High above the city of Rotterdam you’ll see one of its most iconic structures: the Euromast tower. Standing almost 200 meters tall, Euromast is one of Rotterdam’s crowning jewels boasting a hotel, a world class restaurant and stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding area.
As part of an extensive renovation of Euromast’s Euroscoop – the tower’s unique lift that elevates guests to the highest point – a number of products from lighting controls specialist Pharos Architectural Controls have been specified to create an unforgettable sensory experience.
NorthernLight, a creative design agency based in Amsterdam, completely redesigned the ride and the ride experience to reflect the colourful and diverse identity of Rotterdam. They also developed a totally new visual concept for the trip to the top: “Colourful Rotterdam: a journey from ME to WE”.
The lighting design scheme was delivered by Mark Heinz, and the installation of the audio-visual materials and complete lighting installation inside the Euromast’s lift shaft was delivered by Ata Tech. Creative use of lighting helps to underscore the Colourful Rotterdam theme, transporting visitors along the story arc of this vibrant city.
When guests enter the Euroscoop, they are treated to a stunning light and sound show while the lift ascends to its highest point, 185 metres up, with music by Rotterdam DJ, Oliver Heldens and sound design by Dennis Slot. During the journey, guests are treated to a 360-degree view of the city, while an informative voiceover provides details on the city and its inhabitants.
To create the stunning, pixel-perfect light show that makes the renovated Euroscoop such a huge draw for tourists, Ata Tech selected a Designer LPC X (Lighting Playback Controller X) and a Designer TPS (Touch Panel Station) from lighting control specialists Pharos.
The TPS gives easy control of playback selection, as well as lighting and audio levels, allowing the lift operator to seamlessly transition between scenes. It works in harmony with the 70-universe LPC X, an all-in-one controller designed for 24/7 operation and powerful enough to control the 31,680 DMX channels required by the light show. Offering unrivalled reliability for larger LED installations, the LPC X features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes. All the experience systems – the lighting, soundtrack, voice-over and the lift itself – run in perfect harmony. When the lift is ready to begin the ascent it sends a command to the LPC X for the show to start. The programmed timeline includes not only lighting, but also flags to sends synchronising triggers for the 24-channel audio track.
Interaction with other technical systems is also illustrated with the glass panels that have been worked into the flooring of the Euroscoop. Guests can choose to see through the glass floor as they travel up, adding a final, vertiginous flourish to their experience, or activate an opaque veil within the glass to obscure the view, simply by pushing a button – the Pharos LPC takes that button input to trigger a relay device that returns the floor to opaque.
Mark de Gruyter, Sales Director at Pharos Architectural Controls, said: “Euromast has a rich heritage in Rotterdam, and it was an honour to provide our expertise to help the project team achieve their incredible vision for such an amazing installation. We’re in no doubt that it will ultimately help to put the Euroscoop on the map as a must-see for tourists and thrill seekers alike.”
“Our expertise in lighting control and automation provided the perfect solutions for the designers, and helped to achieve an end product to be truly proud of.”
Tom Aarts from Ata Tech, said: “Working with the Pharos team to craft the right solutions for the project meant that we could tap into their expertise to match the requirements of the lighting elements, and in doing so, create a truly iconic experience for guests.”
Project Credits:
Client: Euromast
Lighting designer: Marc Heinz
Designer: NorthernLight
Main contractor: Bruns
Audio editing: Dennis Slot AV and lighting: Ata Tech
Lighting controls: Pharos Architectural Controls
Photography courtesy of Euromast
