Official estimates place the number of lights involved in the show at 1.5m. This year another 14 fixtures were added to the holiday mix, in the form of COLORado 4 IP LED linear washes from Chauvet Professional, provided by AMP'D Entertainment.
Although 14 fixtures might not seem like much compared to 1.5 million points of light, the COLORados had an outsized impact on Coeur D 'Alene's festivities since they were illuminating the city's tallest (by number of stories) structure, The Parkside Building. The COLORados were permanently positioned around the building earlier in 2015 to decorate it in richly colored light, not only during the holidays, but throughout the year.
Towering over the city's downtown, The Parkside Building includes three floors of upscale retail establishments and 17 floors of luxurious condominiums. Aside from offering well-heeled residents unparalleled views of the lake, the orange-tinted tower has also become a local landmark since it was completed in 2008. The most prominent building in town, it can be seen from virtually anywhere in Coeur D 'Alene. For many the tower, which was originally planned as a nine story structure but was more than doubled in size to meet the demand for condos, serves as a directional reference point (as in "it's three blocks north of Parkside") as well as a source of community pride.
The COLORado 4 IPs encircle the 65m high rectangular concrete structure to bathe it on all sides in rich and realistic RGBW colours that will vary depending on the time of year, local events or holidays. Often multiple colours will appear on the building, such as red, white and blue for the Fourth of July.
Positioned above the building's second story retail level, the 40-watt fixtures, which have 15-degree lenses, possess enough throw distance to reach the top of the tower with ease. Extending out 1.5ft from the building, the IP66 rated COLORados are mounted on customized bracket structures that conceal the cabling, which connects to power sources in the second floor.
"The project went off very smoothly and everyone seems very happy," said Justin Hass, founder and general manager of AMP'D Entertainment. "The Parkside Building is a prominent structure in town. There's a good feeling that comes from knowing our lights have helped it connect to the community in new ways during the holidays and at other times of year."
(Jim Evans)
