Highly visible and iconic, the 'LightVeils' display is unique to Weymouth. It is also one of the final parts in an ambitious £2.5m seafront regeneration programme undertaken by the Borough Council and other partners. The luminous green laser patterns will now form a permanent night-time feature, shining across the beach and into the sea.
The innovative project was designed and delivered by international engineering consultancy Parsons Brinckerhoff, based upon a concept developed by renowned artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier. The company won the 2009 design competition set up by Weymouth & Portland Borough Council and The Arts Council to deliver an artistic led lighting installation for Weymouth's seafront and Georgian esplanade.
"This was a very exciting and challenging project," explains Bill Norman, Parsons Brinckerhoff's project manager. "To our knowledge, there is no other installation of this sort anywhere in the world and it is also the largest permanent laser lighting installation in this country."
"We have worked very closely with Weymouth & Portland Borough Council and artists Vong Phaophanit and Claire Oboussier to meet both the complex design requirements, and faithfully deliver the original artistic vision. The eventual solution also had to satisfy the challenging planning requirements of a conservation area and extensive safety requirements for such a unique and innovative installation."
The overall project involves seven, individual 16m artist designed, coloured and internally illuminated columns, located at strategic points along Weymouth's one kilometre promenade. An eight watt scanning laser is positioned at the top of each column and projects a variety of laser beam patterns into the bay, linking the town and seafront with the beach and sea at night. The illuminated effect of the installation covers a one kilometre square area of Weymouth bay, yet consumes less that 3kW of energy.
The lighting is subtle, phased and calming, with each laser programmed to change over time moving vertically and horizontally, in circular motions with split beams. The experience will also vary depending on weather and lighting conditions each night.
The lights will start half an hour after sunset and go on and off every six minutes through the evening, with a different pattern of lights each time. The lights will stay on until midnight in winter and 1am in summer.
Chairman of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council management committee Michael Goodman said, "After extensive preparations and planning, we are now delighted to be able to present and share this fantastic new artistic lighting scheme.
"With the benefit of Arts Council and other funding, the Borough Council has had the opportunity to introduce a new, low energy lighting display that is both modern in its form, but sympathetic to the Georgian backdrop of the esplanade.
"The new lighting system is just one of the many projects that are transforming the seafront to help reprofile and regenerate Weymouth and the Borough as whole. The scheme will improve residents' and visitors' experience and help raise the awareness of the resort at national and international levels, both during the Olympic & Paralympic games time and for the long term.
(Jim Evans)
