Tower of Light Dhaka, Bangladesh Project: Tower of Light (Glass Tower) as par t of Liberation War Museum and Independence Monument Client: Ministr y of Liberation war ’s affairs, Government of Bangladesh Execution: Public Works Depar tment, Government of Bangladesh Architects: Urbana - Marina Tabassum, K ashef Mahboob Chowdhur y Lighting Designer: Light Collab, Singapore Contractor for Tower: NDE-NOVUM Consor tium Photo Credits: Light Collab, Singapore
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s night falls in Dhak a, power ful beams of light shine tall as reminder of Bangladesh’s hard-won independence achieved in 1971 after one of the twentieth centur y ’s bloodiest war. The site for the Independence Monument is where Sheik h Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation delivered the historic speech that united the people of Bengal to fight for their liberation from 24 years of oppressive militar y rule under Pak istan. Victor y Day was declared on 16th December 1971 after nine months of bloody battle, when the Pak istan armed forces accepted defeat at the same grounds. The Bangladesh Liberation War is remembered as one of the most violent wars waged in the 20th centur y. Victor y Day has been celebrated since 1972 and is a national holiday in Bangladesh. The memorial also features the Liberation War museum, a research centre, librar y and an amphitheatre. The park surrounding the memorial is publicly accessible and one of the few remaining green public spaces in the fast growing city of Dhak a.
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The light beams are anchored to the recently completed Tower of Light, focal point of the Independence Monument designed by architects Marina Tabassum and K ashef Mahboob Chowdhur y from Urbana, winners of the national design competition held by the Ministr y of War Liberation Affairs, Public Works Depar tment in 1997. The illumination of the Tower of Light (other wise, also k nown as the Glass Tower) is orchestrated by Singapore based lighting design studio, Light Collab. Light Collab’s designer says “Light is a power ful symbol of hope and selfless sacrifice of the freedom fighters.” To achieve the architects’ vision of a glowing tower, special attention was given to angling the many narrow beam ERCO spotlights for them to graze the sur face of the stacked glass panels, achieving a prismatic glow without highlighting the skeletal structure within. Griven Kolorjet 7000 Searchlights at each corner of the 150 feet high structure are used to heighten the glowing effect of the Tower of Light, rendering it visible from afar. As light passes through clear glass, thus, it is a challenge for the lighting designers of Light Collab to make the 150-feet tower which is made up of clear stacked glass glow. Prior to the final execution of the lighting effect, mock-ups were done to test how light will react with the façade of the glass tower, which is made up of clear glass panels which are stacked horizontally. With careful angling of the narrow beam spotlights, it is possible to show other proper ties of light such as internal reflections and refractions which cause it to have a prismatic glow. The prismatic glow also varies in relation to the distance of the viewer. One commentator on social media network Facebook wrote, “I t looks like a pathway to the sky.” Some of them also commented that they have seen the tower of light with the extended beams even from far, while they were cycling around the outsk ir ts of the city of Dhak a. Light Collab also received Section Award presented by International Section of Illuminating Engineering Society of Nor th America (IESNA) in section recognition of commendable achievement in lighting design, 2014. ■
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