"We were asked by the consultant, ARUP (Manchester), to provide a lighting system to highlight the building during dark hours and make it stand out from the street," says Jock Wallace, Black Light's installations manager. "As the sports centre is a brand new building we had to ensure that our work complemented it aesthetically. We also had to be extremely careful that our installation was faultless and that we achieved a perfect finish."
To ensure that the project's goals were achieved, Black Light carried out a demonstration of equipment on site to allow the client to visualise the different options available. Once a final decision had been made on the system specifications, Black Light's team liaised with the key product manufacturers to ensure the timely delivery of all the required components.
"Lead time was tight so had to ensure we were utilizing in-stock products," explains Wallace. "To get the job done, we had to schedule our staff to work when the centre was out of action, after 10pm at night."
Among the pieces of equipment used in the lighting system were Traxon Nano Liner RGBs, Traxon XB Drivers, the eCue Butler XT and the eCue Glass Touch T6.
The eCue Butler XT control unit was chosen because of its internal Astronomical Clock. This tracks daylight hours (sunrise/sunset) throughout the year. It therefore allows the Sport Centre's lighting to be switched on automatically at sunset. Before handing over the project, Black Light programmed the system to the client's requirements - including the provision of override modes for special events.
The Sports Centre, which was completed in 2011, marks a new dawn for sport at Lancaster and provides the University's elite performers with state-of-the-art facilities to train. It also provides a wide range of facilities for recreational users, both from the University and the local community, including a swimming pool and climbing wall.
(Jim Evans)
