Viaduct Harbour is a heavily obstructed area by cables, gangways and other infrastructure. Philips Lighting was tasked to adapt to local celebrations and events, allowing programming from anywhere with regular content updates.

The Philips luminaires also had to survive sea air, salt spray and even partial immersion, and still have a satisfactory light output in ten years' time.

The right lighting

For the western wall, Philips iColor Flex LMX Gen2, a direct view system, was mounted on stainless steel plates and overlaid with a customised diffusing screen resulting in seamless light movements.

For the southern wall, the luminaire chosen was the Philips ColorGraze MX4 Powercore from Color Kinetics, an IP66 fitting made of high-quality aluminium with a low copper content to withstand the marine location. To avoid the wall looking flat and featureless, the interior of each frame was washed with carefully-directed light that used a gradation in intensity across the surface to provide interest and contrast.

A waterproof secondary housing was designed and built locally from marine-grade 316 stainless steel with a glass lens, and the luminaire was mounted and sealed inside this.

Lighting designer Angus Muir was commissioned to design the creative content while the Philips ActiveSite gateway monitors the health of the system sending real-time fault alerts to address immediately.

As the project progressed, it became clear that the color-changing lighting would also provide another opportunity—to revitalize the city and the whole downtown experience.

“As we worked on the project we realized that through the use of color-changing lighting, we had the chance to essentially brand the city,” said Fox. “The new lighting could extend beyond the station and tie back to city events and happenings, and with the nearby commercial railroad station, we could create a ‘gateway’ to San Diego.”

To uplight the canopy, Ceballos and Fox used a combination of four Philips Color Kinetics ColorBlast Powercore and two iW Blast Powercore fixtures mounted within each of the 12 existing metal shrouds located 35 ft (10.7 ft) above the station which replaced high wattage metal halide uplights. More than 30 different themed lighting shows were programmed—both static and dynamic—and run during trolley operating hours treating travelers and passersby to a lighting experience. After hours, the uplights switch to white light in order to increase safety and security in the area. The new lighting system has reduced the overall energy consumption.

“It was exciting to take the objectives of the project one step further and have the chance to really make an impact on the city,” said Ceballos. “We hope the new lighting will instill pride in local citizens and create a welcoming and memorable entrance for visitors.”

Products Used
ColorGraze MX4 Powercore  
iColor Flex LMX gen2  

CLIENT:
Angela Bull, CEO,
Viaduct Harbour Holdings Ltd

DESIGN:
Geoff Lewthwaite,
Philips Lighting New Zealand

Angus Muir,
Angus Muir Design

TECHNICAL DESIGN:
Chris Huff,
Chris Huff Technical Ltd.

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR:
Empire Electrical Services Ltd