A convention center connects with light
Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) has been heralded as one of Asia's top convention centers. Since construction was completed in 2001, BEXCO has hosted various conventions, international conferences, and events. When owners wanted to update a footbridge connecting the convention center's two buildings, they turned to Color Kinetics LED solutions and designer Jaeha Lee, CEO of P2LEDcube, to provide a modern and unique design.
Lee and his team wanted to illuminate the footbridge with an LED lighting installation that could provide color-changing effects, creating a new landmark for the city and an awesome experience for BEXCO visitors. The team chose iColor Flex LMX (now specified with Flex Compact gen3, RGB), flexible strands of full-color LED nodes known for their ability to provide direct-view lighting designs with intense and vibrant colors.
Because Busan is located on the Korea Strait, Lee and his team required a lighting solution that could withstand the region's corrosive salt air. Although many LED lighting suppliers make ruggedness and reliability claims, only Color Kinetics could back them up with years of experience. "Many products explained their superiority in marine grade, but lacked actual construction experience; therefore, we decided to select the quality products of Color Kinetics," Lee said. Designers were also impressed with the easy-to-use software that allows simple commissioning and programming.
Strands of Flex were installed in evenly spaced columns on the exterior of the curving footbridge to achieve a one-of-a-kind lighting design. The lighting is visible from the sides, the bottom, and even the top of the structure. The installation can be controlled remotely, giving designers the freedom to create and modify their own custom light shows.
Designers worried that the intensely saturated lighting would produce unintended glare and disturb the residents of the neighboring high-rise buildings, but they discovered that the LED solution is easy on the eyes.
The installation has been successful in highlighting the popular convention center, and designers continue to improve the design and explore its full capabilities. "Currently, we are producing the content to express Busan City's production intentions. In the future, it will become another landmark of the region through even more advanced content," said Lee.
