Historically, the Ruhr was Germany’s industrial centre – and it is still the country’s largest urban agglomeration, including cities such as Bochum, Essen and Dortmund. This year, Essen is Europe’s Capital of Culture and the Ruhr is also home to the innovative ‘Ruhr Atoll’, an installation that serves as a platform for art and culture in public spaces across the region. With its themes of art and energy, it is designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
The lighting effect has been achieved solely by using indirect and antiglare LED RGB lights, with a total of 68 linear luminaires. At the heart of Ruhr Atoll is the first European outdoor installation of Martin Professional’s Tripix system. The Tripix system consists of modular units based on single-lens tricolour RGB mixing, which mixes the colours inside the lenses. A colour wash system ensures an even distribution of colour on all surfaces, thus avoiding unattractive colour seams or colour shadows.
The Tripix lights are controlled via DMX, providing RGB colour control as well as HSIC colour control for adjustment of colour temperature. Lighting sequences and timing are controlled using a Butler XT from the E:CUE company.
Flows of colour are based on four conceptual design blocks, whose colour and time structure represent spring, summer, fall and winter. There is also mood lighting, which relies on an anemometer, enabling the design of the facade to indicate wave motion in rough water. Two Martin Exterior 200 LED™ RGBAW spotlights complete the design.
