Pharos adds dynamic lighting to striking sculpture

To commemorate the shipbuilders of Port Glasgow, an imposing sculpture was recently unveiled at the Scottish city’s Coronation Park. Commissioned by Riverside Inverclyde and Inverclyde Council, two stainless-steel figures designed by respected artist John McKenna stand 33-feet-tall. The final design was chosen through a public vote, and the sculpture has been fondly nicknamed ‘The Skelpies’.

The striking and thought-provoking sculpture has been enhanced with the use of dynamic lighting. The ability to illuminate the structure in different colour schemes to support a wide range of local and national campaigns was a key consideration, achieved with the help of Pharos Architectural Controls and its award-winning Designer LPC (Lighting Playback Controller).

The LPC is a durable, compact, all-in-one control solution, designed for total reliability even when in operation 24/7. Featuring individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, the LPC also offers the freedom of real-time manual overrides. Additionally, the popular solution from Pharos gives the versatility of powerful show control and integration features.

An LPC 1 was selected by Reg Grove of Lightfolio Ltd, the lighting designer for the project who created the sculpture’s lighting scheme using Studio Due Archiled fixtures. Rigorous testing was undertaken to ensure the positioning and focus of luminaires would have no impact on nearby housing and road users.

The Pharos control system was supplied and programmed by Lee Engineering Ltd. The Designer LPC 1 hosts their custom-built web interface for remote user access, and a Designer BPS (Button Panel Station) was also used for onsite testing and override.

Ryan Sainsbury, Regional Sales Manager for the UK at Pharos Architectural Controls said: “It is always a joy to be part of a project that celebrates local success. The Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow sculpture not only champions those who contributed in so many ways to this city’s rich heritage, it also plays an important part in raising awareness of good causes and campaigns, both locally and nationally.”

The sculpture was unveiled at a dedicated launch event, which also featured the screening of a new short film by local film-maker Chris Fallen from Hidden Meaning Productions. The film documented the timeline of the sculpture from its beginning to completion.

The artwork has been well-received by those in the local area and from further afield; serving as a permanent reminder of the hard work that went into crafting ships that were sent all over the world.

Project Credits: 

Client: Inverclyde Council.

Sculptor and designer: John Mckenna.

Lighting designer/architect: Reg Grove, Lightfolio Ltd.

Structural Foundation Designers: Narro Associates.

Civil Engineering Contractor: WI&A Gilbert Ltd.

Lighting engineers: Lee Engineering Ltd.

Lighting controls: Pharos Architectural Controls

Short film producer: Hidden Meaning Productions.

Image: Courtesy of Pharos Architectural Controls. Photography: Dan Gregory.