Tag Archive: Prolyte H30V Truss

1. White Light Makes the Sunrise at Coventry Cathedral

   11 March 2019 14:23 Leave a Comment

   

   White Light was recently asked to supply the lighting and rigging solutions for Sunrise: an immersive lighting project set within the Coventry Cathedral ruins to commemorate events from the Second World War.

   Over the night of 14th – 15th of November 1940, Coventry Cathedral was reduced to ruins following an enemy bombing. The morning after, the Dean stood in the destruction and declared the city seek reconciliation; an attitude which has since defined Coventry’s ability to triumph in the face of adversity. This was celebrated by Sunrise; a project which saw the Cathedral Ruins transformed by NEON and Musicity into an ethereal dream-like landscape depicting a Sunrise.

   Mark Nixon, Director at NEON, comments: “NEON were commissioned to come up with the concept and design of the lighting installation of Sunrise. As the main theme was rebirth in the face of darkness, we felt that the metaphor of an actual sunrise would best represent this idea. It would also fit well with the launch which took place on New Year’s Eve and would begin the run up to 2020 in which Coventry will become the UK’s City of Culture”.

   NEON took overall responsibility for the artistic experience and approached Musicity to deliver the bespoke soundtrack alongside WL to deliver the bespoke lighting installation. Mark explains: “The artistic brief called for a lighting concept that would allow visitors (either new or old) to engage in the Cathedral via a fresh perspective”.

   NEON approached WL where Mark worked closely with WL’s Creative Producer Richard Stirzaker. Richard comments: “Speaking with Mark, he had a very specific brief which had to be fulfilled in a very specific space. As visitors entered the Cathedral, they needed to be paved in waves of light which created that feeling of moving from night to day. The equipment we supplied also had to work holistically with the bespoke soundscape”.

   WL invited Mark and his team down to its London base to test a range of equipment. Mark explains: “After some discussion and experimentation, we realised that the SGM P5s LED Floods would be the most suitable lighting fixture. 10 rows of 4 x P5s were used in combination with smoke machines to create an atmosphere in which the lighting could be physically experienced. As the Sunrise space measured 14.5m wide, 44m long and 5m high, we drew on Prolyte H30V trusses to create a gantry type structure across the ruins”.

   

   Sunrise ran from 31^st December 2018 until 13^th January 2019. The launch on New Year’s Eve was accompanied by a live performance of Sunrise Sonata.

   Photos courtesy of Gary Jones Photography.

2. White Light Reflects on Guggenheim Bilbao 20th Anniversary

   24 October 2017 09:43 Comments Off on White Light Reflects on Guggenheim Bilbao 20th Anniversary

   Last week, the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was transformed into an impressive public artistic intervention. Created by Tony Award-winning artists 59 Productions, the Museum saw its distinctive titanium curves and soaring glass atrium used as a vast canvas which was project-mapped for an audience of more than 300,000 spectators over four nights. With a reputation for providing bespoke technical solutions within unique locations, White Light was called upon to supply the lighting, rigging and power distribution, along with the project management and crew.

   The lighting designer for the project was Benjamin Pearcy and his design, in-hand with director, Leo Warner, was inspired by the Museum’s rich history alongside Frank Gehry’s visionary design. The projections transformed his architectural masterwork by bringing it to life in an unmissable iridescent celebration of the people and city of Bilbao. The 20-minute animated artwork set to an original score by Nick Powell traced two decades of history and creativity in Bilbao.

   The project was overseen by WL for Senior Account Manager Dominic Yates, whereas the on-site team was led by WL’s Senior Project Manager Martin Strods who had a team of six supporting him. The WL team flew out to Spain where they spent five days building the technical set up.

   As part of their technical support, WL supplied 3 x custom-designed Prolyte H30V Truss Towers which housed the projectors on the opposite side of the river; all of which were then projected directly onto the Museum. Dominic adds: “With a project like this, it required a lot of intricate planning. We had to ensure that the projectors were in precise positions in order to encapsulate the shape of the building and ensure that the projection design was fully brought to life”.

   Alongside this, WL also supplied 30 x Clay Paky Sharpy Spots with outdoor domes, 14 x Philips VarLite 3500 Washes, 9 x SGM G-Spots, 7 x Clay Paky Mythos, 80 x Elation SixPars along with 12 x SGM P5 Floods. All of this was controlled via a Grand MA2 Fullsize and Lite Control System.

   James Roxburgh, Production Manager at 59 Productions, comments: “We are extremely proud to have conceived and delivered a project as ambitious as Reflections. We were able to transform the iconic Guggenheim Museum and share this moment of celebration with huge audiences in Bilbao as well as across the world. We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without WL and really appreciate their brilliant efforts throughout the build right through to final delivery”.

   Dominic comments: “This was a hugely ambitious project that saw us working with an iconic venue. Collaborating closely with 59 Productions, we were able to create something that looked stunning and received global recognition”.

   Photos by Justin Sutcliffe.