As our 20th anniversary year draws to a close, we have added three new podcast episodes to our ‘20 Years of Pharos’ collection, this time, spotlighting some gargantuan projects that have lead the charge in innovative lighting design and execution, and the career of a true lighting industry pioneer.
The world-famous Niagara Falls and two incredible lighting projects in Leshan and Kunming, China that make up our ‘Citywide’ project collection, are all featured in the brand-new podcast episodes, which delve into the histories, objectives and delivery of some of the largest and most critically acclaimed installations around today.
Discussing the history and evolution of Niagara Falls as a lighting project were Alan McIntosh from Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc. and Robert Bell from Pathway Connectivity, who joined the podcast to talk through their respective roles and experiences.
Manson Sheng from Fuhua Intelligent (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. joined the podcast to discuss how the projects in Kunming and Leshan, China, had challenged the Pharos technology and taken its capabilities to a whole new level – both in terms of size and programming complexity.
In addition to this we also sat down with the one and only Eric Warpe Bohman, co-founder of Sweden’s Stockholm Lighting Company, to discuss how he started out in lighting… his story won’t disappoint, and is a fitting end to what has been a fascinating journey through the world of lighting over the past 20 years. Enjoy.
10 Projects: Niagara Falls
Robert Bell – Pathway Connectivity
Alan McIntosh – Mulvey & Banani Lighting, Inc
Alan McIntosh and Robert Bell joined the podcast to discuss the evolution in lighting design and execution at Niagara Falls – one of the world’s most famous natural visitor attractions. Alan explains how Mulvey & Banani Lighting Inc. became involved as the lighting consultants. The team were part of a consortium of companies pursuing the project, including a manufacturer, controls contractor and an electrical contractor: “We were successful after a few rounds of tests that formed part of the tender process but going through that process actually enabled us to obtain a deep understanding of the history of the falls, from a lighting perspective, which began in the 1800s.”
Alan shares some of the fascinating histories of Niagara’s lighting journey, from 1860, when the area was illuminated for special occasions by 200 flares, to the first electric carbon arch lights used in 1867.
“In 1925, 24 carbon arch search lights were installed on top of the power generation surge tank – now known as the Illumination Tower. Those search lights were sent over to England during WWII and used to search the skies for enemy aircraft, before being returned to The Falls after the war. In 1958, the carbon arch lighting was upgraded and in 1974, the luminaires were retrofitted with xenon lights by long-time Niagara Falls Illumination Board consultant Linus MacDonald. The latest upgrade to the lighting system came in 2015 when we switched the luminaires to LED.
“When we got involved, the intent was to improve the illumination of The Falls – swapping out the single colour semaphores and xenon bulbs – that would get intensely hot and need regular maintenance – with something more sustainable and controllable. We needed to provide double the amount of light and that was measured in a series of mock-up tests, where a xenon light was trained on a specific point and the light output measured against our solution. We understood that the centre of the xenon beam was about 6-foot candles at 2,100 feet, so our process was trying to achieve 12-foot candles or higher.
“We visited an airport in the Niagara region and a marina in Toronto to test our sample lights at 2,100 feet but we also had to consider the colour transfer distance too, as achieving the required distance with white light was only half the battle. The RFP for the project only covered the doubling of white light but we knew that the client would be wanting colour, because they were using coloured gels as part of the xenon system. So, we measured how many red, blue and green modules it took to replace a single white to make sure we could demonstrate colour and dynamism for the testing.
“On the night of the mock-up, we transported the kit on this giant glass truck that was driving down the Queen Elizabeth Way – making quite a scene – to aim the LED system across the gorge. The xenon fixture was tested first, getting 6-foot candles at 2,100 feet. Our LED system managed 14-foot candles. We started demonstrating colour to the illumination board and what should have been a 30-minute test and demonstration became an hour and a half, as the board played with different colour change scenarios.
“The RFP had been an exercise in seeing what might be possible – both in terms of upgrading the new technology and making cost and energy savings. The client was really impressed with the level and quality of light that we could achieve, so we were awarded the project.”
Robert Bell explains how his expertise was required as it was determined that the lighting would become a DMX system. “Going from analogue, manual control channels and physical switches, with the xenon luminaires, to a DMX system was a huge change. But as well as losing the manual controls, replacing xenon with LED meant saying goodbye to some challenging and costly maintenance protocols. The xenon lights were around $1,500 each and they needed replacing on a regular schedule. As well as being expensive, it was also dangerous, with staff needing to wear protective suits to handle and change the lamps.
“The efficacy of LEDs, both in terms of their lifespan and their flexibility, really was a gamechanger. Rapid dimming and colour change technology – impossible with semaphores – along with all the upkeep and maintenance challenges that were eliminated by switching from xenon, completely revolutionised the system.
“We’re known at Pathway for working with large and complex DMX systems, and with The Falls having three separate locations, we would need to use fibre in order to create the required system.
“The fibre needed to span from the lighting tower to the bunker at the American Falls straight across the river. Alan’s team’s lighting design has also added another lighting bank onto the restaurant further up the gorge, which meant that the back of The Falls were lit for the first time. In order to do that, we utilised our VIA™ Ethernet technology and integrated a Pharos LPC 4 (Lighting Playback Controller 4) and Pharos Cloud.
“All of the Pathway Connectivity gear is also part of the Pharos Cloud system and I can see everything remotely. I can take a deep dive into every single element of the setup, from the 1,400 drivers to each of the 350 zones of control.”
A custom interface that was designed by Pharos enabled the intricacies of the lighting system to be used by the client with ease. Michael Grosse, Regional Sales Manager for the Americas at Pharos, said: “The way the system has been designed gives the illusion of painting The Falls with light – it is absolutely incredible. Along with the control system and the cloud, we were able to create a custom user interface to control the lighting that is actually split into two: one for the Canadian side and one for the US side of The Falls. When we were creating some of the thumbnails and the buttons, it really brought home just how comprehensive the lighting design is for the area: detailed photographic-quality images and effects that can be created in ligh.”
The user interface is often controlled by the front-of-house teams that look after the tourists visiting The Falls. Robert explains: “The team isn’t trained to a high technical standard to use traditional lighting technology but the custom interface is so user friendly and simplifies the system to such an extent that the team can programme anything at a moment’s notice.
“Pharos also created two interfaces on iPads for use on an observation platform by VIPs to illuminate The Falls for special occasions. The VIP interfaces only include a very limited palette of six colours. Once a colour is chosen, the illumination of The Falls changes well within 20 seconds. It’s very slick and impressive for the visitors and stands testament to the soundness and intelligence of the system as a whole.”
10 Projects: Citywide China
Mansong Sheng – Fuhua Intelligent (Shenzhen)
Manson Sheng from Fuhua Intelligent was the lighting designer on both projects in Kunming and Leshan and the briefs – although very different in location and in aesthetic – were both hugely ambitious in scale.
The project in Kunming involved over 100 buildings across the city, linked by bold and ambitious lighting installations that were designed to entertain and enthral. Pharos technology enables the display using an impressive 120 Designer LPCs.
Leshan’s mountainous location was lit with tens of thousands of luminaires, controlled by 42 LPCs.
Manson explains: “The two projects used 220 volts for switching on and off and used the Pharos control system to control the signal, the colour changing and the lighting effects. We also used the DMX system to turn the lighting on and off. A 3G router was used to control all the buildings together in Kunming.”
Nathan Chan, Product Support Manager for Pharos, explains how the Pharos team pulled together to overcome some of the peculiarities of these enormous projects combined: “We supported Manson’s team and developed the central control system. For Kunming, we set it up in the main control room, writing up a script for each building. Three members of the team flew out to help on site, which was needed, given the tight timescales of the two projects.”
When discussing the challenges of the two projects, Manson explains: “The time schedule was really tight – we had to finish the design, installation and programming within two months for Leshan.
“For Kunming, we had one year to make the project ready but we had to stop everything else to prepare. The size of the project was huge, with 120 units, which was a huge challenge.” Leshan was completed in 2017 and Kunming in 2018, so how does Manson feel now that they are live and part of the fabric of the two cities? “Most of the projects that have gone before had been single buildings, so taking on projects on this scale was a huge thing for us – both as a company and as individuals. We worked together to produce the end result – that teamwork really was the key. There are a lot of opportunities to work on city-scale projects like these again in the future, across the whole of China.”
10 People: Eric Warpe Bohman – Stockholm Lighting Company
Eric’s fascinating career began in his home country of Norway, where he started out as a DJ, but with an insatiable appetite for variety and a shrewd entrepreneurial spirit, the world quickly became Eric’s playground:
“My uncle started one of the first nightclubs in Norway, which is how I came into the business. Not before too long, I had scaled up from DJing and had control of 70 per cent of the nightclubs in Bergen, with up to 20 DJs working on contract for us. We also worked on the lighting installations for nightclubs all over Norway, which brought lighting into view for me.”
Eric moved into the TV world, providing lighting systems for the likes of the Eurovision Song Contest, before his inevitable sidestep into Hollywood and the movies. “We set up a successful hiring company in Oslo that continues to do well today.” But after working hard to create successful businesses in Norway, Eric let the fatigue creep in. “I needed to move out of Norway and change things up, so I moved to Sweden, which is where I met Rickard” – Eric’s founding partner at Stockholm Lighting Company.
In classic style, Eric’s work with Rickard quickly gathered pace. “We landed a gig lighting the most famous nightclub in Stockholm – Café Opera– and other nightclubs quickly followed suit and employed us to do their lighting. We began providing moving lighting for big production companies and toured the world with the rock band, Roxette.”
With a lighting revolution happening around them, Eric and Rickard were quick to embrace new technologies and once they returned from the world tour, they began their foray into the world of LED. “We went to Boston to meet Color Kinetics and knew this thing was going to be big. We had the belief that we could make great things happen as a team. It was at that time that we started working on architectural lighting projects.
“Taking our entertainment background into that space really gave us an edge and we were fortunate to have worked with some great lighting designers and architects that brought us onto some incredible projects: Spotify’s offices in Stockholm, the Stockholm Eye Clinic, the Waterfront: a beautiful install featuring Pharos controls.”
Eric explains how his journey into architectural lighting with Stockholm Lighting Company has given rise to lots of innovative and inspiring projects – some of which reside within the Arctic Circle. “We’ve pushed the limits of Pharos technology by utilising the specialist controls in the Ice Hotel project and the Tana Bru bridge project in Norway, which picked up a design award. Åre Ski Resort in Sweden is also controlled by Pharos, creating a stunning lighting effect down the mountainside.”
Eric reflects on some of his favourite projects that have featured Pharos technology: “The Globe (Aviici Arena) is iconic and stands as proudly today as it did 12 years ago when we completed the install.
“The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul also really stands out to me. We built everything for the bridge here in Sweden and shipped it over for the install, which has also really stood the test of time. It’s not always about the size of a project that makes it stand out – it’s what goes into it to bring it to life that really interests me. The Gingham Hotel in Gothenburg is one such project. That installation and what they achieved with the façade is just incredible and its credentials are on point too. It will be one of the projects that I will never forget.
“The team here is full of energy to make these things happen and we are always looking for the next project to innovate and to take us forward.
“It’s been quite a journey so far and I hope that I am here in 20 years’ time, still working in this industry and finding new ways to push boundaries.”
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