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“Design a finish to the town bridge lighting column bases that provides interest and sparkle at street level. Use traditional materials in a contemporary manner. Create a feature that links the historic vernacular of the built form within the town with the flowing nature of the river Avon and the proposed new bridge handrails.”
Sometimes the design potential within a brief is not immediately apparent but when the brief is explored it surpasses the expectations of those that issued it.
When North Wiltshire District Council issued this brief to Landscape Architect/Designer, Mark Harris, it couldn't have foreseen the opportunities that would unfold. The final proposal combined the use of simply detailed Ashlar Bath stone cladding with back-lit stainless steel feature panels inset into the front face of each column base – these being designed to reflect the dynamics of the river and the sinuous forms of the proposed new handrails. The panels were to be illuminated from the rear for visual interest during the hours of darkness.
The thickness of the Ashlar cladding restricted space available for installing lighting elements behind the flush panel to just 63mm. Mark Harris found that EncapSulite were the only manufacturer who could supply a simple, economic and suitable face mounted coloured lighting unit that would fit within the space, whilst still providing an even diffused light across the total area at the rear of the panel. The required fitting also had to be appropriate for external use and vandal resistant. The product chosen being MT50 from EncapSulite's IP68 rated waterproof fluorescent range, combined with Sky Blue coloured sleeves. MT50 uses the latest T5 technology and has a built-in reflector for maximum light output. The fitting also incorporates a quick release power supply, enabling speedy lamp replacement. Instant start and flicker free performance is guaranteed with the use of a power efficient HF electronic ballast. Supplied with stainless steel mounting clips, MT50 is available in either 110 or 230v versions and lengths from 398mm to 1558mm.
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