Sunderland Train Station, owned by Network Rail has undergone an amazing 7 million pound refurbishment, with the main feature being an award winning 144m long glass block wall & an interactive lighting feature that is a very unique virtual platform filled with passengers shadows.
Glass Block Technology advised & worked for Sadler Brown architects, & Jason Bruges studio designed the lighting feature, to create the inspiring, life like effect of people walking up & down the platform.
The glass block selected was the 190x190x80mm La Rochere Clear Cross Reeded, constructed with Rods & Mortar, fixed in to stainless steel framing using panel anchors. Each bay was approximately 3m high & 3m wide. Each horizontal joint was double reinforced with 6mm diameter stainless steel reinforcement bars, calculated for wind loading that could be created by the vacuum caused, if trains passed through platform 5 at high speed.
Lighting Effect:
The 3m tall glass block wall in the underground train station has been turned into a large low-resolution video matrix (755×15 pixels). Behind the wall is a disused platform, which long ago used to see passengers waiting for trains. Now the tracks are long gone and the old platform is hidden from view, we have created ghostly characters that appear behind the glass wall opposite passengers waiting for the trains.
The warm white string LED solution is a versatile strand of 15 individually controllable white light LED nodes. The durable, flexible form allows for dynamic points of white light to be installed across nearly any interior or exterior surface, including walls, ceilings, floors, three-dimensional sculptures, and set pieces.
The lighting installation is the centrepiece of the new station and features shadow figures walking back and forth along the platform, mimicking the passengers waiting on the platform. Installation of the Philips Colour Kinetics fixtures, carried out by LX Engineering, and assisted by Architainment’s Technical Services team, proved challenging as the station had to comply with LSOH cabling, and the ever-changing temperature of thestation made this difficult.