EFO illuminates Clinton Library, Little Rock
EFO (Efficient Fibre Optics) manufactured by Crescent Lighting's parent company, Fiberstars, is featured in the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Centre - America's 12th Presidential Library. The $160 million centre is located in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock, and contains 20,000 square feet of library and museum space.
The building, designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, is cantilevered over the Arkansas River, and the main library building appears to form a glass-enclosed bridge over the water. It offers visitors breathtaking views of the Centre's nearly 28-acre park, downtown Little Rock, the city's other six bridges and the mountains beyond.
Fiberstars' energy efficient EFO 4+4 illuminators and EFO LightBeam Lightbars light up wall cases in the columns of the Presidential Library. The EFO 4+4 illuminator is an energy efficient illuminator ideal for downlighting, accent lighting and case lighting applications. EFO LightBeam Lightbars are low profile, linear light fixtures that illuminate along a linear path with the light aimed exactly where it's needed. The light directed has no electrical hazards, ultraviolet rays and is virtually infrared free, making it ideal for illuminating artifacts in the Clinton library. In addition, EFO LightBeam is used to light the long cases on the angled wall of the library and the intro wall. TriAxis Lightbars are used in long clear span glass document cases to light the interiors evenly.
Technical Artistry of New York designed the exhibition lighting for the library whilst Fiberstars lighting was chosen for remote cases in the same space.
Mirroring the central theme President Clinton defined during his administration - Building a Bridge to the 21st Century, and keeping in mind the recurring call by him for investment in technology and social programs - EFO is an ideal choice as one of the light sources for the Clinton Library. EFO is the sustainable "green" lighting solution of the future - showcasing new, revolutionary energy efficient, accent lighting products. EFO's patented high-performance optics deliver substantially lower operating and maintenance costs, while maintaining traditional installation methods. It provides as much as 80% greater energy savings than halogen or other incandescent lighting systems in downlighting applications and is even more efficient than compact fluorescents. One 68 watt EFO metal halide lamp is capable of replacing eight 50 watt halogen lamps totalling 400 watts.
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Martin FibreSource for Colorado Convention Centre, Denver
December 2004 saw the Colorado Convention Centre in Denver, Colorado complete a major $268 million expansion/renovation that makes it the 15th largest conference centre in the United States. More than 100 national meeting planners played a major role in designing the expansion, a 292,000 sq. ft. seamless addition to the facility. The expansion includes a new 50,000 sq. ft. flexible space ballroom. The new ballroom is sunken off the ground floor and is divisible in 18 different rooms, offering literally hundreds of possible configurations.
The wow factor however comes when guests gaze up at the built-in colour changing fibre optic lighting located in the ballroom ceiling. Overhead sparkle 4,540 teardrop Swarovski crystal points powered by 72 Martin Architectural FiberSource CMY 150 fibre optic illuminators and Advanced Lighting Systems FocaLyteª Fibre Optic Cable. The Martin FiberSource illuminators are located in the ceiling, at the extreme edges of 42 zones - one or two illuminators per zone - which consist of a perforated aluminum panel or round drywall disk. Each zone is a separate control area meaning that each area can be separately controlled for colour. The entire ballroom can shine one static colour or sequentially change to another colour across the room, from the centre out, in colour waves. The fibre points are controlled via a PC-based Martin LightJockey controller.
Tom Seymour of Denver-based MH Lighting was integrator on the project and completed the Martin programming and setup. He says: "The two primary reasons for the system selection were the colour mixing ability of the Martin FiberSource illuminator and the pre-made FocaLyteª fibre harnesses from Advanced Lighting Systems, which made for a very simple installation. The Saworski Crystals were all pre-terminated from the factory and make for an excellent star pattern. The Martin illuminators are absolutely dead on and go to the colour assigned throughout the system at exactly the same time. It's very impressive to see it snap from colour to colour and to watch it happen across the entire ceiling."
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Advanced Lighting Systems @ Pittsburgh International Airport
Among the many architectural lighting projects that Advanced Lighting Systems Inc. has recently completed, the Pittsburgh International Airport baggage claim project perhaps best demonstrates the advantages and effectiveness of side light fibre optic cable. The installation replaces a previous installation of cold cathode that was determined to have insufficient light levels relative to the high ambient light levels of the area. The ambient light included significant amounts of sunlight during daytime hours. To achieve the necessary light levels Advanced used their Noveon HL illuminators to drive 3-40m lengths of 3M High Luminance Light Fibre for each of the twelve baggage claim carousels.Ê
The Noveon HL illuminator was designed by Advanced specifically for the 3M HL fibre. To achieve neon levels brightness with the 3M HL fibre cable in lengths exceeding 30m, required unprecedentedÊlumen density. The Noveon HL provides approximately 5200 lumens from a 12mm light pipe. Moreover, the system averages a .4 NA which, combined with the lumen density, allows for even and consistent light levels over cable runs of 30m to 40m.
David Hammel, Director of Sales for Advanced, states that side light fibre continues to be a critical tool for architectural applications such as cove lighting, neon and cold cathode replacement. "LEDs obviously have a growing role in linear lighting, but only fibre optics provide the seamless light that is so critical in coves and other architectural applications. Moreover, with effective cable lengths of 30 - 40m between illuminators, the Noveon and 3M HL system is generally more cost effective than LEDs. "According to Hammel, Advanced isÊcontinuing to design and innovate all of their fibre optic product line in anticipation of continued growth for fibre optic applications.
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Light Lab @ Amicus, London
The design brief given to Light Lab for the project at the landscaped roof gardens at Amicus in London's Covent Garden, was to offer subtle lighting within decking and plant areas, with the option to create atmosphere through colour change. The lighting solution made effective use of stunning fibre optics, as Amicus explain: "We manufactured bespoke recessed light troughs to sit in the decking to provide an irregular pattern within the floor. Powered with IP68 lightsource we ran side emitting PMMA fibre along the troughs to give a colour changing deck lighting effect. This was complimented with multi-point fibre optics within the stainless steel planters to give a subtle effect amongst the numerous plants (as pictured)."
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Universal Fibre Optics @ Plaza Romania Cinema, Bucharest
Universal Fibre Optics were contacted by Lighting Design Partnership International who were assembling a lighting specification for the Plaza Romania cinema complex in Bucharest, Romania. LED ceiling features were considered but having seen fibre optic chandeliers previously manufactured by UFO, Laurie Nisbet of LDPI decided to replace the proposed LED features with large dramatic colour-changing fibre optic chandeliers.
Each fibre optic tail is made up of a bundle of glass fibres in a clear jacket and cracked to leak light out along the length of the fibre producing a bright sparkle effect. The chandeliers in the main hall are 3.2m diameter with a 2.0m drop. The chandelier in the foyer was due to take the same form but creative minds on site started folding back the tails, weaving them through each other, which ultimately created a stunning work of art. All the chandeliers are fed by 150w metal halide light sources with optional colour change.
The cracked glass fibre optic used here was originally used in hospitals and special schools as a sensory product which, due to the sparkle and colour change, had the ability both to stimulate the minds of people with autism and promote relaxation for those who needed it. Universal Fibre Optics now manufacture a version of this product made in plastic containing 3 x 0.75mm polymer fibres chipped along their length. For sensory environment use, this product proves superior due the inherent safety of its plastic construction. This product is also widely used by therapists and decoratively in spas and retreats and can be supplied as harnesses in lengths up to 15m with 300 tails being fed from one light source. The maximum length of run for the cracked glass fibre is 10m. There are a choice of light source specifications to drive the fibre including white light, colour change (with interchangeable colours) and switched or DMX control.