9 minute read
A Towering Achievement
from commARCH - July 2018
by IdeaSoil
Telecommunicationtower light design makes Dutch town a landmark.
When Alticom, Meppei, Netherlands (alticom.nl), a Dutch telecommunication infrastructure company, purchased 24 telecommunication towers from National Dutch Telecom (KPN, kpn.com), The Hague, Netherlands, it was hard to imagine the structures as a city’s prominent landmarks. Built in the early 1960s, the transmission towers were outdated and in need of serious upgrades. Originally constructed for the distribution of TV and telecommunication signals throughout the Netherlands, Alticom took on the project to update the systems and set up sustainable data centers within the towers. In 2010, the data center of Alphen aan de Rijn was completed as a second data center, following the construction and successful delivery of the data center in the Zwolle tower.
Advertisement
The idea to illuminate the radio mast came from a local resident who presented the plan to the city’s Economic Development Board Alphen (EDBA). The goal was for the 443- ft. tower to become a focal point of the city and to be visible and recognizable from a distance.
When the EDBA approved the idea, ETK Lighting BV, Bodegraven, Netherlands (etk.nl), was brought in to develop the project. ETK Lighting BV provides project-based lighting solutions, starting with calculations and lighting plans. ETK also is a supplier of fixtures and related equipment.
To make the vision a reality, ETK Lighting enlisted Acclaim Lighting, Los Angeles (acclaimlighting.com), to ensure that the tower would be a landmark for the City of Alphen aan den Rijn. The project also involved the local
Top right. Originally constructed for the distribution of TV and telecommunication signals throughout the Netherlands, Alticom took on a project to update tower systems and set up sustainable data centers. The idea to illuminate the radio mast came from a local resident.
Right. Built in the early 1960s, the transmission towers were outdated and in need of serious upgrades.
marketing group Alphen Marketing, the city of Alphen aan den Rijn, and two local companies: fiberglass supplier Alphen On Fibre, (alphenonfiber.nl), and Hillsafety, (hillsafety. nl), a security-system company.
“World cities such as Paris, London, and New York already have iconic buildings that can be illuminated for special occasions,” said Gert-Jan Woudsma, owner of Hillsafety. “Alphen aan den Rijn will soon be in that list with this illuminated showpiece.”
To make the structure comparable to the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building, the tower is illuminated daily with a basic color scheme of white and green, in reference to Alphen aan den Rijn as the center of the “Green Heart,” an area in the Dutch “Randstad,” which is a megalopolis in the central-western Netherlands. The colors can also be adjusted for special events and celebrations. For instance, the tower is covered in green and red light during Christmas time, orange on the King’s Day, and red, white, and blue in celebration of Liberation Day.
As a permanently illuminated building, the products used to light the tower needed to be weather resistant, long lasting, and bright. Working in tandem with ETK Lighting to create a custom lighting system, Acclaim Lighting representatives selected fixtures with a high IP66 rating for wet locations to provide resistance against strong winds and extreme weather conditions.
To illuminate the concrete base from the bottom upward, four Acclaim Dyna Drums HO 4000 K with a beam angle of 6 deg. were installed, each providing 10,103 total lumens. The fixtures feature an adjustable yoke for customizable focus and an onboard digital display for menu selection and adjusting color schemes. With a lumen maintenance rate of 50,000 hr. at 70%, the fixture will remain bright for years—an important quality requirement for fixtures used on a permanently illuminated structure.
In addition to the lights at the base of the tower, the six different floors with balconies on the structure received their own unique lighting applications. Twenty-four Dyna Flood XT DMX RGBA fixtures with a beam angle of 70 deg. were installed to highlight the floors. Because of their high output and weather resistance, the fixtures provide a solution for large-scale facade lighting and flood illumination, featuring a total lumen output of 3,200 for the RGBA version. With an adjustable head and internal DMX driver, the brightness and placement of the concentration of light can be adapted to the desired use.
Finally, two Dyna Drums SO 4000 K were incorporated into the design, crowning the metal construction and antennas at the top of the tower with the fixtures. The highoutput, outdoor-rated, LED flood fixtures make the tower the city’s focal point with 7,769 total lumens. The adjustable yoke, on-board digital display, and weather-resistant capabilities complete the customized lighting solution.
Permanently illuminated since December 2017, the end result is an energy-efficient, weather-resistant lighting system that accomplishes Alticom’s primary goal: to make a telecommunication tower a highly visible and recognizable landmark of the City of Alphen aan den Rijn.
“The tower literally serves as a landmark. If you see the tower, you will see Alphen,” said Woudsma. “With the lighting of the tower we make Alphen aan den Rijn visible, lit
In addition to the lights at the base of the tower, the six different fl oors with balconies on the structure received their own unique lighting applications. Twenty-four Dyna Flood XT DMX RGBA fi xtures with a beam angle of 70 deg. were installed to highlight the six fl oors.
erally and figuratively.” CA
Want more information? To download the information listed below, visit
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1807acclaim.
Circle 7 on the Reader Service Card.
Read additional information about Alticom.
Additional information on Dyna Drum HO
More information on Dyna Flood XT
Information regarding Dyna Drum SO
EDITORS’ CHOICE
High-bay LEDs
Heavenly series:
High-bay LEDs Dimmable Tolerate harsh environments, damp locations
Heavenly high-bay series luminaires range from 9,100 lumens (65 W) to 61,000 (440 W). Extruded-aluminum construction provides optimal thermal control and longer system life in harsh environments. e dimmable products are available in 2- or 4-ft. lengths. Available with clear polycarbonate or acrylic-frosted lenses, along with mounting options, the units are suitable for damp locations.
Above All Lighting, Toms River, NJ Circle 65 abovealllighting.com
Suspended, surface-mount cylinders ID+ cylinders luminaires are available with 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 in. apertures. The suspended and surface-mount products have a single-piece, die-cast refl ector, knife edge, and decorative reveal. Standard and custom fi nished are available.
Focal Point, Chicago Circle 66 focalpointlights.com
LED bollards Tornado bollards include Model TNS to provide pathway illumination. The all-weather housing uses corrosion-resistant low-copper cast aluminum. Durable and vandal-resistant, the body internally secures to a mounting stanchion with a cast-aluminum wedge lock.
U.S. Architectural Lighting, Palmdale, CA Circle 67 usaltg.com
LED retrofi t troffers An LED retrofi t center-basket troffer replaces fl uorescent fi xtures. Available in 30-W 2 x 2-ft. or 40-W 2 x 4-ft. models, with 3,000 or 4,000 lumens and 3500 K or 4000 K with 85 CRI, the shallow housing installs in existing parabolic and lensed-door fi xtures and does not require access from above.
Nora Lighting, Commerce, CA Circle 68 noralighting.com
LED high-bays The ultra-lightweight LED high-bay luminaires SBD/SCD series provide brightness of 22,000 lm with multiple options for wattage and lumen output when used with the company’s high-effi ciency programmable power supply. These luminaires are said to be among the lightest in the industry. An Easy Grouping control feature allows wireless remote control.
Delta Electronics (Americas), Fremont, CA Circle 69 delta-americas.com
Linkable lighting LiteBars are compact, linkable LEDs that provide continuous runs of light for as much as 40 ft. An integrated connector provides a separation of just 1/8 in. between linked bars. Available in assorted lengths and color temperatures, applications include under cabinets, cove, display, and toe kick.
MaxLite, West Caldwell, NJ Circle 70 maxlite.com
In-grade fi xtures Additions to the 1180 series COB (Chip-On-Board) LED in-grade lighting fi xtures include the 1181 marker light and 1182 in-grade. Both have a low-profi le, 4-in. height and magnetic hot-aiming system. Type V general area illumination is available for the 1181 marker light, while the optical distributions available for the 1182 include narrow spot, medium fl ood, and wide fl ood with outputs of more than 900 delivered lumens in color temperatures from 2700 K to 5000 K.
Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting, Simi Valley, CA Circle 71 vistapro.com
CONTROL NATURAL LIGHT WITH A TRANSLUCENT PANEL SKYLIGHT FROM MAJOR
Lightweight / Easy-to-install / Light Diffusing
LightBasic ™ , Guardian 275 ® & Clima-Tite ™
Translucent Panel Skylights, Wall Systems & Canopies
SKYLIGHTS / CANOPIES / WALL SYSTEMS
MAJORSKYLIGHTS.COM
888-759-2678
Historical Preservation Doors and Windows
Acoustical Blast and Pressure Bullet and Forced Entry Radio Frequency Tornado Hurricane
Krieger’s special purpose door and window units can be designed for visual compatibility with the historic building by maintaining shadow lines, planar qualities, profiles, and the overall appearance of the historic features. Also, Krieger offers functional mullions, operating sashes and other details to ensure the new door or window complies with the National Historic Preservation Act.
www.KriegerProducts.com Compact, geometric LED luminaires NOVA line includes compact, geometrically proportioned LED lighting fi xtures. Products include 2 1/2-, 3 1/2-, and 6-in. round and square shapes with outputs to 2,000 lumens. Surface mount, pendant, sconce, and directional yoke fi xtures are available in 30 standard fi nishes with dimming to 1%.
v2 Lighting Group, San Jose, CA Circle 72 v2lightinggroup.com
Powerful downlight Atria 10 is a 10-in. downlight cylinder with a lumen package to 25,000 lumens. Applications include 25 to 75 ft. mounting heights. The unit’s light engine uses advanced thermal beam technology that allows heat to be dispersed 30% more throughout the entire housing. The product can directly replace 400- to 500-W metal-halide fi xtures.
Meteor Lighting, City of Industry, CA Circle 73 meteor-lighting.com
LED patient light The Remedi LED multi-function bed light has four distinct optical compartments said to eliminate the need to physically move any portion of the luminaire housing to use key lighting functions. A two-piece wire way cover provides clear access to removable gear plates. End caps have a removable panel that allows simple replacement of LED trays. Critical components can be replaced without the need to remove the fi xture from the wall.
