Harahan Bridge - Big River Crossing, Memphis, Tennessee | 2016 

Lighting Design: Philips Lighting
Client: Downtown Memphis Commission
Electrical Contractor: Koontz Electric Company, Inc.
Lighting Design: Philips Lighting
Electrical Contractor: Koontz Electric Company, Inc.
Architect: Modjeski & Masters
General Contractor: OCCI, Inc.
Technical Consultant: Allen & Hoshall
Acknowledgments: Union Pacific Railroad
• United States Coast Guard
• City of Memphis TN
• Crittenden County AR
• Big River Strategic Initiative

Lighting design for a 100 year old active rail bridge and bike-pedestrian path.

The volume of this massive structure was revealed whilst not interfering with rail traffic. Attention was paid to maintaining the driver’s night vision and signal visibility. Challenge was to ensure the visibility of the dark structure at distance. Careful selection of a single colour which can go through series of subtle changes in intensity reflecting surrounding. Colourful dynamic patterns programmed to commemorate special events, holidays and important civic causes.

The owners required no physical attachment to the original structure. All lighting had to come from the new cycle path. Challenge was to reveal the 3 dimensional nature of the bridge from a single mounting position. Continuous lines of light with different beam angles ensured light would reach into the structure.

A dynamic algorithm makes light move naturally along the bridge as a translation of the behaviors of the Mississippi River.

Linear runs of Graze units eliminate shadowing from the complicated truss structure, allowing the maximum amount of light to reach the inner trusses. A line on the face of the new walkway creates solid base to the concept. Astronomical and real time triggering allows scheduling while sensor inputs allow for disabling the lighting system for rail and barge traffic.

The control system interfaces with a cloud-based connected lighting system for remotely monitoring, managing, and maintaining the architectural lighting installations. Historical analysis and reporting tools offer insight into system operations and can be used to upload new dynamic content.