Published on: August 5, 2009

Focus Lighting from New York, NY send us an unusual project. A lighting design for rides at the iconic Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen (DN) is an exciting challenge.

Here is what Focus Lighting have to say about their project:

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We designed the lighting for 3 traditional rides at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.  Our goal for each ride was to have a person who was looking at it from afar feel the same sense of movement and excitement that someone riding it would experience.  To achieve that, we illuminated the rides in a way that was evocative of the movement of the ride itself.  The patron’s experience is interactive and unique.  Energy-efficient LEDs were used for the first time at this historic landmark to lessen maintenance needs and increase programming possibilities.

The iconic Himmelskibet, or Star Flyer, is the world’s tallest carousel at 80 meters.  It has one tall spire with twelve spinning arms and is entirely lit by LED & Metal Halide Projectors.  The movement of the arms utilizes light to accentuate the fluid movements of the ride.  To achieve a stimulating sense of motion from every view, Osram 1 watt LEDs, in clusters of three, were integrated in the bottom of each of the twelve swinging bucket chairs.  As the carousel spins, the varied speed changes whether the light points resemble lazy shooting stars or swirling comets. Color-changing LED strings line the 12 arms, creating a spinning web of vibrant 3-D patterns.  As the carousel moves up and down, Metal Halide Projectors create a shifting vertical pattern of light on the tower that adds a rich background to the overall image.  Finally, a globe at the top of the towering structure integrates LED light strings to cap off the impressive structure.  It stands out in Copenhagen’s skyline, creating a defining symbol for Tivoli Gardens.

The second ride completed is the Demon, a ruby red rollercoaster that is striking during the daytime but is even more prominent in the nocturnal sky.  A light string that has 1 watt LEDs every 12 inches stretches over one mile of track helping the menacing ride make its presence known.  A motion sensor that is adhered to the structure recognizes that the cart has started moving on the track and assigns that cart a specific color of light for the duration of the ride.  After passing by the next pair of sensors, the control system calculates the speed of the cart and adjusts the speed of the colored light trail accordingly.  It is always in sync no matter how its speed changes because the five pair of sensors that detect the cart’s variable such as speed and weight.  The park is lit with clear globe lamps on a string and our modern design’s LED nodes have domed and translucent lenses to stay true to Tivoli’s iconic design.  At night the Demon’s luminous reflection shimmers in the lake in front of the ride, increasing the drama with a sparkling mirror image of motion across the surface of the water.

Scheduled to be completed in spring of 2010 is the Golden Tower. It too will display a sequence of timed events during the course of the ride to accentuate the exhilarating motion.  Bands of light follow the ascent of the chairs as they travel to the top of the tower.  When the rider reaches the summit, the lights snap out and the featured chairs’ integrated accents of Color Kinetics White ColorBlasts kick on.  For moment, the chairs hover suspended in space, and then plummet back towards earth in a dramatic flourish.

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Note of the editor:

Please note the copyright of these images is retained by Focus Lighting and the photographer Allan Toft. Use of those images is subject to them being used for this article only. Publication of any image in any form or fashion must include a credit for both Focus Lighting and the photographer.