Mint Lighting Design teamed up with ENTTEC on a dynamic lighting
installation at Melbourne Airport.
Designed to transform the forecourt and main terminal facade of the
airport, the dynamic lighting installation combines ambience and entertainment to
welcome travellers to the world’s most liveable city.
Covering 12 individual sites programmed as one to create an intricate,
synchronised light show, the lighting project features more than 40,000 pixels
and 57 universes to control and schedule them. A total of 2140 individual
products were designed and installed for the project.
Key components of the lighting installation include a 14m ‘Melbourne’
sign in the forecourt; 140m double-sided light projections beneath the elevated
roadway; 60m canopy lighting within pedestrian bridges, plus light in shell
canopies and trees; and an interactive ‘Light Shower’ that bathes visitors in
blue light, inspired by research into its effects on the circadian rhythm.
Specialised programming was developed for the 12 integrated sites to
celebrate important days in the multicultural calendar, including Australia
Day, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Christmas. The installation can be programmed
to mark other events and significant milestones.
Since white light was banned from the design, Mint Lighting Design
Director Adele Locke explained they had to use coloured light that was
sophisticated, dynamic and not overwhelming for weary travellers.
Mint Lighting Design used blue lights over entrance doors and
colour-coded lights for bus shelters to provide directional cues and improve pedestrian
navigation. The sequence of colour change also provides staff with a more
playful work environment. Technologies in the control network include wired DMX,
Ethernet, fibre optic, wireless Ethernet PtP link, and wireless DMX link.
ENTTEC founder and General Manager Nicolas Moreau
said the Melbourne Airport installation was among the most sophisticated they
have built in all of their 15 years of work worldwide for reasons including the
sheer scale of the site, access issues and the number of control channels used
in the project.
