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Fibre Optic Light Art for Aspen Re
Lighting Technology Projects has specified and installed a large fibre optic piece of light art in the reception of insurers Aspen Re’s HQ on the 11th floor of Plantation Place, London. The piece is designed by Martin Richman.
The unique installation has a functional role as well as looking cool - it provides working light for the receptionists’ counter.
Consuming over 6,000 fibre lines, utilising 47,000 metres of AFO fibre, the impressive mane-like ’wave’ of fibres are a mix of .5 mm, .75 mm and 1 mm bare fibre stretching 4 metres all the way along the reception desk at the entrance to the office. The fibre mixture was specified to create density variations and additional texturing to the installation.
When Richman’s design was given the go ahead, he came to LTP to sort out the project’s logistics and realisation, having worked with them on several other industrial and commercial illumination schemes.
The bare fibres were chosen to emit elements of both side light - making the whole piece glow as a structure - and end light, to throw task lighting onto the desk below. The fibres are collected into four looms and fed by four 150 Watt discharge lightsources, complete with a CMY colour changing system. These are DMX controlled, and have been programmed by LTP onto an Artistic Licence Light Switch replay unit that’s linked into the building management system and turned on and off at the appropriate times.
The project was managed for LTP by Terry Reeves who reveals that the main challenge was in manufacturing the fibre looms - which was achieved offsite using the special dry fusion loom construction technology developed by Advanced Fibre Optics.
Richman also designed a long horizontal slot of light along the rear of the reception area which is lit with fluorescents, and a wall panel lighting feature in the main seated area, featuring red, white and blue lightsources in the bottom, and a void filled with loose mirrored sequins that are buffeted about by fans.
It’s the second piece of light art in which LTP has been involved at Plantation Place, following their very successful installation of CK ColorBlasts to illuminate the 41 metre long glass ‘art wall’ outside the building.
24th February 2006
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