The Tornado Tower
The Tornado Tower
September 2023,
The Tornado Towers, a remarkable skyscraper in Doha, mark their presence not only in the city but also throughout Qatar as a whole. They serve as both a commercial space in the West Bay business district and an exceptional example of imaginative art brought to life. The towers offer an eye-catching view of the city and the Arabian Gulf. The Tower’s appearance becomes even more spectacular after dusk, as the kinetic light sculpture, boasting over 35,000 variations of lighting patterns, creates an impressive visual spectacle.
Creation was enlisted to manage the lighting control system at the Tornado Dune Plaza, a recent extension of the Tornado Tower. Concurrently, the original lighting system at Tornado Towers underwent an upgrade to provide various features, including an easier programming process to facilitate the creation of new effects in the future.
Creation takes pride in its association with the synchronized and spectacular lighting effects of the Tornado Tower and Tornado Dune Plaza.
The Tornado Tower, located in Doha and completed in 2008, was constructed by a collaborative team of German and Qatari architects. Rising to 54 floors, each level offers breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the city and the Arabian Gulf. The tower’s lofty and graceful design is aptly named due to its distinctive twisted structure, resembling the spiral movement of a whirlwind or tornado.
Recently, Tornado Tower expanded with the addition of Tornado Dune Plaza. Glare Lighting, the lighting designer, enlisted Creation to supply, test, commission and oversee the installation of lighting control systems for Tornado Dune Plaza. Simultaneously, the existing control system for Tornado Towers was upgraded and harmoniously integrated to work in tandem with the new system.
The utilized products include Traxon’s e:cue Butler S2, a DMX engine that operates either in standalone mode to replay and loop previously uploaded lighting shows, or as a DMX output device controlled by another e:cue server with an e:net connection. Programming is accomplished using a PC or the e:cue Lighting Control Engine running the e:cue software suite. Another product from Traxon employed in the project is the SYMPL DMX Node, a user-friendly and dependable interface solution for e:cue lighting control systems with SYMPHOLIGHT integration.
Light pollution
Light pollution, stemming from excessive outdoor artificial lighting, poses a global challenge impacting human health, wildlife behavior, and our stargazing experiences. Affecting over 80% of the world’s population with its sky glow, it disrupts natural body rhythms in both humans and animals, leading to sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm confusion. This issue also alters animal behaviors, including migration patterns, sleep-wake cycles, and habitat formation. To combat these effects, individuals can contribute by using outdoor lighting only when necessary, ensuring proper shielding to prevent light dispersion upward, and maintaining indoor darkness through the use of window blinds, shades, and curtains at night.
