The Twin Sails Bridge connects the Borough of Poole to the nearb…
The Twin Sails Bridge connects the Borough of Poole to the nearby town of Hamworthy.
Dave Morris Photography
When the bridge is in its closed position it is bathed in white …
When the bridge is in its closed position it is bathed in white light, with the structural rib of the deck uplit by metal halide sources and LED luminaires integrated into the handrail.
Dave Morris Photography
The lighting on the underside of the deck and wave-form art scre…
The lighting on the underside of the deck and wave-form art screen is designed to create a pattern of reflection in the water.
Dave Morris Photography
As the bridge opens, it transforms into a sail-like structure. T…
As the bridge opens, it transforms into a sail-like structure. The middle segment — Âthe asphalt roadway and metal-grate pedestrian walkway — Âpivots open and is cut on the bias. As the leaves rise up to full vertical, the two segments stand in opposition and it appears as if two sailboats are passing.
Dave Morris Photography
The pedestrian walkway becomes washed in red as the color of the…
The pedestrian walkway becomes washed in red as the color of the light changes with the opening of the bridge.
Dave Morris Photography
A mixture of lamp types — Âlinear fluorescent, metal halide, …
A mixture of lamp types — Âlinear fluorescent, metal halide, and LED — were carefully chosen for each luminaire type on the bridge, and lensing and focusing strategies were designed to reduce light spill and glare. The lighting was also designed with ease of maintenance in mind.
Speirs +Major
A rendering of the lighting strategy as envisioned by Speirs +…
A rendering of the lighting strategy as envisioned by Speirs + Major.
Speirs + Major
A cross section through the bridge deck.
Speirs + Major
A cross section of the bridge’s leaves in the open position.
Dave Morris Photography
The deck is still washed in white light as the bridge begins to …
The deck is still washed in white light as the bridge begins to open.
Dave Morris Photography
Slowly the white light shifts to red light as the bridge moves c…
Slowly the white light shifts to red light as the bridge moves closer to its full open position.
Dave Morris Photography
The bridge fully open and the switch from white to red light com…
The bridge fully open and the switch from white to red light complete.
The lighting was designed under the direction of Jonathan Speirs, and key to the project brief was the mandate to create a nighttime icon, one that would create an experience for driver, pedestrian, cyclist, and mariner alike. At the heart of that experience is a bridge that transforms into a sail-like structure. The middle segment—the asphalt roadway and metal-grate pedestrian walkway—pivots open and is cut on the bias. As the leaves raise up to full vertical, the two segments stand in opposition and it appears as if two sailboats are passing.
In its closed position, the bridge is illuminated with white light. Metal halide sources uplight the underside of the bridge and its structural ribs. LEDs are integrated into the pedestrian handrail and at the tip of each mast. The lights along the pedestrian zone change from white to red to alert those on the bridge that it’s raising or lowering. Red lights in vertical “totem-like structures” along the bridge begin to flash, and then a wash of red color rolls out like a carpet along the pedestrian path. The animation is perfectly timed thanks to a control system with time clock, photocell, and link to the bridge’s mechanical operating system. With its nod to nautical motifs, the lighting design celebrates the water and the sensation of motion. Jury Comments: A fantastic project • The split of the roadway on the diagonal is extremely clever. • A great use of color to highlight the bridge structure and mast and to produce striking reflections on the water.
Details
Architect: Wilkinson Eyre Architects, London Lighting Designer: Speirs + Major, Edinburgh, Scotland, and London Photographer: Dave Morris Photography Project Size: 456-feet-long by 35-feet-wide (bridge dimensions) Project Cost: ÂŁ37 million ($57.9 million), ÂŁ18.5 million ($29 million) for the bridge Watts per Square Foot: Not available Manufacturers: Crescent Lighting, Encapsulite, iGuzzini, Metamont/Abstract AVR, Mike Stoane Lighting, Sill Lighting
Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
