Magic Monkey
2005
Products: Versa TUBE
Designer: Magic Monkey

Every morning and evening, Magic Monkey's living architecture project for Electrabel's Power Station in Drogenbos, Belgium comes alive. Thousands of people driving by the power station every day are treated to a visual feast of color in motion.

Since December 9, 2005, the massive tower has been illuminated via the unique corseted design and placement of 8,032 individually controllable RGB LED pixels within Element Labs' half-meter Versa TUBEs . With 57 light lines, the dynamic lighting has become an integral part of the tower's architecture.

As specialists in interactive monumental communication, Magic Monkey is well versed in unique and innovative designs, large projects and infrastructures and state-of-the art technological applications. So not only did Magic Monkey came up with the vision for the tower, the company spent months handling all of the project management from the initial planning to the electrical installation to the creation and maintenance of the visual content. Their "vertical technicians" rappelled down the tower and drilled holes into the concrete for the brackets that hold the TUBEs, and ran all the cables.

"It required a lot of infrastructure," explains Claas Ernst of Element Labs. "The way they put it together is very impressive."

Magic Monkey has created a sophisticated animation around the cooling tower by operating each LED separately and adjusting the intensity. This allows them to create all the colors of the rainbow - and to change the colors up to 30 times per second. For control, the company is using 2 Element Labs Versa Drive D2 processors and an Apple Computer Mac mini with Element Labs' Versatility software for playback.

"With this set up, they can remotely change content from their office," Ernst explains. "There is also a web cam, so this live access makes content changes and interaction very comfortable."

The cooling tower is the third Magic Monkey collaboration with Electrabel that features products from Elements Labs. Electrabel is part of the Suez group, one of Europe's largest energy producer and distributor, so as a way of interacting directly with their customers, the company commissioned Magic Monkey who defined and created a Living Architecture theme. Its Antwerp headquarters has a staircase with a glass facade, where Magic Monkey positioned four rows of 21 Versa TUBEs each behind the glass.

Four parallel lines of light in constant movement within the stairwell give a contemporary aspect to the high-rise office block designed in 1959 by the architects Hugo Van Kuyck and Leon Stynen. The display is 21 meters high and is made up of 4,032 LEDs.

Also, in Electrabel's Ghent building, glowing animated light made up of Versa TUBEs surrounding the monumental entrance to this modern building (built in 1999) invites a fresh look at the classic facade conserved from 1855. Magic Monkey added a push -button in front inviting passers-by to trigger a different light show at a touch, reflecting Electrabel's slogan "You've got the Energy".

"However monkey our designs and specifications are, Claas Ernst of Element Labs is always there, hanging from the tallest branch and ready to leap as far as possible. Claas Ernst and Element Labs are true professionals with a passion to please...and at Magic Monkey, we are truly delighted by our collaboration and look forward to pushing the limits of monumental light installations for years to come" says Marc Largent of Magic Monkey.