Martin Lighting keeps Singapore Grand Prix on track

Singapore:

For the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, DZE Asia designed, delivered and managed the lighting and communication systems, as well as over track signage, while Illuminate Productions supported the lighting solution for the over track signage. The race ran across the stretch of the Marina Bay Street Circuit and marked the 18th round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship.

The Singapore Grand Prix is the first Formula 1 race night race, meaning that over the years the Marina Bay track's designers have had to illuminate its 5,000m lap length so that drivers could race as safely as they would during a daytime race. This year was no different, with DZE Asia tasked with supplying fixtures to light up the circuit which encompasses the areas of Downtown Core and Kallang. Illuminate Productions supported with lighting for the overhead billboards and sponsors’ logos along the track walls above the circuit. Lighting designers Muen Huang and Paul Collison aimed to create a dynamic and distinctive look for the cameras and, subsequently, for the millions of viewers watching the race on television.

DZE began preparing track lighting a few months before the Grand Prix; however, Illuminate Productions’ fixtures were only brought in two weeks before the event due to the streets still being used for day to day living before the area was closed five days before the event. Another challenge was that much of the signage and billboards along the track were not built until the circuit was closed, leaving the team with a limited amount of time to set up the lights, test them and troubleshoot potential issues.

“The biggest challenge we faced was the limited working hours,” noted Huang. “Since the racetrack is part of the city’s functional roads, we only had overnight windows to set up. On top of that, heavy rainfall posed a significant issue as there was limited shelter around the track. Thankfully, we came prepared with custom cases for our equipment and we were able to program everything from the back of our vehicles, which helped us keep the project on track despite the weather.”

Illuminate Productions supplied over 150 Martin Professional Martin Viper XIP fixtures, the company’s first major deployment of the luminaires. The system was controlled via an MA Lighting solution comprising one grandMA3 light console running on Mode 3, with a backup system of one grandMA3 on a PC command wing tracking back up and two remote stations running the command wing with a Mac Mini. The whole MA Lighting network was distributed by 16 two-port nodes over fibre across the entire track length back to the main control inside the pit building.

“This year we made a significant upgrade from manual fixtures to moving head lights,” concluded Huang. “In previous years, we faced issues with more light spillage and less targeted coverage, but using the moving heads has allowed for more precision. The boards looked evenly lit on TV and the consistency was greatly improved. One of the biggest advantages was the ability to make last-minute adjustments after the heavy rainfall, ensuring that the lights were perfectly positioned despite any shifts caused by the weather. Overall, the outcome was a major success and we’re really pleased with how it all came together.”