Overview
To build and program a one of a kind, distinct animated lighting system to be integrated into the unique, circular ceiling of the Peter Brown Family Stage (AKA Central Stage) at The Telus Science World entranceway. The Central Stage is the hub of the World of Science’s live shows, both for public and private events, and serves as a connection zone for visitors of the facility.
Accentuating Geometry with Light
Given its unusual, spherical shape, The Telus World of Science has some interesting architectural space to work with. From below, looking directly through the eye of Central Stage, the viewer is granted great insight into the depths and geometry of the architecture. Frame-working are layers of concentric white disks built into the ceiling, which add great complexity to the design of the structure. However, given Central Stage’s importance and practicality to visitors of the facility, it was determined that these concentric disks would be creatively lit in order to emphasize their beauty.
The task for the lighting designers was to illuminate these disks so to catch the eye and elate the exclusivity of the ceiling.
Dynamism. Expression… And Generally Cool Effects.
Because of the unique opportunity the space provided, lighting designers at Ombrages (Vancouver Office) planned a unique, dynamic lighting design to supplement. Their design would animate the radial shapes – so to achieve this, BL neonVIEW IC was specified into the lighting package. The lighting was to create an accent around the disks, of which there were three sizes: 56′, 82′, and 107′ in circumference. These relatively long lengths, all to be synchronized with each other, required a powerful control system in order to handle the programming requirements. This being the case, it was determined that the BL controlTASK IC ADV was best suited to the project.
After thorough consultation between the lighting designers, the client and programming technicians at BL Lighting, concepts for the animation were decided upon. There would be three custom pre-sets installed onto the BL controlTASK IC ADV, which would be selectable through the controller’s built-in interface. The colours chosen to animate with were directly from The Telus World of Science’s official palette: white, cyan, blue, and green. The sequences would include a chasing effect, a high-gradient fading effect, and these could be selected to sync between each disk individually, one disk at a time but in sequence (from small to large), or all disks synched simultaneously.
As and when The Telus World of Science would like to add new and event specific programs to their lighting system, doing so would be as simple as a discussion. The BL controlTASK IC ADV reads direct from SD cards, so all future programming can be performed remotely by BL technicians.
Pure Spectacle
The end product was wholesome entertainment. Undoubtedly, the BL neonVIEW PIXEL IC Series brought an already fascinating ceiling feature to another level entirely. Regardless, the lighting system fit in nicely to the ambience of the Central Stage, as the mandate and purpose of the facility is spectacle for its eager visitors.
The challenge was not to repurpose the space, rather, to complement it without need for structural or thematic change. [The Telus] World of Science allowed us to design from a place of uniqueness, and that uniqueness was best articulated with [BL] neonVIEW IC.
Sebastien Panouille, Lighting Designer / ThinkL