The industrial architecture features simple geometric forms and lines without any decorative details. The lighting brings out the graphical form of the building, highlighting the key elements with colour. A programmable lighting system varies the appearance of the building to create a positive and dynamic message for the site, the building's architecture, the owner, and for the millions of people who pass the site each year during the long northern nights.
Lighting designers Roope Siiroinen, Arto Heiskanen and Heini Ylijoki of VALOA design chose GE Consumer & Industrial to supply the plant with lamps. The lighting for the pilaster, diagonal pipeline, and the surrounding area is provided by GE ConstantColor CMH 35W through 250W ceramic metal halide lamps. The programmable "colourwash" on the façade is provided by an 1800W metal halide theatrical lighting system. The RGB LED screen on the corner of the façade gives additional interest.
"GE's ConstantColor CMH technology was a great choice for the Naistenlahti Power Plant," says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute. "These lamps provide excellent lamp-to-lamp colour uniformity, and the programmable lighting system allows the look of the plant to continually transform."
Because of the intelligent technical control system, the total energy consumption of the façade and new area lighting is lower than that of the previous area lighting alone. The system adjusts the lighting according to factors such as time, traffic and amount of daylight.
(Jim Evans)
