Quiet Time • Controls Awards • New Prez
A sculpture dedicated to quiet reflection makes a powerful statement on the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City, NJ. Standing approximately 80-ft tall, 41-ft long and 28-ft wide, “Water’s Soul” is visible at night from both the New York and New Jersey sides of the river.
Developers LeFrak and Simon companies tapped artist Jaume Plensa to create the provocative white statue for his ability to “convey a collective hope for humanity’s future.” Made of polyester resin, fiberglass and marble dust, “Water’s Soul” depicts a woman with closed eyes holding a finger to her lips in a state of silent contemplation and self-reflection. It is the neighborhood’s first public art installation by an international artist. Plensa says, “Water is a marvelous metaphor; one drop of water is quite alone, like a single person, but many drops can create a tidal wave or immense rivers and oceans, much like individual people come together to create community, exchange ideas and build something incredibly powerful.”
To make sure the sculpture would not get lost at night among the busy skylines, the design team from Focus Lighting illuminated the piece without blocking or detracting from any of its views. “The design intent was for the sculpture to reflect the nature around it,” says Brett Andersen, principal lighting designer for Focus, “so we wanted to follow the colors of sunset and moonlight in our lighting scheme. We determined that an RGBW quad chip was required to achieve these subtle colors without creating color shadows due to the intricate details and the unique shape of the sculpture. We also needed appropriate lighting to withstand the harsh conditions near the water.”
The luminaires selected (Acclaim) would also need to provide excellent color mixing capabilities with field-replaceable lens optics to facilitate easy adjustments. In addition, the design team wanted a solution that would accommodate multiple fixture sizes and lumen outputs. High-output fixtures were required for pole-mounted fixtures, while a second fixture type was specified for tight areas. Both LED floodlight fixtures are IP66 rated for wet locations and operate between -40 to 125 deg Fahrenheit. To view a project video, go to https://waterssouljc.com/#video-gallery