Project 8 - Large scale fibre optic star ceiling in Dublin's Heuston South Quarter.
Early in 2008 Starscape were on-site at a new mixed residential and commercial development at Dublin's Heuston South Quarter, having been commissioned to supply and install a large star ceiling in the underside of a bridge structure linking two tower blocks. The detailed design of the concept was already in place and Starscape's involvement in the design of the scheme was limited principally to technical considerations such as selection of suitable components - fibre types and sizes and light sources.
The underside or soffit of the structure was clad in a mixture of granite and polished black basalt with a recessed pattern representing some constellations - most recognisable of which was Gemini, with the two "stick figures" of the the twins Castor and Pollux. The brightest feature stars were created using bundled 25-strand and 50-strand fibre with lens fittings, while the background stars were single sheathed 1.5mm fibres.
Longest fibre runs were in the region of 20 metres since the light sources had to be located along one side of the bridge structure in order to allow ongoing access for maintenance. IP-rated 150 watt metal halide light sources were used to ensure that the stars would be sufficiently bright, even at the end of 20 metre runs. Since the design requirement was for a starry sky look, twinkle wheels were fitted to the light sources.
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| The bridge structure at the HSQ development in Dublin. Set against a black background, the stars are visible in daylight (top) but really come into their own as darkness falls (bottom). The two "stick figures" in the right hand side of the design represent the figures of Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini. |
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The fibre optic star ceiling feature adds interest to what is already an innovative architectural feature linking parts of the HSQ development. |