Martin pro lights the way on Øresund Bridge
- Details
Originally constructed in 1999 and opened in 2000, the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, with a total length of more than five miles. The bridge - an instantly recognisable landmark to worldwide viewers of the hit Nordic drama series The Bridge is financed and operated by a joint-stock company owned by the Danish and Swedish governments.
In 2020, the bridge’s operating company hired European architectural lighting consultants Light Bureau to update its aging lighting solution with a more robust and vibrant lighting design in celebration of the bridge’s 20th anniversary. Light Bureau appointed lighting designer Frederik Waneck Borello and project manager Henrik Rohde Nielsen as lead designers for the project.
After conducting an extensive research and bidding process for suitable replacements, Borello and Nielsen collaborated with Swedish lighting provider LiteNordic to outfit the bridge with a Martin Professional architectural lighting solution. Light Bureau and LiteNordic selected Martin Exterior Wash 300 and Exterior Wash 310 fixtures for their output, long-lasting operation and increased energy efficiency.
“Martin has a proven track record when it comes to large-scale projects like this,” said Mikkel Toksværd, director of business development, projects, sales and communication, LiteNordic. “For the lighting designers, it was important for the fixtures to deliver powerful output and uniform, responsive colour mixing. For a project of this size and sophistication, the fixtures have to faithfully render the DMX programming, and the Martin Exterior Wash fixtures were able to reproduce Light Bureau’s dynamic designs with impressive precision and beautiful colour. We’ve had very positive feedback and our clients are extremely happy with the result.”
Light Bureau installed a total of 128 Exterior Wash 310 and 64 Exterior Wash 300 fixtures to illuminate the iconic structure linking Malmö and Copenhagen. The Martin Exterior Wash 300 and 310 are both powerful, compact fixtures designed specifically to light up large structures, façades and bridges. LiteNordic and current Light Bureau lighting designer Anna Waernborg (formerly of Swedish engineering firm Sweco) previously utilized Exterior Wash fixtures in their award-winning collaboration for the Västerbron Bridge in Stockholm.
The Exterior Wash 310 offers uniform colour-mixing with quad-colour premixed LEDs, while the Exterior Wash 300 utilizes separate LEDS for red, green, blue and white. Using Martin Exterior Wash fixtures enabled Light Bureau to design a wide range of looks to commemorate holidays and special occasions with custom lighting displays.
“The first time we showed the customers what this lighting installation is capable of, they were thrilled,” said Henrik Rohde Nielsen, project manager, Light Bureau. “I remember them jumping up and down in excitement, saying, ‘Yes, that’s it!’”
“Without Martin’s full transparency and global support, it would have been impossible to provide our clients with the technical information and training needed to ensure reliable operation for the next ten to fifteen years,” continued Toksværd. “Martin really went above and beyond to provide us with all the relevant data in a transparent manner, including how the fixtures were tested, what types of materials are used, the availability of spare parts and educational information.”
