Chauvet lights up iconic NZ landmark
Published: ASIA
NEW ZEALAND: Known of one of New Zealand’s most treasured landmarks, Nelson’s Fifeshire Rock in Tasman Bay is being lit up at night by Chauvet lighting fixtures thanks to a recent to project embarked on by Nelson’s Civic Trust and carried out by AV Architects. The equipment for the project was supplied by Ltd MDR Sound & Lighting.
A spot high above the waterfront drive was selected by Nelson’s Civic Trust to house the lighting source. However, since this spot was 236m from the rock itself, meaning any fixture placed there would have to be sufficiently powerful. AV Architects opted to use Chauvet’s Rogue RH1 Hybrid which features a 330W high-intensity discharge bulb.
‘Visually, the fixture was required to create stunningly bright light at a great distance without creating spill or light pollution to the surrounding harbour, residential areas or the nearby airport,’ commented AV Architects technicians, James Cameron and Reagan Poynter. ‘Thanks to the direct beam of the RH1 Hybrid, we were able to ensure that the rock is lit perfectly without causing any unwanted light pollution.’
The two technicians created 13 scenes via the Chauvet DJ ShowXpress program to enable changing colours night after night on the surface of the rock. ‘The RH1 has some astonishingly vivid and saturated colours. We were especially impressed with the fixture’s selection of hues on testing, and they still look gloriously saturated even when projected onto the rock face from a distance,’ the technicians added. ‘What’s more, thanks to ShowXpress 512, we were able to create a totally automated evolving landscape which changes the whole look of the rock several times an hour. The fixture has been up and running without a single hitch since the 5th of July this year, and has proved to be very reliable in such a difficult environment. It is a testament to the quality of the fixture, all the more impressive considering its high performance output.’