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Berkeley Homes Tower at Tabard Square

London, UK

London is rich with historic landmarks, and in March 2006 the city saw the debut of a new and very modern one.

Sitting atop a 22-story residential tower in Tabard Square is an eye-catching LED-illuminated beacon that changes color according to barometric conditions. As the atmospheric pressure changes, the color of the beacon changes, providing a measurement of weather conditions that is visible for many miles across the city.

The beacon itself is a glowing glass box that’s lit from within by Color Kinetics’ intelligent LED lighting systems and controlled by a digital barometric pressure sensor. Led by Jeff Shaw of Arup Lighting, the design team used a combination of 36 ColorBlast® 12 units and 27 ColorCast® 14 units to achieve maximized output with saturated, uniform color that could add spark to the South London skyline.

In addition to their capability for digital control, the LED lighting systems proved ideal for lighting the difficult-to-access beacon high atop the tower. As compared to conventional light sources, their long source life and lack of moving parts translate to minimal maintenance requirements.

A third-party DMX control system was used to link to the beacon’s digital barometer, which takes a measurement of air pressure every five minutes. The control system then equates the measurement to a pre-determined color, for example, green for very low pressure and red for very high pressure. The ColorBlast 12 and ColorCast 14 units are collectively programmed to display the proper color when signaled.

With its prominent location and dynamic appearance, the beacon is sure to become a local landmark for residents and visitors alike.