Each chandelier is rectangular in shape, the largest being over 6m long and 3m wide. Structurally, the illusion of coral is created by a forest of curved glass rods, hanging stalactite-like from the chandelier base. With the addition of dynamic lighting effects, the forest springs into life as synchronised pulses and patterns of light run across all four installations.
Artistic Licence supplied the luminaires and lighting control used to achieve these effects. These comprised some 720 custom RGB LED linear fixtures, each 0.5m in length, and 90 Rail-Pipe dimmer units.
Above the chandeliers, embedded in the ceiling, the fixtures are housed within an array of stainless steel boxes. The light from these chambers is fed into the glass rods below, creating a 'fibre optic coral'. For ease of installation, the Rail-Pipe dimmers were pre-engineered into custom control chambers that interfaced neatly with the fixture housings.
Key to the versatility of the lighting is the ability to use any subset of the four chandeliers, as the ballroom can be split into smaller spaces. Artistic Licence's Colour Tramp controller provided the flexibility needed for programming the system and ensuring day-to-day operability. Colour-Tramp interfaces to the building management system and wall panel controls to detect the room configuration and zone the lighting control as needed. The installation of an IP-based remote link allows distance programming and support.
(Jim Evans)
