Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge

The gateway to Tampa Bay is the four-mile long (6.7km), 430 feet (131m) high, Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This flagship bridge has undergone the installation of a new lighting design unlike any other in the world. This dynamic lighting achievement, designed by HLB Lighting Design using Lumenpulse luminaires, stands as an inspiration for residents and visitors of the Tampa Bay area.

The HLB Lighting Design's installation of Lumenpulse Lumenbeam luminaires has created a stunning visual aesthetic while also enhancing the safety and security by providing more light to the underside of the bridge where there is a large navigational channel and plentiful small watercraft traffic. The lighted section includes the sloped approach and main span of the bridge, totalling1.7 miles (2.7km).

The faces of all columns within this section are floodlit by Lumenbeam luminaires mounted to the underside of the box girders. The luminaires wash the entire height of each column (which range from approximately 25 ft, 7.5m to 180 ft, 55m) while fading out as they begin to reach the water line. "Having the multiple optics is what has attracted us to Lumenpulse," said Elizabeth Johnson, Senior Associate at HLB Lighting Design, Another aspect that drew HLB Lighting Design to Lumenpulse was "the excellent custom aiming bracket," said Johnson, "allowed continuous adjustments of over a forty degree range, so, when we're dealing with a structure that's already built, we can adjust the luminaires accordingly. It gave us the flexibility we needed for adding to an existing structure."

The dynamic programmable scenarios focus on motifs that are important to the people of the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg area. The Lumenbeam luminaires on each pier and the necklace lights on the box girder are individually controlled. This in turn allows for highly kinetic programs such as a "Verdant Green" scene which echoes the sway of palm trees, or the "Warm Gateway" scene that symbolizes welcoming cruise ships and visitors to Tampa Bay. During exciting celebrations, firework-like scenes enliven the bridge, while more earnest scenes are put into effect to commemorate and memorialise various events and national happenings.

With all the variance in dynamic scenes and motifs, visitors and locals alike are often awed by the display. This is easily measurable by the bridge's continued presence across social media platforms. Thanks to Lumenpulse luminaires and HLB Lighting Design's phenomenal work, the already well-established Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge has become even more iconic.

EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED
534 x Lumenbeam XLarge (Narrow Spot, RGBW)
548 x Lumenbeam XLarge (Very Narrow, RGBW)
225 x Lumenbeam Grande (Narrow Spot, RGBW)
112 x Lumenbeam Grande (Narrow Flood, RGBW)