Increasing demands to reduce Co2 emissions from fossil fuels calls for alternative energy production, and implementing a modern facility will allow KARA/NOVEREN to utilize the energy resources from residual waste that cannot otherwise be recycled. In line with KARA/NOVEREN’s vision was for The Energy Tower to become a new Danish landmark. Naturally they wanted an energy efficient lighting solution to go with it so 112 Martin Exterior 410 fixtures and 78 Tripix 1200 LED strips were installed, controlled by Martin’s M-PC software.
KARA/NOVEREN envisioned a structure with the ability to communicate and relay messages of sustainable energy to the public. Located only a few hundred meters from one of the major inroads to the Danish Capital of Copenhagen, it has a huge reach and potentially thousands of spectators on a daily basis.
The Energy Tower was designed by Dutch Architect and expert in sustainable design Erick Van Egeraat, who brought in Danish Lighting Architect Gunver Hansen to identify and implement the most optimal lighting solution. An extensive testing phase began to determine the best choice of fixtures. The requirements for these fixtures were very specific. First of all the lighting solution had to be able to reproduce the lighting concept created by Van Egeraat (described below). All fixtures should be individually controllable to give the building a dynamic expression. It was also crucial that the fixtures would be able to illuminate the relatively difficult projection surface, which was dark and very diverse. At the same time the lighting should be bright and powerful enough to be seen from a distance. Finally, of course there was also a desire for low power consumption.
Even before the construction process had started, various forms of testing were performed on surfaces that resembled the projection surface of The Energy Tower. Ultimately, Martin Professional’s Exterior range fixtures were chosen for the project due to their size, durability, and color reproduction capabilities.
Van Egeraat’s vision for the lighting was for it to be an aesthetic contribution to The Energy Tower as a new landmark, and that it should signal the processes that take place inside of the tower and portray the combustion and energy making process. “At night the backlight perforated façade transforms the incinerator into a gently glowing beacon - a symbol of the plant’s energy production,” said Erick van Egeraat. “Several times an hour a spark of light will gradually grow into a burning flame that lights up the entire building. When the metaphorical fire ceases, the building falls back into a state of burning embers.”
Van Egeraat’s vision for the lighting was for it to be an aesthetic contribution to The Energy Tower as a new landmark, and that it should signal the processes that take place inside of the tower. The lighting scenario that is in place for the opening starts with a white flickering at the bottom that spreads to the whole tower. For a few minutes every hour the spark gradually grows into a blazing flame that encases the whole building. The array of warm colors resembling flames and glowing coals are meant to portray the combustion and energy making process.
“When I designed the tower I wanted the lighting design to complement the building and express what type of building it is and what it does,” said Van Egeraat. “The lighting solution has proven to have many more options than we originally anticipated, and therefore we are now working on additional lighting designs for special occasions such as the Danish Constitution Day, cultural and sporting events etc. Citizens of Roskilde and the surrounding areas will be in for a treat.”
According to Gunver Hansen this was one of the more challenging projects of her career. The structure itself consists of a framing grid built around the new chimney. An amber-colored aluminum plating is mounted onto the grid to form the exterior facade of the tower. The fixtures are mounted inside on the grid between the outer facade and the facade of the inner building, and the fixtures project onto the inner facade, which is visible at night through the laser-cut circular openings of the outer facade. Many factors had to be taken into consideration, e.g. the distance between the exterior facade and the interior projection surface varies across the entire structure. Therefore each individual fixture had to be placed carefully so the colors would mix correctly and the output would be even. Also, as the direct view into the LEDs in the fixtures had to be avoided, a number of the projectors had to be screened off with a specially designed grid.
The next challenge that presented itself was how to mount the fixtures. A lift was not an option as the fixtures had to be mounted between the inner surface and the new exterior facade. As the space was not accessible to any kind of machinery, a team of professional climbers from Danclimb was hired to mount the fixtures via rope access.
Today, on its opening day, the tower is already a well-known landmark and the object of admiration for passers-by. “We’ve already received an overwhelming public support for this project,” said Thorkil Jørgensen, CEO of KARA/NOVEREN. “People respond very well to the idea and the concept, and they really like what it adds to the area in terms of architecture and beautiful lighting. This is extremely valuable to us for branding purposes and to secure a future leading position in waste management. We see it as a great investment on several levels. We’re happy to combine an investment in modern waste management methods with an extraordinarily beautiful structure and landmark for the area.”
“We’re very pleased with the end result,” Lighting Architect, Gunver Hansen added. “The many creative possibilities for changing light color and light patterns on the Energy Tower’s facades work amazingly. I think we have succeeded in creating a shining Energy Tower, that is a fascinating and magical landmark on the dark Roskilde night sky.“
Even though not officially open till today, spectators have already had glimpses of the building in lit condition. For example during the famous Roskilde Festival, The Energy Tower shone orange to mirror the official color of the festival and its main stage. Part of the magic of KARA/NOVEREN’s new Energy Tower is its ability to alter its appearance with future lighting designs for special events, and that the lighting concept sends the message of waste-to-energy to spectators. It is an important message with global relevance.
The Energy Tower has been submitted for the Danish Lighting Award 2014.
Martin Professional Equipment
Exterior 410, 112 pcs.
Tripix 1200, 78 pcs.
Control system: Martin M-PC, RDM 5.5 splitter, Ether 2DMX
Facade Design:
(designed by) Erick van Egeraat
Facade Lighting:
Architectural Concept: (designed by) Erick van Egeraat
Lighting Project: Gunver Hansen Tegnestue
Fixtures, light control, programming, and installation: Martin Professional
As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International Industries. For more information please visit: http://www.martin.com.
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