Saudi Arabia - Set to become the world’s tallest building, at a height of over 1k, construction of the Jeddah Tower (formerly known as the Kingdom Tower) in Saudi Arabia recommenced recently following a six-year hiatus.
To celebrate, the portion of the structure that had already been completed (approximately one third of the planned height) was illuminated for three weeks last September, which also coincided with the 94th Saudi National Day. Creating a true spectacular, the building was adorned with 60 ADJ Hydro Beam X12 moving head fixtures, which were used to fill the night sky with piercing aerial effects that could be seen from a distance of 5k.
Located to the north of Jeddah, the new tower is planned as the centrepiece of the Jeddah Economic City project, a substantial development of both commercial and residential real estate. The vision of Saudi Arabian prince and businessman Al-Waleed bin Talal, the tower will house a hotel, luxury condominiums, office space and an observation deck. It was designed by Adrian Smith, the American architect who also designed the Burj Khalifa, the current tallest building in the world, and is being constructed by the Saudi Binladin Group.
To mark the recommencement of building work on the tower, the company wanted to create a spectacle that would renew interest and anticipation for the project both in Jeddah and around the world. For this they brought in HAV Pro, a specialist AVL supplier founded in 1988 and based in the city. The company, which operates throughout the Middle East, has both integration and live events/production arms, the latter of which is managed by Ian Hill. Originally hailing from Scotland, Hill moved to Saudi Arabi for a six-month contract in the late ‘90s and has never left!
“The Jeddah Tower is a huge project for this region, so, naturally, every local company would love the opportunity to light it,” comments Hill. “Which means we are very proud that we got there first! HAV Pro is very well established in Jeddah, and throughout the Middle East, so we have had the opportunity to work for the Saudi Binladen Group on numerous previous occasions. Nevertheless, we were honoured to be invited to tender for this high-profile project and very pleased to have won the contract.”
Three elements were drawn together to create an impactful nighttime display at the Jeddah Tower construction site. First, the existing structure was illuminated in green, the national colour of Saudi Arabia. Secondly, high-definition video footage was projected onto a tall and narrow rectangular section at the centre of the structure. Finally, to create ‘wow factor’, the 60 Hydro Beam X12 luminaires were used to generate moving aerial effects, which filled the night sky all around the site. Eight of the fixtures were positioned on the ground at each side of the building, shooting directly up into the sky, while the remaining 44 units were mounted to the structure of the building itself, framing the central video display.
Lighting designer Aslan Mehdiyev was responsible for programming the show. A native of Azerbaijan, he has extensive experience of working throughout Asia and Eastern Europe lighting concerts, productions and special events. For the Jeddah Tower project he programmed a series of impressive movement effects that filled the sky with piercing beams. Time-coded with the video graphics, the show ran on a continuous loop from sunset until sunrise for three consecutive weeks.
“I originally wanted to use a competitor’s fixture,” admits Mehdiyev, “but our CEO, Bassam Halwani, had been impressed by the Hydro Beam X12 and wanted us to try using it. So, we took a test fixture to the tower site, and it was more than capable of producing the aerial effect we wanted to create. Having now completed the project, I can say that I have also been very impressed with the fixtures.
“I designed the show using visualisation software in advance and the Hydro Beam X12s performed just like in the visualiser, which isn’t always the case for fixtures I’ve used in the past. The movement is fast and smooth, the colours are very good, and, although I didn’t use them for this project, there are two nice prism options. This makes for a very versatile fixture, which is also very powerful. I was very happy with the Hydro Beam X12.”
“The conditions in Jeddah can be harsh, with extreme heat, lots of airborne dust and very high humidity,” states Hill. “In fact, September is actually the worst month of the year for humidity! But all the fixtures worked flawlessly with no problems at all across the three-week run. The beams looked incredible, and the display was the talk of the town. On the evening of the launch, the project manager from Saudi Binladin Group drove around 5km down towards the city and he said the beams looked amazing. He was very happy, and of course, what matters the most is that our clients are happy.”
