Since the time of the Vikings, the natural port at the mouth of the Drammen River, about 40 kilometres from Oslo, has been a bustling trading centre. Today, two 60-metre high cranes serve as a focal point for incoming and outgoing cargo ships. Deciding to add a festive touch to these utilitarian structures, the Drammen Port Authority has illuminated them with a rich array of colours from CHAUVET Professional and ILUMINARC fixtures supplied by Rubicon.

The opening ceremony, when the lights were officially turned on, was filmed live by Norwegian National Television Channel (NRK) with many celebrities present. They and the national audience watching on TV were undoubtedly impressed by what they witnessed. Using 13 CHAUVET Professional COLORado 2 Quad Zoom IP and 4 ILUMINARC Ilumipanel 90 IP fixtures for each crane, Rubicon illuminated the towering structures in dramatic and vibrant light visible for miles around the city.

A key factor in achieving this impressive result was the output from the ILUMINARC Ilumipanel fixtures, which were positioned on each crane, both at the top of the control tower facing downwards and at the base of the crane lighting upwards. Pål Erik Gulbrandsen, Project Manager at Rubicon, said, “We selected the Ilumipanel 90IP fixtures for their incredible 450W output. Given the huge surface area of the structures, the fixtures had the somewhat impossible task of providing consistent and strong illumination. The Ilumipanel illuminated the general structure of the cranes exceptionally.”

Gulbrandsen was able to bathe the structures in intense saturated colour with the help of 90 RGBA LEDs contained within the fixtures. He said, “The Ilumipanel was also specified for its ability to produce extremely saturated colours, especially with regards to hues and vibrant greens. Most importantly, we were able to completely transform the cold metal structures into something much warmer, which looked fantastic both in person and on television.”

To illuminate the crane in a number of more tricky to reach areas, Gulbrandsen relied on the COLORado 2 Quad Zoom IP fixtures that were installed on each crane – six units mounted on the legs of the crane lighting upwards, three on the roof of the control tower, and four on the crane structure itself covering the whole crane structure.

“Among the most difficult thing about lighting the cranes was getting all angles of the structures evenly illuminated,” continued Gulbrandsen. “To ensure even coverage, I chose the COLORado 2 Quad Zoom IP because of the excellent zoom capabilities of the fixture. This made it easier for me to play around with the zoom to cover as much area as I could.”

The COLORado’s punchy 14 x 15W LEDs output also met Pål’s requirements. “Despite their extremely compact size and light weight, the fixtures are more than powerful enough to illuminate the various parts of the structures. The beams are brilliant and intense.” he said.

Given the harsh Norwegian winter conditions in the port of Drammen, one of the key practical considerations of the installation was the need for reliable all-weather fixtures. By utilising Ilumipanel and COLORado fixtures’ IP67 and IP66 respective outdoor use ratings, the team at Rubicon could rely upon the fixtures despite the harsh northern conditions.

Credits: www.iluminarc.com

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