Øresund Bridge, Denmark

The Opportunity

Originally constructed in 1999 and opened in 2000, the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe, with a total length of more than five miles. The Øresund Bridge—an instantly recognizable landmark to worldwide viewers of the hit Nordic drama series The Bridge—is financed and operated by a joint-stock company owned by the Danish and Swedish governments. In 2020, the bridge’s operating company wanted to update its aging lighting solution with a more robust and vibrant lighting design in celebration of the bridge’s 20th anniversary.

The Solution

Øresund Bridge’s owners hired European architectural lighting consultants Light Bureau to update its aging lighting solution with a more robust and vibrant lighting design in celebration of the bridge’s 20th anniversary. Light Bureau appointed lighting designer Frederik Waneck Borello and project manager Henrik Rohde Nielsen as lead designers for the project. After conducting an extensive research and bidding process for suitable replacements, Borello and Nielsen collaborated with Swedish lighting provider LiteNordic to outfit the bridge with a cutting-edge Martin Professional architectural lighting solution. Light Bureau and LiteNordic selected Martin Exterior Wash 300 and Exterior Wash 310 fixtures for their unmatched output, long-lasting operation and increased energy efficiency.

Light Bureau installed a total of 128 Exterior Wash 310 and 64 Exterior Wash 300 fixtures to illuminate the iconic structure linking Malmö and Copenhagen. The Martin Exterior Wash 300 and 310 are both powerful, compact fixtures designed specifically to light up large structures, façades and bridges. LiteNordic and current Light Bureau lighting designer Anna Waernborg (formerly of Swedish engineering firm Sweco) previously utilized Exterior Wash fixtures in their award-winning collaboration for the Västerbron Bridge in Stockholm. The Exterior Wash 310 offers uniform color-mixing with quad-color premixed LEDs, while the Exterior Wash 300 utilizes separate LEDS for red, green, blue and white. Using Martin Exterior Wash fixtures enabled Light Bureau to design a wide range of unique looks to commemorate holidays and special occasions with custom lighting displays.

Architectural lighting solutions intended for public infrastructure are subject to demanding standards in regards to power consumption and maintenance costs. Martin Exterior Wash 300 and 310 fixtures both provide superior brightness with increased efficiency. The Martin lighting solution installed by Light Bureau consumes 80% less energy than the previous lighting fixtures, resulting in major savings for the bridge operators. In order to maximize the lifespan of the new solution, Martin Professional cooperated with LiteNordic and Light Bureau to provide detailed documentation and training materials, which will enable the suppliers to oversee all necessary testing and long-term maintenance procedures. This guarantees a maximum return on investment for the bridge operators that ensures the new Martin lighting solution will deliver stunning visuals far into the future.

The Impact

“The first time we showed the customers what this lighting installation is capable of, they were thrilled,” said Henrik Rohde Nielsen, Project Manager, Light Bureau. “I remember them jumping up and down in excitement, saying, ‘Yes, that’s it!’”

“Martin has a proven track record when it comes to large-scale projects like this,” said Mikkel Toksværd, Director of Business Development, Projects, Sales and Communication, LiteNordic. “For the lighting designers, it was important for the fixtures to deliver powerful output and uniform, responsive color mixing. For a project of this size and sophistication, the fixtures have to faithfully render the DMX programming, and the Martin Exterior Wash fixtures were able to reproduce Light Bureau’s dynamic designs with impressive precision and beautiful color. We’ve had very positive feedback and our clients are extremely happy with the result.”

“We’re seeing a rising demand for one-stop suppliers,” continued Toksværd. “For this project to succeed, we had to provide Light Bureau with everything they would need to complete the project from start to finish, including preparing our team for all future maintenance of the fixtures. On top of that, infrastructure projects such as the Øresund Bridge have to meet very strict requirements in regards to power consumption. This entire project was on a very accelerated timeline of a few months, whereas it’s normal for projects of this size to require a full year of planning.”

p.“Without Martin’s full transparency and global support, it would’ve been impossible to provide our clients with the technical information and training needed to ensure reliable operation for the next ten to fifteen years,” concluded Toksværd. “Martin really went above and beyond to provide us with all the relevant data in a transparent manner, including how the fixtures were tested, what types of materials are used, the availability of spare parts and educational information. This enables us to perform full onsite support and routine checkups that will guarantee a long lifespan of the lighting solution no matter the conditions—sea, snow or storm. When you get that level of partnership from a manufacturer, you know that you’re all in this together, and everybody involved is equally as proud of the project.”