for Excellence in Lighting Design. This accolade was given to the New York, United States project ‘Lightfall’, a collaborative lighting design by the firms Loisos + Ubbelodhe and Lumen Architecture.

Elated representatives of the winning teams, including firm principals George Loisos and Susan Ubbelohde, joined the Awards Co-Chairs and IALD president Andrea Hartranft, FIALD, on stage to accept the Radiance trophy.

The following projects received the 2024 IALD Awards of Excellence:

• Battersea Power Station, London, United Kingdom, with lighting design by Speirs Major Light Architecture
• Gallo Azul Tailor Shop, México City, México, with lighting design by Lighteam Gustavo Avilés S.C.
• Lightfall, New York, NY, United States, with lighting design by Loisos + Ubbelodhe and Lumen Architecture
• Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), New York, NY, United States, with lighting design by Tillotson Design Associates

The following projects earned the 2024 IALD Awards of Merit:

• Anyuan Bridge Lighting, Shanghai, China, with lighting design by RDesign International Lighting
• Casals Forum, Music Quarter, Kronberg im Taunus, Hesse, Germany, with lighting design by Licht Kunst Licht AG
• The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States, with lighting design by Reed Burkett Lighting Design
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 5, Chicago, IL, United States, with lighting design by HOK & Schuler Shook
• The Cross of Heroes, Vyshgorod, Ukraine, with lighting design by Expolight
• The Dark Line, Sandiaoling-Mudan, Taiwan, with lighting design by Artec Studio
• Eslöv Square, Eslöv, Sweden, with lighting design by Light Bureau
• Korean War Veterans’ Memorial, Washington D.C., United States, with lighting design by Flux Studio
• The Luminarium, Omaha, NE, United States, with lighting design by HDR
• Lungshan Temple Lighting Renovation, Taipei City, Taiwan, with lighting design by Originator Lighting Design Consultants, Inc.
• Matsu Beigan Power Plant, Beigan, Matsu, Taiwan, with lighting design by YI.ng Lighting Design Consultants
• MUFG Park + Library, Yagisawa, Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan, with lighting design by Lumimedia Lab Inc.
• Red Box Cinema, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, with lighting design by Brandston Partnership Inc.
• Safeco Plaza, Seattle, WA, United States, with lighting design by Fisher Marantz Stone
• Saint Mark’s Church, Philadelphia, PA, United States, with lighting design by BEAM, Ltd.
• Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church & National Shrine, New York, NY, United States, with lighting design by DLR Group
• Sanxingdui Museum New Hall, Guanghan, Sichuan, China, with lighting design by Puri Lighting Design
• SIMOSE Art Museum, Harumi, Otake, Hiroshima, Japan, with lighting design by Lumimedia Lab Inc.
• SKP Chengdu, Chengdu, China, with lighting design by Speirs Major Light Architecture
• Sky Light Gallery, Mentougou District, Beijing, China, with lighting design by School of Architecture, Tsinghua University & One Lighting Associates (Beijing)
• Touro University Flagship Campus Lobby at 3 Times Square, New York, NY, United States, with lighting design by Anita Jorgensen Lighting Design
• Yanzi Academy, Shanghai, China, with lighting design by Guangzhou Yuanse Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
• YOYOGI SANGUBASHI TERRACE, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, with lighting design by Sirius Lighting Office Inc.

The following project was granted a 2024 IALD Special Citation for Integration of Light into the Architectural Fabric:

• Grace PARTY K Flagship Store, Kunming, Yunnan, China, with lighting design by Hong Kong Fei Shang Entertainment Design Ltd.

Awards Co-chair Uno Lai spoke highly of the variety of projects honoured for 2024: “The domain-based rubric used by our judges allowed them to score each entry on its demonstration of aesthetic and technical excellence. It results in an array of winners that show how exceptional lighting transcends the built space.”

The collected audience joined the IALD in thanking the 2024 IALD Awards panel of seven volunteer judges. Five professional lighting designers serve on this year’s panel: Maria Dautant, Assoc. IALD; Fang Fang, IALD; Clementine Fletcher-Smith, IALD; Chayot Kiranantawat, Assoc. IALD, CLD; Andreas Schulz, FIALD. The esteemed panel also includes interior designer Masako Fukuoka and architect David Greenbaum.

Now in its 41st year, the IALD International Lighting Design Awards is the longest-running program recognising architectural lighting design excellence. Receiving an IALD award is universally heralded as the top honour in the lighting design industry. Since its inception in 1983, the IALD International Lighting Design Awards has honoured lighting design that reaches new heights, moves beyond the ordinary, and represents excellence in aesthetic and technical design achievement.

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Caleido Tower is a 181-metre (594ft) high, 36-story tower in Madrid, and the seventh tallest building in Spain. The building has met (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification – a framework which consists of various rating systems tailored to different types of buildings, spaces, and communities to assessing the sustainability of a project.

Caleido Tower achieved GOLD which means it ‘serves as exemplary models of sustainability, showcasing the potential for significant environmental impact reduction through thoughtful design and operation’.

The building achieved this by using natural light with the help of an advanced lighting control system by German manufacturer B.E.G. – whose UK headquarters is based in Surrey. Caleido Tower also has facial recognition, intelligently controlled lifts and air filtration and ventilation systems are incorporated.

It is expected that more than three million visitors will visit the 70,000 sqm Caleido complex annually. The project, in the shape of an inverted T, has been divided into four areas: an educational area with 35 floors used by a business school, a wellness clinic, an underground car park, and restaurants and shops.

The technology protocol used in the Caleido Tower was KNX, a globally proven bus system within building automation, which brings together multiple systems enabling the uniform networking and visualisation of intelligent devices.

B.E.G. predominately used the PICO sensor – one of the smallest KNX detectors in the world – for this project due to its size. Despite its diameter of only 33 mm, it has a range for motion detection of 10m transversely, 6m frontally and 4m for seated activities. This means that it detects even the smallest movements, such as the operation of a computer mouse.

In addition to a light output (controllable or switchable) and a slave output for extending the detection range, the B.E.G. PICO also has three HVAC outputs with which energy-intensive systems such as air-conditioning units can be controlled. The light output can be used both as an occupancy detector and as a twilight detector (motion-independent control/switching).

The B.E.G. PICO also has functions such as a temperature sensor, presence simulation, corridor function, orientation light function, short presence and self-adjustment of the follow-up time. The short presence, for example, can save additional energy as the follow-up time is reduced to an adjustable percentage if a room is only entered briefly to fetch an item for example.

Paul Jones, Sales Director of UK & Ireland at B.E.G, said: “Since very large ceiling panels were used, it had to be ensured that the respective panel would not sag over time due to the weight of a detector. Weighing only 14g, the B.E.G. PICO proved ideal and was integrated in all rooms where detectors were planned.

With the help of BIM, the building was digitally modelled in advance – a planning method that is increasingly becoming the standard in the planning of large projects worldwide. In the process, all alphanumeric properties of the planned building are represented. This data is automatically kept up-to-date and gives all parties involved access to the status of the project to ensure the different service combine effectively.

The combination of bus systems can help to save energy costs. In the Caleido Tower, over 15,000 DALI luminaires were installed in addition to KNX, while a gateway was used to control these with KNX. This connected the KNX bus with the DALI bus designed for lighting control.

Each B.E.G. gateway was able to switch and dim up to 64 ECGs in 16 groups, while scene control of individual ECGs is also possible. In addition to RGB and Tuneable White, the gateway also supported DALI-LINK multi-sensors.

In the corridors of the tower, the light is controlled by the B.E.G. PICO depending on daylight and presence. If no more movement is detected, the orientation light switches on. The lighting is dimmed down to a value of 10 percent as soon as the room is no longer occupied.

This state remains permanently until the next movement, or the light is switched off after a preset time without detecting movement again. A calendar function can also be used to implement a night mode.

Especially in large projects such as the Caleido Tower, an orientation light is often used to visually illuminate the building. The lighting of the IE logo on the facade is automatically switched on in the evening by the B.E.G. KNX switching actuator with a calendar function. Individual luminaires are also switched on and off with switching actuators. This is achieved for example, when illuminating screens for presentations.

With the calendar function, the light is automatically switched off at a preset time in the evenings when there are no more classes and, in addition, no movement is detected in the surrounding areas. This affects the refectory, for example, where the B.E.G. PICO only functions as a twilight detector and only regulates the light to the desired brightness depending on the natural daylight.”

The IE Business School was opened in the Caleido Tower in October 2021 in the presence of Felipe VI, King of Spain, and António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

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Pharos Architectural Controls has a distinguished history of supporting projects that have pushed boundaries – in terms of scale, complexity and in some cases, sheer audaciousness. As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the controls manufacturer has released a new set of podcast episodes focusing on some of the more wacky, wondrous and other-worldly projects to have exceeded the limits of what was thought possible from a technological perspective, but also in terms of innovation and imagination.

The ‘20 Years of Pharos’ campaign is spotlighting ten lighting professionals and ten projects that have shaped the success of the company over the last two decades.

Seminal lighting professionals Alan McIntosh from Mulvey & Banani Lighting, Inc and Torben Skov Hansen from Chromaviso both feature in this tranche of the campaign, discussing how they have each made their own impacts on the industry – in very different ways.

Boundary-pushing projects featured as part of the campaign include Bridge of Peace in Georgia and the awe-inspiring art installation, Untitled (UFO), which took flight in 2008 – much to the delight of thousands of onlookers in London, Prague, Rio and California. Podcast interviews with Marco de Boer from Primo Exposures and Dominic Harris from Cinimod Studios explore these incredible projects in more detail.

As well as providing rich insights and personal stories, the podcasts will cover how Pharos technology enabled visionaries to realise their briefs and – in many cases – completely exceed them.

Alan McIntosh – Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc

VP and partner of Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc, Alan McIntosh, has been with the company for 14 years after spending over a decade working on TV and theatrical lighting touring as a technical director where he gained valuable experience working with dynamic lighting.

“The touring aspect of being a theatrical tech director really encouraged a boundary-pushing mindset, which was a priceless experience and knowledge-gathering time for me. Mulvey & Banani takes on a lot of ambitious urban design projects – many of which are dynamic in nature: a particular passion of mine. We take care of small public art installations to huge-scale wonders of the world, and everything in between.

“Pharos had always been used by the team at Mulvey – they have become one of our standard controls provider, but my first experience of using Pharos control to great effect was on the Bloor Street Benches project in Toronto, which could be described as the Fifth Avenue of Canada. This project was one of the first projects where we worked in direct collaboration with the Pharos team, rather than just specifying them as a contractor would.

“The concept came as a result of an art competition set by the local Business Improvement Association (BIA), to revitalize the urban street scape and make the space more inviting.  Our firm teamed up with landscape architect, DTAH, and came up with the concept of creating stylized public benches that were themed as urban fire pits. These benches lined the corridor and provided a place that was intended to bring people together and provide a sense of warmth and community, on what is a very busy street filled with high end retail, restaurants and constant foot traffic.

“The benches were etched with flames, with lighting integrated inside them that – if the visitor pushed a sensor – would transform from a static look into a flame-flickering, dynamic look. From there, the scene would play for 2-3 minutes and then revert back to its static scene. Each bench had its own independent controller, while the local program to each bench could be overridden, should the need arise to change all the benches at once by the technical operators. The show on each bench had an astronomical calendar that was programmed for ten years, which included programs and scenes, based on what the client wanted, including Father’s Day, Halloween, Easter, etc. All the benches would trigger in uniform illumination.

“The client also decided they wanted to throw in a show every 15 minutes, which switched the fire mode onto all the benches simultaneously., before reverting back. It was ambitious – there were 63 benches eventually installed along Bloor Street and they are still working well, with a couple of tweaks here and there to update in line with the client’s requirements.”

The Bloor Street Benches project is one of the largest deployments of single Pharos controllers, programmed to work individually and as a collective, to achieve the required objective for the client.

Alan continued: “As well as winning the art competition, we have received several accolades for that project and really shows how we want to continue to push boundaries and innovate to create something really special, that we can be really proud of. The production and live event background mentality came to the fore to help us to overcome hiccups and problems that really pushed that project forward and realise its full potential.”

Torben Skov Hansen – Chromaviso

Chromaviso has been specialising in healthcare lighting for the last 18 years and began its working relationship with Pharos in 2012.

Torben explains: “The first years of the business were spent providing a completely novel kind of lighting into operating theatres, so very specialist indeed. The partnership with Pharos came as a result of some work we did with a surgeon who had the idea to combine architectural lighting and room lighting with colour mixing, in order to enhance his visible performance, increase the working environment and thus, his work as a surgeon.

Chromaviso’s founders were well-versed in architainment lighting and acquainted with DMX, and so the innovation in this space was born. To begin with, it was all about controlling lighting in that one room – the operating theatre – and they had their own developed control system for that, which worked well.

“When I joined the company, we expanded the business into multiroom control and larger areas of hospitals – staying in that health and care space. Pharos was the obvious choice for enabling that multiroom control.”

Chromaviso has coined the term ‘light as medicine’ and has continued to innovate in the niche sector of healthcare lighting – both from a patient care standpoint and from an ergonomic perspective, to support the work of the staff working within these environments.

Torben continued: “It’s a unique application in which to use Pharos technology. The benefits and the beauty of this partnership have been proven over and over again. One such example comes to mind when we worked on a Danish psychiatric hospital, which was over 8,000 sqm with 116 patient wards, that had to be completely integrated with circadian rhythm. This meant that some 1,100 six-channel luminaires had to be controlled within that site, which Pharos could easily cover, but the peculiarity was integrating it into the building automation: The user panels, motion sensors, centralised touch-based user interfaces, used both for monitoring, surveillance and multiroom control, was something that we built together on those early projects.

“KMX has emerged as the building automation standard where we are active, so we do that in many cases, particularly on larger projects. This web server – web-based multiroom control and monitoring system that we have developed with Pharos is present across more than 100 hospitals across Scandinavia. These circadian installations have found their way into some further 50-60 installations across elderly care institutions, with the same amount again present in psychiatry, intensive care and neonatal units. In every clinical area active 24/7, our technology will be used and we continue to use the same principles as we did in the beginning.

“In healthcare settings, the lighting design has to work hard to fulfil a multitude of conflicting briefs at the same time, including balancing the benefits for staff in a complex working environment, while aiding the patients around them, who are trying to rest and recover. The evidence and knowledge around light interaction with humans, depending on the health condition they struggle with, has really deepened in recent years, and so our approach has become more advanced in ways that we can support healing and recuperation.

“This is the core value that we provide to the market and Pharos really has been instrumental in enabling us to push those boundaries to innovate in this sector.”

Bridge of Peace, Georgia

Marco de Boar from Primo Exposures codesigned the Bridge of Peace with lighting designer Philippe Martinaud from FOCAL, to complement the overall vision for the structure by architect, Michele De Lucchi. “My dear friend Philippe brought me in on the projects in Georgia, which started with the TV Tower and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2008. These projects were my first encounter with Pharos and that relationship continued with the Presidential Palace project in 2009. In December 2009, we got the first calls for the Bridge of Peace, starting with final design and production in Feb 2010.

“The bridge was constructed in Verona, Italy, then cut into pieces and transported via 200 trucks, into Georgia. It was reconstructed, where the glass and lighting elements were added, before being pontooned over to the other side of the river, where the build and install was completed. It was a true feat of scale and engineering.”

The bridge itself comprises a toughened glass parapet, with 2 x 175m of LEDs (the span of the bridge); 1,250 units inside the roof section of the bridge to illuminate the Meccano. Almost 200 sensors to make the programs follow the pedestrians who walked over it. There are five Pharos LPC 1s (Lighting Playback Controller) and three LPC 2s to help deliver the complex lighting programme on the bridge, supported by 27 Pharos Designer RIOs – most of which service the sensors on the bridge parapet.

Tim Edwards, Operations Director at Pharos, took the lead on the project from the Pharos side of things. He added: “The commissioning for the bridge was done in two phases: The bridge roof, followed a few weeks later, by the walkway. The first phase was near-perfect, which is testament to Marco and the team as that so rarely happens. Phase two was very different with lots more challenges, as the programming for the bridge itself was much more complex. We had problems with earthing, which upset a lot of our gear, but we worked it through to stay on track. The scale of the project was quite something too: to have that many inputs into the system, it is always going to need some ironing out. Deadlines were tight too, so we were under pressure.

“The design of the bridge also incorporated messages of peace, transmitted in light via morse code that travel along the sides of the bridge. This required some completely fresh programming within the Pharos software, which took some support from our team but worked out beautifully.”

Marco continued: “We had the fixtures produced and engineered the complete system, as well as doing all the on-site management. It was a huge project – certainly the biggest I have ever done, but it was a lot of fun. The support we got from the Pharos team brought everything together to really make the design work, in a time when LED projects were pioneering in the industry. A special mention to RENA who made the LED fixtures – the way they prepared the products for quick on-site installation really made a huge difference to us under pressure.”

The Bridge of Peace continues to wow visitors with its simple, beautiful white lighting displays, interactivity and message of peace. Marco concluded: “It’s listed as one of the top five pedestrian bridges in the world. That’s quite a legacy.”

Untitled (UFO)

Cinimod Studios is renowned for using lighting and video to create unique projects so when Dominic Harris received the brief to create a UFO (unidentified flying object) that would fly over the skies of London, Gdansk, Rio de Janeiro and Barstow, CA, he couldn’t refuse.

“I’ve become a world expert on creating UFOs, which is quite a niche area to be working in, but when a company – like Microsoft with its Halo 4 launch – or an artist, finds themselves in need of one, they tend to come to me. They are hard projects to conceive, design and deliver and with a huge amount of challenges to overcome in the execution.

“The whole project initially came about as a collaboration with the US artist, Peter Coffin. It was his vision and he’d wanted to do it for a long time, but he had found it a really difficult project to get ‘off the ground’. He came to Cinimod Studios with the conundrum and we broke it down into its component parts: What does a UFO look like at night? How do you physically construct it and then, how are we going to fly it? But then, if we are going to make this spectacle, we want people to see it, which is where the lighting comes into play.

“The challenge with Untitled (UFO) wasn’t just a feat of getting these huge structures (which were initially 8m, but grew to 15m) off the ground, we needed to build them with the level of lighting that was supported with its own power source. Of course, there was this brain in it, which controlled how the UFO behaved, and that could be controlled remotely from the ground.

“There weren’t many people at that time around who had solid state, robust bits of kit that could drive large amounts of RGB LED pixels individually and could do it in a way that you could pre-visualise testing that out. The Pharos LPC took every bit of shock and vibration and could deliver everything we needed, leaving Peter and I free to design and test out patterns and see everything unfold in flight.”

The lighting on the structure became pivotal and provided the visual spectacle that was enjoyed from the ground, by onlookers in cities across the globe.

“The lighting brief and the aesthetic for Untitled (UFO) changed depending on the country we were flying in” explained Dominic. “Flight control rights meant that in some areas, we could fly the helicopter with all its lights off, as the UFO itself was considered bright enough to mark its location in the sky. This made the view of the piece even more striking in the night sky. In Barstow, California, the flight path took a route over the mountains and then over the Skyline Drive-In open air cinema, where the band Beck was performing and the UFO would form part of their set. The helicopter was able to fly with its lights off and the light emanating from the UFO enabled the pilot to light the way safely through the mountain valley.”

The governing safety we followed meant that there could be nothing between the helicopter and the UFO, other than the strop line itself, which required the UFO to be a completely self-contained unit, with regards to power and data. The peculiarities of a project like this came with several technical challenges, but having the support of the Pharos team on hand to help – day and night – ensured that the UFO would take flight on time and in all its glory.

Dominic said: “The business we are in is that everything has to be perfect on the night, so having that back-up and support was vital; in those moments where we needed it, it was priceless.”

Simon Hicks, CEO of Pharos Architectural Controls, joined Dominic on the podcast and recalls being a part of the support team for the UFO project. “There weren’t many solutions that could control that many fixtures in a solid-state form and, at that time, there weren’t even many Pharos units manufactured – the UFO was one of the first projects to use the LPC X, which we were still building to order in our small office in Shepherd’s Bush. Had there been a problem – as well there might with a new product entering such unfamiliar territory as a UFO – the only backup unit was the one we had in the office to replicate Dominic’s setup and provide technical support. It was an exhilarating project to be part of!”

Dominic added: “I would hazard a guess that there aren’t many Pharos controllers that have flown over three continents of the globe, like the one fitted to the UFO. A special accolade indeed.”

The full interviews can be viewed here:

Alan: https://youtu.be/KrW754LzXRs?si=IK0OPp_QieLzWUDM  

Torben: https://youtu.be/ws2dhrWcJ-g?si=5JBIwBK8VUaE63ex  

Bridge of Peace: https://youtu.be/sRTGEHHdPY4?si=mscoj9y44Wa_nlsJ  

Untitled (UFO): https://youtu.be/yfMdPLir1NQ?si=PasPUYxUUevOPFcb 

The next installment of the ‘20 years of Pharos’ podcast series, focusing on Scalability, is due to be released in November.

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These Robe fixtures together with MegaPointes and Tarrantulas were utilised across five key sites on the main day of celebrations which included performances, attractions and events taking place along a 5-kilometre-long stretch on both sides of the River Danube that dissects the attractive Hungarian capital city. This separates ‘Buda’ on the west shore with its castles and historical sites with the thriving commercial hub of ‘Pest’ on the east side.

The project was managed for VEG by Kristof Nagy and the five areas utilising Robe products were the 118-metre-wide Hungarian Parliament Building, The Hungarian National Gallery, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Elisabeth Bridge and the Mandoki Soulmates stage.

The imposing and majestic Parliament Building on the Pest side of the city was designed by Hungarian architect Imre Steindl in neo-Gothic style and opened in 1902, and as always for National Day celebrations, was at the centre of the evening’s main show.

It featured projection mapping onto the front central section from across the river – a throw distance of approximately 400 metres.

A row of lights on the nearside bank flanked the building projections shooting intense beams up into the air, and this was where the 12 iBOLTS were positioned 6 a side at the outer edges of a long line of lights. They were a major part of the lighting scheme and were programmed to interact with the projection show.

The 10 iFORTES were used to wash up and along one of the sides of the building that was not being used for projection.

The Hungarian National Gallery is on the Buda bank of the river in the Buda Palace at its highest point which is one of the loftiest points across the whole city.

In the past, the front has also been projection mapping, but this year it was decided to illuminate it with lighting, so 8 iFORTE LTXs did a fantastic job of this, cycling through different tasteful colour sets, with added gobo texturing.

“We again needed the sheer firepower of these fixtures at this site,” commented Kristof, who was pleased that just 8 fixtures did the job perfectly, positioned on scaffolding towers built and spaced out along the Savoy Terrace in front of the Gallery building.

Budapest’s famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge was included in the main show for the first time this year. Its two grand towers were also projection mapped and the structure was lit and highlighted by 8 iBOLTS blasting out from the towers which are either side of its 202-metre central span.

The Beam lights were used smartly and proved essential in drawing attention to the bridge without interfering with the video mapping.

The bridge was designed in sections by English engineer Willian Tierney Clark in 1839 following an initiative by Count István Széchenyi. These sections were shipped from the United Kingdom to Hungary for final construction, which was supervised locally by Scottish engineer, Adam Clark.

A bit further along the river is the Elisabeth Bridge, built at the narrowest part of the Danube spanning 290 metres and named after Elisabeth of Bavaria. This looked resplendent lit with 48 iFORTES, 32 iFORTE LTXs and 4 iBOLTS positioned on both sides.

“I was keen on showcasing the latest and brightest technology we had on this event which is one of the most important and watched/attended in the country,” stated Kristof, who highlighted how the Robes stood out among the 2000 plus fixtures they supplied for the show including 40 high powered lasers.

The fixtures are all from Robe’s iSeries of waterproof products, and the IP65 weatherproofing was one less environmental factor for the crew to worry about.

Local rental company AVL Trade supplied an additional 12 iBOLTs to the event which had come straight off the Main Stage of the 2024 Sziget Festival staged the previous weekend.

Over 1.5 million people flocked to central Budapest to enjoy the festivities which included numerous shows and events, culminating in the Main Show and its ostentatious firework display.

In addition to these areas, the Mandoki Soulmates stage was lit with the help of 28 x Robe MegaPointes and 30 x Tarrantulas. It was located in front of Budapest’s largest church, Saint Stephen’s Basilica, and the musical lineup was curated by legendary German/Hungarian singer and drummer Leslie Mandoki. The stage was named after his band.

Photos courtesy of VEG.

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The office is set over three floors with a flexible mix of open-plan desks, collaborative meeting spaces and social areas, connected by a central oak laminate architectural staircase. These striking stairs are spotted by Light Forms’ bespoke curved Moonband 40 profile, with Nova62 spots fixed directly to the underside to cast each step in a stunning glow. The custom curved pendants creatively spotlight the central staircase while setting the scene and creating a warm and welcoming glow for this modern, open-plan office.

The interior design by Incognito has been accentuated through thoughtful lighting, with high specification finishes and fixtures throughout. The lighting brings out the richness of the colour palette, which contrasts bold blues and purples with neutral tones to create a welcoming and open space that catches the light seamlessly.

The project won the Design Excellence Award at the Insider Media Sheffield Property Awards for its innovative design and its impact in supporting the company to reduce its carbon footprint. The office is expected to deliver a carbon emission reduction of 79 percent compared to the former office, supported by intelligent LED lighting and natural light flooding through the windows.

Interior Design: Incognito, Manchester.

Main Contractor: ADT Workplace.

Electrical Contractor: Premier Electrical, Bury.

Lighting Manufacturer: Light Forms.

Photography: Mike Dinsdale – Midi Photography.

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Fans who crowded the tunnels to see international stars VTSS, Crystallmess and Mary Lake, along with local favorites like CJ Bolland and Nosedrip, got swept away by more than the music. Setting a mesmerising visual tone for the shows was a dramatic lighting design by the John & Jane team that accentuated the intensely raw aesthetics of the tunnel structure.

“This was the third year in a row that we provided sound and light for multiple stages of Listen Festival,” said Lowie Lesage, technical supervisor of the project. “Listen Festival is known for their unique locations. This year, having the festival take place in tunnels was a fun challenge. Our successful cooperations rely on good equipment and light and sound designs that match the venue. As well as working together to find the best logistical solutions.”

Helping the John & Jane team achieve their vision for the festival was a collection of CHAUVET Professional fixtures that included 36 COLORdash PAR H12IP washes, 12 COLORado Panel Q40 rectangular wash lights, 14 Color STRIKE M motorised strobe-washes and 16 STRIKE P38 blinders.

Tobias Allard, who served as the lighting designer-operator, along with operators Korneel Wilkin & Ward de Clercq, drew on the colour rendering prowess and intense output of the fixtures in their rig to create a seamless flow of compelling looks throughout the tubular festival space.

“We played off the length and shape of the tunnel,” Lesage said, explaining the design team’s strategy. For example, the team transformed moods by conjuring up a variety of intense monochromatic washes that seemed to fill the entire space. They also added dramatic flourishes by sending sharp beams of lights over the crowds one moment, before accentuating the tunnel walls with warm white blinders the next.

Although the tunnels, which are normally used for traffic, offered the design team a wealth of creative opportunities, they also posed some challenges. “As the tunnels were closed for traffic for a relatively short time before the festival, we had to make sure the load in would go as smoothly and fast as possible,” explained Lesage. “This made it necessary to preassemble most of the totems in our warehouse.”

By taking steps such as this, the John & Jane team was able to pull off the Listen Festival design without a hitch. Venturing into the mysterious world of tunnels, they emerged with a stunningly beautiful lightshow.

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