Netherlands - Eindhoven – The Light Needle

1. Netherlands - Eindhoven – The Light Needle

2. As of the 21st of 2009, at the opening of the light year 2010, Eindhoven owns a new landmark. State of the art design, structural engineering and lighting technology are compressed to an imposing icon for ‘the city of light’. Towering 50 meters over one of the six crossings on the ring road, the needle is an important landmark that defines the city fabric. Shifting slowly in color the 300 led-modules form a beacon. On special occasions the needle will run an appropriate light program and as such will act as a mirror for city happenings. Slow random patterns of both color and intensity will provide a modest but imposing spectacle. Combining art, efficiency and technology the needle reflects all that ‘the city of light’ Eindhoven stands for. The needle is made out of steel plates facetted in 24 folds to a tapered mast. The mast itself is 40 meters high and divided into4 transportable segments. The segments are fitted with the led modules and bolted together to form the actual mast. The mast is placed on a joint to 4 ‘legs’ of 15 meters which are divided in 2 segments. The 4 legs are placed over the split-level junction so that traffic can pass underneath. A street light integrated in the joint will light the street below. Small tensioned cables attached to the mast and legs prevent excessive flexing of the top of the mast. The joint is clad with composite panels which continue the segment lines from mast to legs. The transition from mast to legs is smooth to reduce pollution. A central theme in designing the structure. The white off-shore coating on both steel and composite provides unison in appearance.300 led-modules are placed in the top 3 segments of the mast. The led-modules form a random pattern that is denser to the topwhere they are the most effective. Defects in the led-modules that may appear over time will not be visible in this randompattern. The led-modules are clustered in groups of 12 and placed like ‘light clouds’ around the mast and as such adding tothe random effect. The lighting program runs slow shifting cycles of both color and intensity based on prime numbers so that repetition of the same pattern is avoided. Thematic programs are run on special occasions like Christmas, New Year and the championship for PSV the local soccer team. As such the needle is integrated in the life of the city