132 PixelArc Rs have been installed in Nashville’s newest landmark, the Demonbreun Street Viaduct. The $8.3 million project was designed by architects Gresham Smith and Partners, and was a joint collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Metro Nashville Public works.
The underside of the bridge incorporates curved perforated steel panels which add creative interest to the design. Originally incandescent fixtures were specified to be installed behind these panels, to allow light to be shone through the perforated holes.
Factory Sales Agency (FSA) were approached by the architects for their expertise in LEDs, as maintaining the lamp-life of an incandescent light source in a project of this nature would be a big problem—as access to the fixtures would be very limited. The fear was that once they burned out, the lamps would not get changed as often as needed for maintaining the look.
FSA’s Glenn Johnson explains, “When I first saw the drawing, I instantly suggested using PixelArc LED fixtures, as each of the panels weighs 300 pounds and to change the lamps on a regular basis would be a big problem. The PixelArcs would save on maintenance costs, as they would last much longer than the incandescent fixtures, and they would also save on energy.” He continues, “The PixelArcs were designed specifically for the project housing only white LEDs. We ultilized a mixture of 3200K and 5500K LEDs to make a light that was not too blue and not too yellow. The result is stunning and the bridge has won many awards for both the lighting and the design.”
The PixelArcs for this project were supplied by Bandit Lites, Knoxville, Tennessee.
The beautiful bridge stretches nearly 774 feet across The Gulch and CSX Railroad between 10th Avenue and 12th Avenue. It provides four lanes of traffic, bike lanes, and sidewalks, and includes stylized railroad motifs, lighting, and other unique architectural features that pay tribute to the city’s historic links to the railroad and music industries.
PixelArc R is an architectural RGBA luminaire featuring 22 high intensity K2 Luxeon LEDs and is UL approved for wet or dry locations.
PixelRange is designed with concern for the environment to inspire lighting design.