On August 31, AIDA Nova was christened at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, as the newest member of the AIDA fleet with a barrage of light and color courtesy of lighting designer Björn Hermann and Elation Proteus™ and Paladin™ lighting effects.
Hermann had been involved in the christening of the AIDA Prima in 2016 and naturally considered how the christening of the AIDA Nova could stand out. "We had very different requirements with AIDA Nova than with the christening of the AIDA Prima,” the designer stated. “The ship lay without passengers in the shipyard basin which gave us a lot more artistic freedom. Sven [Director Sven Sören Beyer] and I had a motif in mind from the beginning: the ship should sparkle like the Eiffel Tower at night! That was the basic idea behind the lighting design.”
Hermann relied on 120 IP65-rated Proteus Hybrid™ arc source luminaires to create the effect. The lighting designer not only relied on the beam function of the hybrid lights, but also employed spot and wash effects. "I already knew that the Proteus Hybrid works brilliantly as a beam," explains Hermann. "At the AIDA Nova christening, I had the opportunity to spread the zoom and add a frost. You can do a lot of nice things there."
The topic of IP classification played a special role for the designer as well. "I preferred IP lighting of at least IP54 on this project and the advantages are obvious. The installation of IP-protected lights is faster and easier since no weather protection must be installed. Of course, this also leads to cost savings at the end of the day. Last but not least, IP-protected lights naturally maximize creative freedom. There are simply no restrictions anymore."
Paladins illuminate the 337-meter long ship
Phase7 performing.arts under the direction of Sven Sören Beyer commissioned the artistic staging for the AIDA Nova christening show on behalf of East End Communications GmbH. Technical service provider for the production was AMBION GmbH.
Photos: Manfred H. Vogel
About Elation Professional
Elation designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of innovative lighting and video products known for their excellent efficiency and outstanding performance. As a company in expansion with a presence in a growing variety of market segments, chances are you’ve experienced Elation lighting at a concert, special event, TV, theater, late night venue, House of Worship, theme park, cruise ship, exhibition, architectural space or elsewhere. For more information, please visit www.elationlighting.com