Tbilisi TV Tower

Georgia

Tbilisi is a city that never stops surprising with its historic and cultural monuments, prestigious city landmarks, centuries-old churches and buildings mixed in a successful combination of old and modern architecture enhanced by an amazing natural landscape. Located atop Mount Mtatsminda, Tblisi TV tower is considered the symbol of the city and can be seen from all its main districts. Now still used for general communication and broadcasting purposes, the 274.5m/901 ft high tower was first built in 1955 and later replaced by a new structure, which lasts since 1972. The free-standing tower is operated by the Georgian Teleradiocenter. The communication systems installed in the control room at level 2 include regular broadcast, pager, cellular, commercial TV and amateur radio repeater transmissions even if the fast growing TV market development and the constantly increasing number of TV channels has recently caused their partial relocation to larger studios.

Year

2016

Lighting design

Alessandro Pederzani - GRIVEN

Credits

Lighting concept: Vladimir Golikov – GRIVEN
Control system programming: Alessandro Pederzani - GRIVEN

Product specification and installation

Vako Togonidze - Grato Light Ltd.

Pictures

Vladimir Golikov - GRIVEN

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
Tblisi city council has lately decided to provide the tower with a new and more effective lighting system based on LED fixtures in order to make it even more impressive and efficient at night. The official lighting requirements involved a highly dynamic colour changing scheme equipped with a vast choice of pre-programmed effects suitable for different social events, everyday lighting and public holidays. The lighting solution proposed by GRIVEN was aimed at delivering an even illumination to the metallic frame of the tower, made up of many beams and arms forming its 8 different levels. Each single metal part of the tower had to become perfectly visible at night from every point of view, lit up by a dynamic alternation of lively and bright colour scenes. After evaluating different proposals, GRIVEN’s project turned out to be the best and most complete solution.

PRODUCT INSTALLATION
83 Powershine S MK2 in RGBW colour configuration, 40 Parade S-RGBW-20, 23 Onyx Ultra Spot RGBW and 48 Jade 16 RGBW for a total of 194 powerful LED lighting fixtures have been located both on the ground around the basement and on the 8 different levels of the tower in order to evenly light up every single part of its skeleton through a meticulous aiming job. Custom fixing brackets have been welded onto the structure in order to allow a perfect fixture disposition.

In detail, 23 units of Onyx Ultra Spot in RGBW configuration have been installed at ground floor in order to light up with their ultra-narrow, sharp, long-shot beam the hardly reachable parts of the tower with amazing precision and even light distribution. Taking the lion’s share, 83 Powershine S MK2 RGBW with spot, elliptical or narrow optics according to the diverse lighting needs, have been mounted on each of the 8 levels and even at ground floor to complete the Onyx job. 40 units of Parade S-RGBW-20 have been fixed around the platform of level 2 at 77m from the ground in order to enhance this border with beautiful uniform shades. Moreover, 48 JADE 16 RGBW with extra wide optics were used at level 5 to enhance the upper crown of the tower, location of the control room, with dynamic spot lighting effects.

PROGRAMMING
Along with the fixtures, we have provided also a complete programming assistance with on-site mock-ups and final installation tests. The GRIVEN’s lighting designer in charge of the project, Alessandro Pederzani, took care of the design, based on the lighting concept conceived by Vladimir Golikov, and of the first mock-ups required to define the desired effects. Final on-site adjustments regarding the pre-programmed colour scenes and the fine-tuning of the fixtures pointing were also necessary to allow a perfect global functioning. Special programmes were required such as: dynamic rainbow colour scene, geometric colour changing, reproduction of national and foreign flags (of Italy to remember the cooperation with GRIVEN, and Lithuania to honor Freedom Defenders' Day Anniversary), New Year’s eve sparkling scheme, along with an alternation of fixed and dynamic colour changing effects. A particular mention goes to the difficult aiming job done for all the fixtures as not only all of them had to be carefully directed one by one, but also because the harsh weather conditions did not make it easier at all!

The symbol of the city looks now even more attractive than ever and everyone in Tblisi is very proud of this new attraction.