Reinvigorating an Old Town with New Light

What was once a bustling airfield in-use during both world wars is now known to be the housing estate, Castle Vale. The estate sprung up shortly after the wars, but by the 1970s and 80s many tenants were living in undesirable conditions as the town grew old and ignored. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that plans for a multi-million pound regeneration plan surfaced. Today, this regeneration initiative is widely seen as one of the UK's most successful housing projects.

As part of the project, an arts initiative was established by Birmingham City Council to further beautify the up-and-coming area. The most recognizable piece of public art became the Sentinel sculpture, created by artist Tim Tolkien, great-nephew of famous author J.R.R Tolkien. This unique art piece shows three Spitfire planes flying into the air in different directions. The Spitfires are made of aluminum, with steel supporting beams curved to replicate vapor trails. The statue commemorates the Castle Bromwich factory where many of Britain’s wartime Spitfires were made. The sculpture is located on the A452 roundabout at the entrance to the Castle Vale estate, and this roundabout has now been fondly renamed Spitfire Island.

LITE Architectural was appointed by ELS (Exterior Lighting Solutions) to design, supply and commission the exterior lighting scheme to make Spitfire Island a welcome beacon by day and night. The installation features three Color Kinetics ReachElite High Punch Powercore gen3, RGBW luminaires. The premium exterior long-throw luminaires are designed to light large-scale outdoor structures allowing them to illuminate the 16-meter sculpture in full color with ease. These luminaires are controlled using a Pharos LPC1 controller with a 4G router, providing color-changing capabilities which create vibrant scenes for any occasion.

The dynamic lighting has enhanced the eye-catching sculpture, backdropping the bold steel with bright LEDs for a striking visual on the roundabout. The lighting has helped to rejuvenate this beloved sculpture, which inspired Castle Vale residents and is a respectful reminder of the area’s air history during World War II.