Dialight, a specialist in industrial and hazardous-location LED lighting, has supplied a complete lighting solution for a major new bulk grain storage facility at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, UK.

The Tilbury Berth 43 Cefetra Bulk Grain Store was completed in July 2026 and handed over to the Port of Tilbury, part of Forth Ports, shortly afterwards. Delivered by principal contractor Harmonix Construction, the project has transformed a former open-air container depot into a purpose-built storage facility designed to support the growing demand for imported grain handling and storage.

Grain storage presents particular safety and operational requirements, as airborne combustible dust can create a potentially explosive atmosphere. The internal area of the new store has therefore been designated as a Zone 22 hazardous area, requiring suitably certified lighting capable of performing consistently within a demanding industrial environment. The exposed port location also meant that luminaires needed to withstand wet, marine conditions.

Dialight became involved during the early design phase after Harmonix Construction first approached the company in November 2024. Following Harmonix’s appointment as principal contractor in February 2025, Dialight developed the lighting scheme using the construction drawings and the Port of Tilbury’s specifications. The design covered the grain store, surrounding external areas and a vehicle refuelling point, with particular requirements for operational areas including the quayside.

The final installation comprises more than 200 Dialight luminaires, including ProSite Floodlights, SafeSite luminaires, Emergency GRP Linears and Vigilant Bulkheads, selected to meet the different requirements across the site.

The project showcases a large-scale deployment of the Zone 22 ProSite Floodlight in a hazardous-area application. An initial scheme based on 110 SafeSite High Bay luminaires was refined to 78 ProSite Floodlights. The wider range of optical distributions available with ProSite enabled Dialight’s lighting designers to reduce the number of fittings required whilst also maintaining the specified light levels.

The design also needed to account for the shadowing created by the facility’s large traversing cranes, as well as the defined light levels required around the quayside and water’s edge. Careful positioning and alignment were necessary because of the building’s mounting heights, while the use of marine-grade luminaires supports performance in the exposed and wet conditions found within a port environment.

Aidan Brown, UK/EIRE Sales – EMEA at Dialight, said: “The project demonstrates the value of involving the lighting manufacturer early, particularly when a facility has hazardous-area classifications and several distinct operational requirements. Working closely with Harmonix allowed us to refine the design as the project developed. By using the different optical options available with the ProSite Floodlight, we reduced the number of luminaires required within the grain store while still achieving the specified light levels. The result is a lighting scheme that combines the required safety and performance with a more efficient use of equipment, supporting long-term reliability in a demanding port environment.”

Port of Tilbury is an established Dialight customer and has used the company’s ATEX-certified lighting during maintenance upgrades across existing parts of its grain terminal. Berth 43 provided the first opportunity for Dialight products to be incorporated into a new-build project at the port, allowing the environmental, safety and access requirements to be considered from the outset.

Jenis Mistry, Project Engineer at the Port of Tilbury, commented: “The new grain store has been developed to provide the safe, reliable infrastructure required for this important area of our operations. Lighting needed to meet the requirements of the hazardous internal environment, the external areas and the quayside, while also being suited to the exposed conditions at the port. The completed installation provides the light levels needed across these different spaces and supports the facility’s long-term operation.”

Close coordination between Dialight and Harmonix Construction continued throughout the design and delivery stages. Early product selection and advance ordering with Dialight’s factory helped ensure that the luminaires were available well before they were required on site, supporting the construction programme and installation process.

David Thrower, Project Director of Harmonix Construction, added: “The successful delivery of the lighting package was supported by early engagement and a close working relationship throughout the project. Dialight responded to changes in the construction design and developed the lighting scheme in line with the Port of Tilbury’s specifications. Having the products ordered and delivered well ahead of installation also gave our team the certainty needed to plan the work effectively.”

Alongside its ability to meet the project’s safety and performance requirements, the selected LED lighting provides a long-life solution for areas where access for future maintenance can be challenging. Dialight’s standard luminaires offer a rated life of more than 150,000 hours and are backed by a ten-year warranty, helping to reduce the frequency of replacement and associated maintenance interventions. Emergency lighting batteries will be included within the facility’s ongoing inspection and replacement programme.

The completed project demonstrates the importance of early collaboration, clearly defined lighting requirements and appropriate product selection when designing lighting for ports, grain stores and other complex industrial facilities. By combining hazardous-area certified products with considered lighting design, the scheme provides a robust solution for the Port of Tilbury’s new grain storage operation.

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This has transformed the audience experience in the 2,000-capacity Festival Theatre and Dunstan Playhouse, which seats 590, and resulted in an approximately 50 percent power reduction in addition to producing a beautiful, smooth, even wash of illumination across these two largest performance spaces.

Adelaide Festival Centre’s head of technical and production Nathan Luscombe explained that the original 1973 house lighting installation was still in service, consisting primarily of PAR 56s and other downlights – all incandescent – which after 50 years or more of service needed replacing.

The time had arrived to transition to a more effective and sustainable LED solution, which is also a government-driven initiative, so they started looking for the best solution.

“Professional high-grade dimming was high on our list of requirements for the new lighting,” elucidated Nathan. “We tested numerous products that snapped off or on during the last 5 percent, – 10 percent of the dimming curve, and with a system life expectancy of around 10 years, it was vital to get details like this correct with any new installation.”

Nathan also pushed hard for Adelaide Festival Centre’s environmental/architectural lighting to be DMX or DMX over Ethernet controlled, learning from their experience at Her Majesty’s Theatre, another venue in Adelaide also run by the AFC, that this would be technically beneficial.

He also wanted colour changing lights as these opened numerous imaginative possibilities, including bespoke lighting of the venue for showcases, special occasions and immersive moments. Together with the DMX/Ethernet control options, this would also allow incoming productions to integrate the house lighting into their own systems if desired.

These requirements were to help optimise the space for today’s contemporary production standards, and Anolis ticked all the boxes.

The new lighting schemes were designed by Eddie Galak from Anolis’s Australian distributor, Jands, who developed an aesthetic that met the client’s requirements, together with a final proposal and extensive modelling.

Eddie noted that Nathan and his team were impressed with the options on angles and lensing available with the Anolis products, as well as the quality and vibrance of the light output.

Another MUST was that the signature white walk-in look should be 3,200K… a bit cooler than standard, however they were keen to replicate the previous house lighting look, and Ambiane’s precisely tuneable whites were another massive plus here for choosing Anolis.

The individual fixture breakdown includes 12 Anolis Ambiane XP56 Recessed units with 45° lenses; 56 Ambiane XP56 Recessed luminaires – 36 with 45° and 20 with 60° lenses RGBW (3,200K); 93 x Ambiane MP111s, 75 Recessed with 80° lenses and 18 Recessed with 60° lenses, all RGBW (3,200K) and with Custom RAL Trim; and 36 Ambiane MP111 Surface Mount 60° lensed RGBWs (also 3,200K).

A combination of these luminaires is used across both venues.

In Festival Theatre, they are installed in multiple positions – in the ceiling, under the bridges, recessed on the balconies, under the boxes and in up / down configurations grazing along the walls. The scalloped side column covers were replaced as part of the general room refurbishment and interior upgrade, and the new Anolis fixtures are mounted in the up and down positions complete with bespoke covers for heritage compliance.

In Dunstan Playhouse, the new fixtures are installed on five different levels and under the balcony, also retrofitted into the previous lighting spaces.

So, the versatility of the Ambiane range won the bid as it ensured lighting could be contained and focused, achieving the amazing new uniform coverage across the two auditoriums, and as they mostly fitted into the existing house lighting system holes, this greatly assisted the installation process, especially with it being a heritage-listed building.

Nathan highlights how the house lights can now be run at around 70 percent intensity to produce the requisite 150/160 white Lux levels (200/220 for colours), leaving plenty of headroom and removing the need for staff to work at heights to replace broken bulbs.

Eddie – who has specified and designed Anolis lighting solutions for several leading auditoriums in Australia – mentions another advantage of the Anolis Ambiane range is that the power supplies are available locally if needed.

Lighting control for these two venues is through ETC Paradigm. The lights are on their own networks but can be hooked into a production lighting network/console extremely easily.

The new lighting installation was completed by ITE, who have previously worked with Eddie at Llewellyn Hall in Canberra, and who Nathan commented were “excellent – helpful and knowledgeable, understood how we function and had worked with Anolis before.”

The new look for both venues is a big hit with the public and with staff at the Adelaide Festival Centre, as the rooms in general feel brighter, crisper, more modern and more comfortable for audiences enjoying the performances and entertainment.

 Photos by Ben Clark, courtesy of Adelaide Festival Centre.

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Glamox’s Poland team has worked closely with architects from the AFP Architekci studio and the foundation to design and deliver a range of indoor and outdoor luminaires using the latest smart lighting technology to create a comfortable environment for guests. Led by Adam Gradowski, the project will see Glamox supply over 200 luminaires for the 1700 m² facility, which has 20 family rooms with bathrooms, a shared kitchen, dining room, laundry room, playroom, and garden.

Each Ronald McDonald House becomes a “home away from home” for the family during the child’s illness and treatment, providing comfortable living quarters and communal spaces that keep family members close together. A large emphasis is also placed on designing spaces to provide respite and reduce stress during such a difficult time. Glamox is supplying lighting with adjustable controls to help create a more relaxing living environment.

The Ronald McDonald House in Warsaw at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute also incorporates the latest eco-friendly technology, including Glamox’s energy-efficient LED lighting. Glamox will supply an Ethernet2DALI light management system that will enable the facility to reduce its energy consumption, costs, and carbon footprint.

“Each of the Houses is designed to provide families with comfort and a sense of security – both now and for years to come. Our construction projects support hospitals over the long term, and this long-range perspective profoundly influences our architecture and our choice of solutions and materials. The House is meant to offer respite and serve as a ‘home away from home’ for each child’s family,” said Katarzyna Rodziewicz, President of Ronald McDonald House Poland. “From day one, the Glamox team understood our vision and lighting requirements, helping us create a unique facility. Their energy-efficient, beautifully designed lighting solutions also aligned perfectly with our vision of what the House should look like, as well as with our sustainability goals. This facility will be available for at least 40 years and will serve families of children treated at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute – accommodating thousands of people during a very difficult time in their lives. By keeping the families’ time and stories in mind, one can truly understand how important the well-being of every mother, father, and child is to us. Lighting is a priority element of the House as a whole.”

“We are committed to partnering with organisations with a purposeful mission and are honoured to supply our lighting to support the impactful work of the Ronald McDonald House Foundation Poland,” said Astrid Simonsen Joos, Group CEO, Glamox AS. “Light provides more than just illumination. Our experience shows that when designed and implemented thoughtfully, smart lighting solutions can boost mood, sleep, and human wellbeing. We are proud to play a role in supporting the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House at the Children’s Memorial Health Institute.”

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EcoVadis Gold, energy-efficient lighting solutions and investment in renewable energy support LEDVANCE’s sustainability strategy.

LEDVANCE has published its Sustainability Report for the 2025 financial year, setting out the company’s latest progress and initiatives across environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

Under its guiding principle, ‘Power Through Light’, the report outlines the steps LEDVANCE is taking to reduce its environmental impact, improve the sustainability of its operations and develop more energy-efficient lighting solutions.

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Across the UK, town and parish councils are looking for practical ways to reduce energy costs while maintaining essential community infrastructure. Street lighting often represents one of the largest opportunities to improve efficiency and lower long-term operating costs.

Sprowston Town Council took a proactive approach through a comprehensive upgrade programme. The scheme covered more than 800 Town Council-owned footway lights across the town. Rather than simply replacing ageing lanterns, the project combined a full condition survey with targeted infrastructure improvements to create a more efficient and resilient lighting network.

Working in collaboration with Electrical Testing Ltd (ETL), CU Phosco supplied 866 E950 LED luminaires for the project, with ETL supporting the wider delivery of the scheme through condition assessment, programme coordination and installation works.

The project began with a full condition survey of the existing lighting stock. Nick Wildsmith, Area Sales Manager at CU Phosco, explains: “Taking the time to understand the condition of the existing assets was an important part of the project. The survey allowed any structural or electrical issues to be identified before installation, helping the Town Council maximise the value of its investment.

The E950 combines high efficacy with a long operational life, making it well suited to projects where reducing energy consumption and future maintenance requirements are key priorities.”

The installation programme was delivered in two phases between August and October 2025, with ETL undertaking a full condition survey and the installation works. A central management system formed part of the wider upgrade programme, supporting the Town Council’s future management of the lighting network. The E950’s compatibility with Telensa CMS nodes was an important consideration, providing the flexibility to introduce part-night dimming and other control strategies in the future should the Town Council wish to pursue additional energy savings and reductions in light pollution.

The completed scheme provides Sprowston Town Council with a modern LED street lighting network while delivering tangible benefits for residents.

Energy consumption is expected to reduce by around 70 percent, cutting carbon emissions by an estimated 90 tonnes each year. The longer operating life of the E950 luminaires will also reduce routine maintenance requirements compared with the previous sodium lighting.

This translates to a saving of between £60,000 and £70,000 annually, with the investment expected to pay for itself within two to three years.

Matt McDonald, Account Manager at ETL, commented: “Delivering a project of this scale required detailed planning and careful coordination to minimise disruption for residents while maintaining programme efficiency. Working alongside CU Phosco allowed us to provide a high-quality lighting solution that met the Town Council’s objectives and long-term aspirations for the network.”

Guy Ranaweera, Sprowston Town Council, added: “The LED upgrade programme represents a significant investment in the town’s infrastructure and our commitment to delivering value for residents. The project provides a more efficient and sustainable street lighting network while helping to reduce long-term operating costs and support our wider environmental objectives.”

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Tasked with designing lighting this landmark event was visual design agency Blackout, who have been working with Joker Out since 2021. The lighting design team was led by Klemen Krajnc with Crt Birsa taking care of key lighting, and they chose to work with a large rig of Robe moving lights.

This included a set of 32 brand-new Robe GigaPointes, which had just been delivered to rental company Event Lighting. Also on the rig were 13 Robe FORTES, 6 iFORTE LTXs, 37 MegaPointes, 49 iSpiiderXs wash beams and 14 Tetra2 moving LED battens.

The band picked the spherical-shaped stage and worked with set designer Maja Moravec on creating various circus props, intricate draping and other scenic elements to evoke the Big Top look, including the band risers onstage. The central arched stage was flanked by wings dressed to resemble circus tents and some of the guest performers were aerialists and other circus acts.

Klemen added the lights to this stage layout, which were overhead and around the sides of the stage structure and on eight independent scaffolding towers, six behind the stage – graduated in height but all taller than the stage and wings so they were visible over the top – plus left and right PA towers framing the central section just in front of the stage.

The GigaPointes were on the deck, positioned along the full width of the front edge of the 70-metre-wide, 2-metre high stage, including the two wings and the wing returns at each end. All of these sat on a ledge half a metre below stage level.

These were used primarily for creating dramatic effects and reaching out across the arena with their super-bright narrow piercing beams… with huge impact for the epic wide-look visual aesthetic.

Klemen – using GigaPointes for the first time – declared, “They are fantastic!”

In a programming context, he mentioned that it is “extremely handy” that they can be exchanged, swapped or paired parameter-for-parameter with MegaPointes, which will also continue to be a favourite fixture for many for some time. “This makes it a very smooth and seamless transition from MegaPointes to GigaPointes,” he confirmed.

Twenty-seven of the 37 MegaPointes were rigged on nine over-stage finger trusses – running in an upstage/downstage orientation with different heights following the curvature of the roof arch, and the other 10 were upstage in a straight line.

Klemen worked these and the GigaPointes together to create some of the show’s most memorable lighting scenes.

Fourteen Robe Tetra2 LED battens were used to illuminate the stage wing set elements, rigged on the floor for optimal up lighting of the vertical parts of the set.

Twenty-seven iSpiiderXs were also on the finger trusses – three per truss. Another 18 were used for lower side light across the sphere stage, nine per side, running front to back on low parts of the stage structure.

Four iSpiiderXs were used for front key lighting for the static members of the band in two high cantilevered positions on the downstage sides of the stage structure; two for the drummer and one each for the keyboardist and backing vocalists on their risers.

These were under Crt’s control for the show. He additionally layered in more keys using a combination of the 6 iFORTE LTXs and 13 FORTES, for lighting the mobile band members plus several guests.

The side keys onstage utilised four FORTES, two each positioned on the far stage left and right (of the 8) towers and throwing onto the front of the stage, covering the performance areas at the front of the wings, the central stage apron and the thrust area/runway.

This was a long throw, perfect for the power of the FORTE.

On the two delay towers left and right of FOH were 8 FORTES, and the thirteenth FORTE was rigged in the mid front position on the sphere stage to back light performers as they sashayed down the central catwalk.

Above the FORTES on the delay towers were 6 iFORTE LTXs, three per side, programmed to catch all the onstage, forestage, wing and runway action. The 6 x iFORTE LTXs were running on 5 RoboSpot systems – the BaseStations were under the stage – and Crt notes that most of the time he only needed to run the LTXs at 50 percent intensity to be effective on camera and live.

Klemen’s main task was to make the show look spectacular and celebratory, while giving it the sense of scale and occasion that everyone was expecting, and that’s why he chose these Robe products plus several other lights for the show – for their flexibility and dynamics. Also, naturally because Event Lighting – one of the busiest rental companies in Slovenia – had these in stock.

Everyone was then super excited when they realised the GigaPointes would be delivered in time!

Klemen and Crt pre-vizzed the show as much as was practical and on site had two days of intense programming with the full rig.

However, the main challenge for this show was nothing technical or artistic – it was… the weather! Ljubljana is situated in a wide, flat basin known as the Ljubljana Basin (Ljubljanska kotlina), surrounded by hills and mountains, and this has its own microclimate.

An extremely violent thunderstorm complete with torrential rain unleashed itself a couple of hours before Joker Out were due to take the stage… resulting in extensive flooding and emergency adaptations being needed on the site.

Some elements of the kit were drenched and waterlogged and some of the upstage back drapes were ripped off by the high winds and had to be reattached as best as possible.

Thankfully, in the spirit of ‘the show must go on’ and some outstanding teamwork, everything was deemed safe and 17,000 Joker Out fans were able to enjoy a spectacular show with eye-popping visuals, thanks to a combination of determination, great production talents and imagination, ambitious design and solid products.

Image credits: Sasa Krajnc and Miro Majcen.

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Advanced lighting control technology from Pharos Architectural Controls has been used to illuminate the facade of the Parliament of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, delivering a flexible and considered solution for one of the city’s most important heritage buildings. The project replaces an ageing sodium vapour floodlighting scheme with a more refined approach that reveals the texture and detail of the sandstone architecture.

Completed in early 2026, the project marks the culmination of a long development process that began in 2014, when FPOV was first commissioned by the Victorian Government to explore an illuminated treatment for the building. Dating back to 1888, the Parliament of Victoria occupies a prominent position at the northern end of Melbourne’s CBD. The brief called for a lighting solution that would respect the building’s heritage while presenting its architecture in a more natural light.

The previous scheme relied on sodium vapour floodlights mounted at a shallow angle, producing an even wash of light that flattened the facade and masked much of its detail. The strong colour cast of the source also altered the appearance of the sandstone, reducing the clarity of the building at night.

The new design set out to correct this by presenting the building more faithfully, while keeping the installation discreet and visually unobtrusive. It also needed to reduce maintenance demands, improve efficiency, and allow the facade to be lit in neutral white for everyday use, with the option of colour for civic occasions.

Over the course of the project, the design was refined through a number of external and technical challenges, including changes in government, budget adjustments, pandemic-related testing delays and advances in LED technology. As a result, the specification was reviewed several times to ensure the final system remained robust and future ready.

At the core of the installation are two Pharos Designer LPC controllers providing a total of four universes of DMX. Two 8-inch Pharos Designer TPS touchscreens allow authorised users to manage scene selection and colour changes when required. The system is connected to Pharos Cloud for simple, secure remote management and control. Integration with Dynalite is also used for power management, helping the system operate efficiently within the wider building infrastructure.

The result is a facade lighting scheme that brings greater subtlety and control to the presentation of the Parliament building, revealing its material qualities more clearly while replacing a dated and overbearing approach to illumination.

Christopher Page, Associate at FPOV, said, “Working with Pharos allowed us to deliver a reliable control platform with the flexibility and ease of use needed to support both daily operation and longer-term adaptation of the scheme.”

Tony Symms, Regional Manager for Asia Pacific at Pharos, added, “This project demonstrates how intelligent control can support the sensitive illumination of heritage architecture. The system combines reliability and flexibility, ensuring the facade can be presented consistently while still allowing for moments of variation.”

The project demonstrates how advanced control technology can help heritage buildings balance preservation with performance, delivering lighting schemes that are both practical to operate and sensitive to architectural character.

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The production took place at the 1,250-seat La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, one of Southern California’s most highly lauded venues and home to McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s annual season of theatrical productions.

“Mean Girls” is a witty modern classic rich in social commentary, written by Tina Fey. It ran on Broadway for over two years, earned twelve nominations at the 72nd Tony Awards (including Best Musical), and has since toured extensively. For Young, whose collaboration with McCoy Rigby Entertainment spans two decades, the comedic production is one he has engaged with for years.

McCoy Rigby Entertainment, founded by Tom McCoy and Olympic gymnast and actress Cathy Rigby, has produced seasons at La Mirada Theatre for decades. Young, who joined Visual Terrain in 2007, has lit over 30 productions at the venue.

Evolving Technology at La Mirada Theatre

Young’s prior work on “The King and I” at La Mirada in 2023, in which he used Elation’s Proteus Lucius LED profile moving head, directly influenced the theatre’s decision to invest in Proteus Odeon fixtures the following year.

“The King and I really demonstrated what the Elation fixtures could do for the space,” Young explains. “It became the catalyst for La Mirada investing in the Odeons, which came out on top following a shootout and have since become a core part of their inventory.” The Odeons were sold to the theatre by Pacific Coast Entertainment.

La Mirada’s ongoing technical upgrades are led by Master Electrician Melissa “Mo” Skau, who has been instrumental in modernising the venue’s production infrastructure. “There’s been a diligent effort on Mo’s part to create a better working environment for visiting designers,” Young adds, “and this was part of that effort.”

Elation fixtures at the core of the design

Young describes “Mean Girls” as deceptively complex—fast-paced, intricate, and far more demanding than it first appears. While its high-energy, quirky humour makes it entertaining, beneath the surface lies a sharp comedic exploration of high school social hierarchies.

To light “Mean Girls,” Young deployed a blend of house and rental inventory: 17 Proteus Odeon house fixtures installed across four electrics, 6 Paragon S fixtures rented from BCT Entertainment positioned on stage booms, and Pulse Bar units supplied by Elation for evaluation and creative use.

The Proteus Odeon were a central element of the design, valued for their output, silent operation, and low voltage draw. “They’re very punchy at 32,000 lumens, and what we really liked about them initially was how silent they are,” says Young, who values a noiseless fixture in theatre. He also notes the benefit of running them at 120 volts. “We didn’t have to run extra power, install a new disconnect, or add any additional electrical infrastructure, so it really simplified the installation for them.”

Young highlighted the fixture’s TruTone variable CRI engine, which allows designers to achieve up to CRI 93. “We worked in CRI Flex mode, which was really helpful because the project included both naturalistic looks and more heightened theatrical moments with increased brightness. The difference isn’t as important when lighting scenery, but when it comes to skin tones, color rendering becomes much more critical.”

Sculpting story with light 

Young used most of the Odeon’s design tools and graphics to shape environments and transitions, including framing, gobos, and animation. “The framing shutters allowed us to create ‘boxes’ that we used extensively, for example in the high school classroom space, runways, and other small areas. We also used all of the gobos that came with it and tried to vary the looks as much as possible.”

A key moment in the show, the song “World Burn,” was enhanced using the fixture’s animation wheel to create fire-like movement across the stage, while frosts delivered a soft wash that Young says “came in very handy.”

The Paragon S fixtures were used as side lighting from booms, three per side, chosen for their design features, as well as smaller footprint and weight advantages. “The Odeons were too heavy for boom positions, so the Paragon S was the perfect solution for the tight set – smaller and about half the weight,” says Young. “They’re compact, the perfect size for a boom, but still give a great deal of punch.”

Used in extended mode, the Paragons provided sharp gobo projection and flexible focus control.

“We were able to cut the light off the floor but still light the actors and some of the scenery with them,” Young explains. “It was nice to have sharp, focused gobos on people during transitions, and then when the scene started, we would throw those gobos out of focus so that they created a soft wash. It was great to use some of the fixture’s focus capabilities to help reinforce the story.”

Young describes how the Pulse Bar fixtures were used to recreate and reinterpret one of the show’s most iconic visual moments. “In the original Broadway production, there’s a moment where the main character photocopies different parts of a book, and the light from the Xerox machine was such an iconic look. We wanted to do something different, so we used a phone with a giant strobe flash from the Pulse Bars across the stage. The actor was lit with a bit of sidelight and a follow spot, and then that flash would hit. It was brilliant and ended up being incredibly successful.”

The moment was executed in white light using the Pulse Bar’s cool white LEDs, while elsewhere in the show Young also used their RGB capabilities to color other scenes.

Colour play was also a defining element of the design, particularly the show’s signature pink palette.

“There are so many variations of pink in the show,” Young notes. “We used eight different shades, ranging from very deep pink to very light pinks, so that we were so close to skin tones it was barely noticeable. The colour could be very bold, but also incredibly subtle. We really had to mix those and the Elation fixtures did that wonderfully.”

“Mean Girls” ran from 11th April – 3rd May at the La Mirada Theatre with critics praising the lighting and visual design as standout elements that supported both the story and the show’s fast-paced energy.

“Mean Girls” credits

Lighting Design: Visual Terrain, Inc.

Lighting Designer: Steven Young, USA-829.

Assistant Lighting Designer: Madeline Miller.

Master Electrician: Melissa “Mo” Skau.

Director/Choreographer: Dana Solimando.

Associate Director/Choreographer: Rodrigo Varandas.

Scenic Design: Stephen Gifford.

Projection Design: David Murakami.

Costume Coordinator: Adam Ramirez.

Venue: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Producer: Tom McCoy, McCoy Rigby Entertainment.

Photographers: Jason Niedle & Stephen Gifford.

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Signify has delivered a landmark LED lighting upgrade at the London Aquatics Centre to drive performance, energy saving, efficiency and long-term sustainability at one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues, also known to be the most technologically advanced swimming facility in the world.

Designed by Zaha Hadid, the London Aquatics Centre was built in 2012 and immediately took its place on the world stage as a venue for that summer’s elite swimming and diving events. More than a decade later, operator Everyone Active undertook a major modernisation project to replace the venue’s legacy lighting system with energy-efficient LED technology. A key requirement was achieving the stringent World Aquatics (formerly FINA) television broadcast standard of 1,500 lux Ev.

To achieve this, Signify partnered with DC Electrical Supply to deploy a lighting system designed for the unique demands of the venue’s architecture. With luminaires suspended up to 40 metres above water, access, precise aiming and adjustment using conventional methods were challenging and time-consuming. While traditional flood lighting approaches could provide general illumination, they lacked the precision and data validation needed to meet the project’s demanding performance requirements.

Instead, Signify deployed a proprietary solution designed to translate an on-paper lighting design into real-world accuracy. By combining its advanced ArenaVision LED gen3.5 luminaires with an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) aiming system, Signify enabled installers to accurately align each luminaire, even at heights of up to 40 metres above the pool.

A detailed grid over the pool area enabled installers to align each luminaire precisely with the original lighting design. Instead of relying on a visual aiming scope, the installers used a smartphone attached to the luminaire to aim the lights directly at the grid. This approach reduced time spent working at height, improved installation accuracy, and ensured the final lighting performance matched the design intent. Any subsequent adjustments could be made quickly and precisely, delivering measurable and repeatable results.

The installation includes 168 ArenaVision luminaires providing the main competition lighting, complemented by 16 UniFlood Flat luminaires that add additional flexibility. The luminaires are paired with a DMX control system to enable immersive and adaptable lighting scenes that enhance sporting events and audience experiences while meeting the requirements of elite competition.

The new lighting provides excellent visibility for athletes and fully complies with the World Aquatics broadcast standards, helping the venue maintain its status as a top destination for televised sporting events. Compared with the previous HID lighting system, the LED solution delivers significant energy savings of up to 60 percent when used in full capacity. The addition of DMX controls also gives venue operators greater flexibility to create engaging experiences for spectators and support a wider range of events.

Simon Wilkinson, Commercial Leader, Public UK, Signify, said: “The London Aquatics Centre first took its place on the world stage under Signify lighting in 2012. More than a decade later, we are proud to have been chosen once again to help future-proof this iconic venue with a new generation of lighting performance, flexibility, and energy efficiency that will support athletes, spectators, and broadcasters for years to come.”

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Britannia Quay sits on the north side of Roath Basin in Cardiff Bay, a location shaped by maritime history and ongoing port activity. Positioned close to the Senedd and overlooking active shipping routes, the quay combines historic character with a working waterfront environment.

When concerns were raised about the condition of the existing lighting, it became clear that a straightforward replacement would not be enough. Lanterns were ageing, some units had failed, and the original brackets showed clear signs of corrosion. The Estates team engaged the Highways Streetlighting team for guidance.

As the existing functional lighting columns passed the structural testing procedure, the lighting unit’s lantern and bracket became the main focus and the challenge quickly evolved.

As the original lanterns could not be sourced and their origins were unknown, a like-for-like replacement required careful consideration. The Ealing lantern provided a strong visual match, ensuring continuity across the quay.

Alongside the lantern upgrade, Acrospire designed and refurbished the existing brackets, restoring them to a structurally sound condition while retaining their distinctive form.

The original installation showed clear signs of age, with corrosion across the bracket and deterioration in the lantern housing. Rather than replace outright, the bracket assembly was re-engineered to improve structural integrity and long-term performance, resulting in a cleaner, more refined profile better suited to the coastal environment.

While the new lanterns offer a clear improvement in performance, the upgrade remains visually subtle, preserving the character of the quay without drawing attention to the intervention.

During the design phase, environmental considerations formed an important part of the scheme, particularly around the potential impact of light spill on bats and Cardiff Council’s Biodiversity Duty under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

As expected for the location, an ecologist identified common and soprano pipistrelles foraging and commuting alongside the dock. In response, the lighting design was adapted to help minimise potential impact on local wildlife while maintaining safe and effective illumination.

A key change was the move from Cardiff’s standard 3000K specification to 2700K, marking the first scheme of its kind in the city. Light spill contours were also carefully assessed during the design process. The lanterns already featured a directional spill bias towards the required areas, which performed positively during on-site evaluation.

Following this assessment, additional front and rear louvres were introduced to further reduce light spill onto surrounding areas and the adjacent waterway.

Together, these measures helped create a solution that balanced ecological considerations with operational and public safety requirements.

The lanterns operate via photocell control, providing a simple and reliable solution suited to the quay environment.

Manufactured in the UK using locally sourced materials, the Ealing lantern combines durability with a reduced carbon footprint. A marine-grade painted finish further supports long-term performance in this exposed coastal setting.

A key factor in the project’s success was the collaborative approach between the Highways team and Acrospire, building on an established working relationship.

The upgrade delivers a clear improvement in both performance and reliability. The transition from SON to LED reduces energy consumption while providing more consistent light output across the quay.

Feedback from both the client and local residents has been positive, with the new lighting integrating seamlessly into its surroundings while delivering a noticeable uplift in quality and performance.

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