VÄSTERÅS, Sweden—HARMAN’s Martin Exterior 400 Image Projector continues to illuminate the façade of Sweden’s iconic Västerås Castle, a critical function in the depths of a Scandinavian winter. The fully weatherproof Martin LED projector was selected and deployed by Sweden’s ÅF Lighting, one of the world’s premier lighting design firms, which cited the projector’s more than 7,000 lumens of power and its ability to easily integrate the dynamic gobo projections, such as textiles, patterns and graphics, with any outdoor lighting design as deciding factors.
Not long after the installation was completed, it was celebrated at the annual “Västerås Culture Night,” to which the world is invited to celebrate the area’s culture with a variety of concerts, dances and theatrical performances. Västerås Castle has assumed a prominent role in the event and has been lauded for the beautiful backdrop its lighting lends the festivities.
Following ÅF Lighting’s successful implementation at nearby Örebro Castle, the project was commissioned by the National Property Board of Sweden and the Municipality of Västerås with the goal of increasing public awareness of the castle. The project was rooted in what ÅF Lighting calls “New Nordic Lighting,” a concept that embraces a 24-hour approach to lighting and incorporates both natural and powered-light sources.
Accordingly, ÅF Lighting’s Head of Design, Kai Piippo, worked closely with Martin by HARMAN on a design driven by four distinct themes: Sunrise, when the day’s first rays grace the castle’s façade with a warm glow; Every Day, characterized by a quality of light that brings out the warm colors of the façade’s stone; Deep Blue, a surreal atmosphere known as Cultural Night; and Moonlight, a cold light that takes on a mysterious aura as it shines through nearby leaves and branches.
Other challenges faced by Piippo’s team included finding a solution that precisely addressed the project’s creative needs, obtaining approvals from government agencies and working within the confines of a severely limited budget. “We needed a solution that was both cost effective and capable of creating a wide variety of colors and themes,” said Piippo. “Martin’s Exterior 400 IPs were the perfect fit for the themes we wanted to create as well as for this type of outdoor installation.”
Piippo’s confidence in the Martin brand is based on many years of experience. “I have worked with Martin products since my time as a stage lighting designer in the 1980s and have followed the company ever since,” he said. “Martin has always been a reliable partner. I cannot imagine the success of the Västerås Castle project without the versatility of Martin’s architectural solutions.”
For more information on ÅF Lighting, please visit: www.af-lighting.com
For more information on Martin architectural lighting solutions, please visit: www.martin.com
As a world leader in the creation of dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural, and commercial sectors, Martin lighting and video systems are renowned the world over. Martin also offers a range of advanced lighting controllers and media servers, as well as a complete line of smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Martin operates the industry’s most complete and capable distributor network with local partners in nearly 100 countries. Founded in 1987 and based in Aarhus, Denmark, Martin is the lighting division of global infotainment and audio company HARMAN International Industries. For more information please visit: http://www.martin.com
HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions and connected services. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. The Company's software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 28,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $6.4 billion during the 12 months ended September 30, 2015. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.