When athletes walk through the Olympic Village in Paris or enter the stadium in the coming weeks, high-tech, sustainable lights made by a small Australian company will light their way.
Planet Lighting, based in Bellingen, a small town on the north coast of New South Wales, was chosen to manufacture the lights for part of an interactive installation that will become a permanent fixture in the French capital.
The company has supplied 1,800 LED luminaires, known as pucks; 800 have been placed in the village and another 800 light up a ramp between the village and the main stadium.
Planet Lighting director Mia Iggulden said landing the opportunity to supply lights for the Olympics had been exciting for the 50-strong team.
“Security measures in [the Olympic] The site was very strict, so we made them here in Bellingen, shipped them and… [they’re] “Working perfectly,” he said.
ABC Sport I will be live blogging every day of the Paris Olympics starting July 27th.
The lights on the stadium walkway represent the 800 medals that will be awarded at the games.
Each light has a QR code and after the Olympics, medal winners will have their details uploaded so fans can scan the code and access their biography.
Puck lights also play an important role in preventing light pollution.
“We have a saying: ‘This record gives us light where it is needed,'” Iggulden said.
“It is an asymmetric light reflector that provides a path for photons to shine downward.
“This means that no lights are switched on, which is very important for France because of the need for a dark sky.”
(ABC Coff Coast: Jasmine Kassis)
A new theme in the world of lighting.
Ms Iggulden said more of her customers wanted lights that did not artificially impact surrounding wildlife or the environment.
“It’s a new issue in the lighting world because many cities have big problems because you can’t see the stars,” he said.
“To get that more natural feel, the light needs to be dimmed… you don’t need the light to hit the trees where the wildlife is sleeping.”
Emrah Baki Ulas, a professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture and Design, said awareness of the importance of well-designed outdoor lighting had grown in recent decades.
In June this year, Sydney’s Palm Beach promontory became the First urban dark sky site in the southern hemisphere.
Dr Ulas said it was an example of how lighting could be used consciously in urban areas.
“The lighting of the promontory was enhanced or ‘degraded’ if you will, beautifying and enhancing the night landscape using warm tones,” he said.
“We are starting to see these standards mentioned more, but there is room for improvement.”
After lighting the Paris Olympics, Ms Iggulden hopes to continue the partnership.
“We look forward to hosting the Brisbane Olympics in 2032,” he said.
“We’re excited to see what the future holds.”