In 1891, Gerard Philips, later joined by his brother Anton, began a small lighting company in the Netherlands, using two connected buildings as a factory. Over one hundred years later, a crowd of people gathered in front of the buildings — named Gerard and Anton after the founders — to watch Color Kinetics luminaires perform a light show in celebration of impressive architectural lighting.
On November 10, 2013, Philips joined Eindhoven's annual Glow festival, using color-changing LED lights to create a theatrical show called "Transitia." Creative director Martie Dekkers of Trudo Housing Corporation and lighting designer Tom Spaan partnered with Color Kinetics to design the 14-minute show that showcased the magic of lighting effects.
ColorReach Powercore floodlights (now specified with
ReachElite) were installed to illuminate the façades of the buildings from the ground and create an artistic backdrop. Spaan chose Reach Powercore because of its intense light output and ability to withstand all weather conditions during the festival.
Throughout the show, the number of and the speed of the lighting effects continually increased in time with specially-composed music. Eight soloists, a choir, and a percussion group joined the luminaires in putting on a spectacular performance for amazed viewers.
According to Spaan, the main goals of the installation were to bring the buildings to life and take viewers on a journey through different moods. The installation successfully accomplished these goals, while simultaneously paying homage to the founders of Philips.
