Lighting Design at Award-Winning Airport Pays Tribute to Province’s Logging History

A Light Image2 LR 1

October 12, 2022

Vancouver International Airport has been recognized by Skytrax™ as the Best Airport in North America for a record 12 years in a row. Indeed, one of the elements that contribute to its success is its carefully curated architecture, design, and artwork, which reflect the heritage and landscape of British Columbia. Its core theme, “Sense of Place,” draws on the motifs of land, sea, and sky throughout the terminals.

Renovation of the airport’s international departure area, known as Pier D, stayed true to this theme. It introduced, among other things, an exterior atrium with live hemlock trees and a nature-inspired digital experience.

Kasian Architecture was responsible for interior design and planning, and WSP was brought in as consultants for several elements, including lighting. The WSP lighting team replaced the original fluorescent technology with A-Light’s Atom linear LED luminaires.

Various patterns of Atom are suspended across the vast ceiling in a seemingly random pattern. In four, eight and 12-foot lengths, identical sizes are never side-by-side. The pendants are also suspended at various angles and heights – from 3.5 meters to 5 meters above the floor – but all luminaires’ pivot points rest at the same elevation.

“The Atom linear fixtures are meant to emulate a log jam,” explained Michael Graham, principal and senior lighting designer at WSP. “Logging has been an integral part of BC’s roots, and historically the lumber industry transported logs by floating them down the nearby Fraser River.”

 

A Light Image3 LR 1

 

Beyond the striking aesthetic, the luminaires provide uniformly lit direct illumination down to the passenger walkways and seating areas and indirect illumination up to the 8-meter ceilings. Because of Atom’s HE Tech™ lens’ performance and the efficiency of the luminaires, Graham was able to minimize the number of fixtures required, which enhanced the overall design.

A-Light customized the Atom housing aesthetic; each length is designated green, turquoise, or purple, to match the airport’s signature color scheme.

“At 3.5” in diameter, the Atom luminaires are much slimmer than the original fluorescent fixtures,” said Graham. “But because the indirect lens is quite narrow, while delivering the significant Lambertian distribution that we needed to illuminate the high ceiling, there is still enough fixture housing visible to show off the tubes’ unique colors.”

Floor-to-ceiling glass windows bring significant daylight into the space on a sunny day. All fixtures, therefore, feature dimming capability and are automatically adjusted to adapt to the time of day, weather, and season. This contributes to the passenger experience while reducing energy costs.

 

A Light Image4 LR 2

 

Graham selected 3500K temperature for the luminaires to ensure passengers are comfortable in the space and can enjoy activities such as reading as they await an evening flight.

Vancouver airport’s team can anticipate reduced maintenance time and costs with the longer-life LEDs in Atom. And because the fixtures are fully enclosed, relative to the original fluorescent technology, dust and dirt will also be less of a concern.

“The Atom luminaires are fantastic,” Graham said. “We enhanced the original lighting concept and design by using newer technology in a very attractive fixture. We now have plans to specify Atom in other phases of the airport renovations.”

PROJECT NAME: Vancouver International Airport – Pier D

LOCATION: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

PROJECT COMPLETION: March 2021

ARCHITECT: Kasian Architecture

LIGHTING DESIGN: WSP

AGENT: Symmetry Lighting

PHOTOGRAPHY: Martin Knowles Photo/Media

Related Articles


Changing Scene

  • Luminis Wins Two 2024 Product Innovation Awards

    Luminis is pleased to announce its Syrios Pro family and Jaki luminaires have each received a 2024 Product Innovation Award from Architectural Products magazine. The PIA program was created to celebrate the ground-breaking products, systems, and materials that help architects achieve new levels of creativity or performance in their design. Each entry is reviewed by… Read More…

  • NEMRA Announces Jeff Bristol as Vice President of the Newly Formed NEMRA Lighting Division

    The National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA) is proud to announce the appointment of Jeff Bristol as Vice President of the newly formed NEMRA Lighting Division. Jeff Bristol most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for MaxLite, where he was responsible for developing and executing sales and marketing strategies across multiple… Read More…


Design

  • Project Story: Sainte-Thérèse High School Outdoor Lighting Upgrade

    Project Story: Sainte-Thérèse High School Outdoor Lighting Upgrade

    August 6, 2024 Built in 1980, the building that houses Sainte-Thérèse high school, in Quebec Canada, was looking a little worse for the wear. Renovation work began with two major projects: introducing a multidisciplinary sports centre, as well as redesigning the parking lots.  The employee and visitor parking lots were completely reconfigured during phase 1… Read More…

  • Resilience Illuminated: Reviving Westminster Pier Park After Devastating Fire

    Resilience Illuminated: Reviving Westminster Pier Park After Devastating Fire

    In September 2020, the picturesque city of New Westminster near Vancouver in British Columbia suffered a devastating setback when an intentionally set fire destroyed much of the city’s waterfront park, including its urban beach, sand volleyball courts, and iconic art installation known as Wow Westminster. The fire, which burned for ten days before firefighters could… Read More…


New Products

  • SATCO|NUVO: Lacey Collection LED Smart Color-Changing Pendants

    SATCO|NUVO: Lacey Collection LED Smart Color-Changing Pendants

    The Lacey LED pendant collection combines sophisticated design with the advanced functionality of STARFISH Smart technology. Featuring beautiful lead free bubble crystal, these fixtures create a stunning interplay of light, texture, and color. Each bubble sparkles with vibrant hues, while traditional white tones, ranging from warm to natural light, offer a more classic lighting option.… Read More…

  • Contact Delage: New Ketra Lighting by Lutron – Make Your Clients Feel the Vibe

    Contact Delage: New Ketra Lighting by Lutron – Make Your Clients Feel the Vibe

    In a world where light plays a central role in architecture and design, Ketra Lighting by Lutron redefines how we illuminate spaces and influence emotions. With its unique approach and advanced capabilities, Ketra Lighting transforms every residential or commercial project into an immersive and personalized experience. Ketra Lighting stands out with its revolutionary technology, where… Read More…