Smart technology has the potential to lift all our spirits; lighting up the night. Nowhere is this truer than in Southampton.
With a vision to make the city a place residents are proud to call home and delight the many visitors passing through, the council came to SSE’s Lighting Design Team with a request for a unique installation. A scheme to reinvigorate Queens Park; a small, historic park near Ocean Village and Southampton Docks.
SSE Enterprise, Mayflower Smart Control and INDO Lighting worked innovatively and collaboratively with the City Council to bring the vision to life by installing functional yet vibrant, multi-coloured street lighting using new, energy-saving LED luminaires.
Queens Park is one of several urban parks nestled in the city; adjacent to a recently regenerated area that has a vibrant night-time economy with plenty of passing pedestrian traffic. Lighting Design Manager for the project, Simon Bushell, worked with Mayflower Smart Control to determine the possibilities of a new concept for CMS controlled units – incorporating colour-changing functionality. Together with local lighting manufacturer, INDO Lighting, a specification was defined for the scheme which required RGB colour changing lanterns to interface seamlessly with Mayflower CMS.
INDO worked closely with Mayflower, to design a technically superior system that could change the colour outputs of individual lanterns reliably using DALI commands.
The contemporary scheme promotes increased use of the park and enhances the welcoming feel of the landscape. The Council team can alter the look and feel of the park’s lighting throughout the year, choosing from a range of 16 colours across the RGB spectrum to create many different visual effects.
Although a relatively small space, the dynamic lighting strategy has transformed this historic park, with its Grade II listed memorial of the famous Victorian soldier, General Gordon, into a prominent landmark. And it transitions perfectly into the nearby bustling Oxford Street. Hotels and properties overlooking the leafy park, as well as passing foot traffic from Ocean Village, Town Quay and the Bowling Green, also enjoy the colourful new ambience; evidence of the city’s continued regeneration and modernisation.
Southampton City Council plans to integrate the flexible and playful illumination feature into future local events and memorial celebrations and is proving a great way to enhance the character and brand image of Southampton City.
“This fantastic local scheme shows the merits of the close working arrangement between the City Council and SSE as our PFI street lighting provider, with the bespoke lighting enhancements that can go well beyond just the lighting of our highways” commented Colin Perris, Service Manager – Highways Contracts for Southampton City Council.
In summarising the scheme, Simon Bushell said: “Managing such a unique project has been challenging, yet extremely rewarding. To go through such an innovative design process with three different companies illustrates just how strong the working relationship is between SSE Enterprise, Mayflower Smart Control and INDO Lighting. We are delighted with the completed installation in Southampton and look forward to designing similar external lighting schemes in the future.”
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