London Eye blazes with color
In December 2006 Color Kinetics added another global landmark to its growing list of prominent installations: the British Airways London Eye.
Situated on the South Bank of the River Thames and often called the "Gateway to London," the London Eye is the world's fourth largest observation wheel at nearly 135 m (450 ft) high, and is visited by more than 10,000 people daily. It was previously lit by fluorescent tubes that proved costly to maintain, and required the manual installation of gels to produce colored light for special events.
Color Kinetics was approached to replace this system with an LED-based alternative. Approximately 640 ColorCast 14 luminaires (now specified with Graze IntelliHue) were supplied, installed and programmed by UK-based Architainment Lighting Ltd. and Lighting Technology Projects. Each lumiaire is individually controlled displaying millions of colors. This technology gives the London Eye the cost-effective ability to display precise colors for corporate clients and special occasions.
"The London Eye has become a 21st Century symbol for Britain, and it's a thrill to see this long-planned project come to realization. We've achieved an ambitious goal in bringing dynamic, visually appealing color to the structure while at the same time eliminating the maintenance costs and requirements of the previous fluorescent system. We're extremely pleased with the results, and believe Londoners and visitors alike will agree," said Kevin Dyer, Head of Technical Operations for the British Airways London Eye.
The Color Kinetics-illuminated London Eye is visible from more than a mile away. Because Color Kinetics' lighting systems are compatible with DMX, the luminaires integrate seamlessly with Pharos controllers, enabling the creation of dynamic light shows on demand. The rugged, exterior-grade luminaires feature Powercore technology which combines line voltage and control data with a single standard cable—simplifying installation and lowering total system cost.
