Technical Productions and Elation renew the lighting of the Gateway Arch in San Luis

The new lighting system of this emblematic monument of the United States, designed and integrated by Technical Productions, use more than 76 Proteus Brutus devices Elation Lighting, more powerful, efficient and easy to maintain.

Also known as Door to the West and considered one of the most iconic monuments in the United States, Gateway Arch (the arch) from Saint Louis, rises with 192 meters high on the banks of the Mississippi River, and makes it the tallest metal structure of this type in the world so far.

In order to improve the lighting system and replace old xenon lamps, the Gateway Foundation, a private non-profit organization, has financed this project again, for which it has had the specification and installation of Technical Productions Inc. (tpi), in collaboration with the designer Randy Burkett, of Reed Burkett Lighting Design.

“Parts broke and the cost of lens filters and lamps, not to mention the labor to change them, "It was very high," he explains. Michael O’Keefe, COO and TPI. I really felt that we should honor our monument more consistently and efficiently, with the best luminaires available”.

The choice in this sense has been the automated luminaire Proteus Brutus de Elation, with classification IP65 for outdoor use and a maximum field Led engine of 1.200 High efficiency W to offer 75.000 lumens output totals.

“The tests on site "They were fundamental to the acceptance of the Proteus Brutus luminary," notes Randy Burkett., since it was the only way to demonstrate that the intensity, beam management, the framing, CCT and other key parameters met your requirements, and so it was”.

Nick Vincenty, director of design and systems engineering at Technical Productions, explains the challenges that the project involved: “we needed to illuminate 198 meters in a straight line to a target of more than 7 meters wide, which is not easy to do. This was the only luminaire that not only had the power to do it, precise zoom optics and IP65 certification.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis has a complex shape. Stainless steel clad, It is a ballasted catenary arch 16,5 meters wide at its base, that narrows to 5,2 meters at the top.

To illuminate this structure of 192 meters high have been installed 76 Proteus Brutus equipment in four lighting pits existing in the legs of the arch, each of them covered with twelve slotted circular grilles to let the light pass, which can be rotated individually to maximize targeting effectiveness.

TPI modified the pits to accommodate the Proteus Brutus luminaires, lighter than the previous ones, and added rails that run the entire length of the pit to allow the luminaires to be moved when it is necessary to focus on certain parts.

The Proteus Brutus luminaires focus their power towards the upper part of the arc thanks to their 4º zoom which widens as you descend through it. at the base, the angle widens up to approximately 22º (although it can be expanded up to 45º).

“Previous 7K xenon luminaires could only zoom with special filters, which was not very efficient and we ended up losing more than half of the lumens in the space - points out Nick Vincenty -. The fact that Proteus Brutus can easily zoom to put all the lumens on the arc has been another key argument for its selection..

Burkett adds that the original mockups from the original design process were invaluable., since they discovered that the lighting reflections on the semi-specular surface of the Arc had to be managed, making sure they fell in areas that would not be unsightly or shiny.

More precise lighting

The capacity of intelligent control Proteus Brutus offers other advantages over previous 7K xenon luminaires, such as the possibility of attenuating, focus and color correct more accurately. “We have the ability to manipulate it through frosting and the smoothing, in addition to using templates to lengthen the beam and concentrate the light on the arc itself”, subraya O’Keefe.

Besides, With the previous system, the prismatic film used to lengthen the beams had to be changed often., since it degraded quickly. Proteus Brutus houses several indexable beam shaping gobos, like rectangles and squares, which are used to provide more precise focus on the arc and thus prevent light spill.

Thanks to it, this monument seems brighter, while the flashes in the sky are reduced night, an important element to protect migratory birds that frequently pass through this area.

Although the arch is not easy to illuminate, “It's basically like trying to light a mirror,” says Vincenty.- the difference between now is substantial. The more we illuminate the monument, to more 6.500 kelvin con Proteus Brutus, it looks better. Controlling much more where we put the light and what quality we provide makes a big difference”.

Para Burkett, The integrity of the original design is still intact today, “but it has been improved using the new LED lighting technology. Proteus Brutus offers a beam discipline that optimizes it, minimizing the impact of lighting on everything other than the arch itself”.

Efficient and sustainable

The new lighting system has also resulted in substantial energy savings., since the installed Led luminaires only consume 1.200 watts per unit, in front of the 7.000 watts per unit of the above.

This reduction of 60% in electricity consumption, along with the elimination of frequent lamp changes, contributes to significant savings in both energy and costs in the maintenance of the monument.

Besides, Proteus Brutus incorporates a function of sun protection, which guarantees the longevity of the luminaires by directing the lens towards the ground in case of loss of the control signal, thus protecting the lens and components inside the luminaire against damage caused by the sun.

The arc is programmed to light each night from bottom to top over the course of 30 seconds. Inspired by the light that runs through the installation at dusk and dawn, O'Keefe explains that "as the light goes up each leg and then joins at the top they simulate a single, forming a door.