Project Name: National Boer War Memorial
Practice Name: Group GSA + LAS
Project Address: ANZAC Parade, Reid
Demonstrate that a professional lighting design was undertaken for this project?
The lighting design for the National Boer War Memorial was undertaken as a collaborative design with Lighting Art and Science and GroupGSA. Together we established the form and intent of the lighting to meet the needs of the space and ensure the sculptural components of the project were maintained.
What was the main design objective for the lighting scheme?
The lighting for the National Boer War Memorial is designed to emphasise the sculptural forms and drama of the memorial. The lighting creates a shift in movement and change of emphasis to highlight the key materials and forms. The lighting explores a range of light intensities, and is designed to balance the areas of positive (light) and negative (dark) within the space to create depth and layering of space.
Demonstrate how lighting complements the design of the space by day?
The lighting for the NBWM is designed to provide a different way of viewing the memorial compared to the day time experience. The lighting is focussed on the key sculptural elements (large bronze statues) with subtle ‘framing’ lighting across the front and back walling as well as the rocky landscape and grasses. The effect of the lighting design is to give greater depth to the space at night through selective lighting and highlighting. The lighting is programmed as a changing sequence to create a greater sense of movement and gradually reveal different sculptural elements in the memorial.
Showcase how lighting enhances the use and experience of the space after dark?
The lighting design and sequencing allows a different experience of the space after dark. The slow sequencing is intended to provide a slow reveal of the overall memorial. For a pedestrian experience, the slow lighting sequence allows time to pause and appreciate the pieces individually as well as a together as a whole.
It would be expected that people driving past the memorial at night would not see all the lighting at one time. The memorial would appear different when driving by at different times.
Highlight lighting creativity, problem-solving and thinking-outside-the-box?
A key challenge for the lighting of the memorial was the ability to modify the lighting once the sculptures were installed. The overall intent was established during the design process, however the final adjustments to the lighting levels, brightness, lighting angles and lighting sequencing was undertaken once the memorial was largely built. A lighting test was undertaken with sample light fittings which were moved on site to achieve the optimum location and angles, as well as adjusting the pole lighting with ‘cherry pickers’, again to test optimum lighting brightness and lighting levels. Once agreed, the lighting locations were surveyed and recorded for installation.
How did you take Dark Sky considerations (prevention of lighting pollution) into account for this project?
It was a key part to the lighting design of the memorial to ensure that the memorial is not over lit. The reason for this is to ensure that the memorial sculptural pieces which are highlighted, appear to merge out of the darker surrounding landscape of Anzac Parade, and each memorial along Anzac Parade does not create light spill into adjacent memorials.
The lighting spill was also considered with regards to the adjacent residential streets, to ensure they are not impacted by strong lighting.
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