Marenghi comments: "For the fourth consecutive New Year's Eve, associate LD Paul Cook and I created a three hour light show prior to midnight and then supported the firework finale with the floodlighting of the Eye and aerial searchlight effects. PRG Europe, led by crew chief Gerry Mott, supplied 100 VL5 Arc luminaires and ten 10kW Syncrolite searchlights to outline the wheel, with Stage Electrics, led by Simon Baker, supplying the 32 radio controlled MAC 2000s in the pods and 16 Martin BigLites on the pontoon. The light show element also used the existing LED installation on the London Eye, programmed specifically for the event by Simon Hicks of Pharos Controls."
PRG Europe project manager John McEvoy says: "We placed the VL5s on the pontoon which extends into the Thames at the base of the Eye, and the 10kW Syncrolites on the bank behind and in a line perpendicular to the wheel to create aerial fans and a massive 100,000 watt vertical beam."
Paul Cook says: "We wanted to do a bigger flood effect than we've had previously, so we used a wider 'chase' from the searchlights through the wheel's spokes. The aim was to get an attractive and anticipatory focus before the show, in conjunction with the music from BBC Radio 1. We used the atomic clock at Rugby to ensure the lighting was in sync with the fireworks and Big Ben at midnight."
Power Logistics provided the temporary electrical supplies for the occasion, along with nearly 5,000 litres of locally sourced 100% bio-diesel manufactured to EN14214 standard.
Power Logistics also provided power to the technical services on the Embankment (powering public address systems, plus offices for the production and emergency liaison teams) as well as power to the projection on the Shell building and lighting behind the London Eye. In addition, the company installed cabling and distribution to the lighting equipment for the London Eye and a number of sets on Trafalgar Square for video screen relays. In all, Power Logistics provided just over 1.4MW of power generation from nine generator sets.
(Jim Evans)
