Traveling Light Signify’s LED system for the new Mactan-Cebu International airport goes beyond the basics to deliver a resort-like atmosphere

LIGHTING

Traveling Light

Signify’s LED lighting system for the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 goes beyond the basics to deliver the appropriate atmosphere for a ‘resort airport’

Written by Nick Ramos Photographed by Patrick Kasingsing

Night view of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2, taken from the bridgeway leading to the terminal building. As of writing, this much-anticipated project has opened for international use.

A vast piece of infrastructure such as an airport needs an equally vast system of lighting to keep the building functioning optimally and all its

users, travellers and workers alike, happy and safe. BluPrint talked to Jagan Srinivasan, country manager for lighting solution providers Signify, about the task of illuminating Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s new Terminal 2 and how this helps guide travelers on their journey, while complementing the building’s bold design.

New model terminal

Projected to accommodate 4 million international passengers per year, the newly opened Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 features a modular GHVLJQDQGOLQHDUFRQ௕JXUDWLRQWKDWZRXOGUHDGLO\IDFLOLWDWHIXWXUHH[SDQVLRQ WRDFFRPPRGDWHWKHPLOOLRQLQWHUQDWLRQDOWUDYHOOHUVDQWLFLSDWHGLQWKHQH[W ten years. As the airport is in constant operation, its lighting design needed to EDODQFHQDWXUDODQGDUWL௕FLDOLOOXPLQDWLRQRYHUHDFKKRXUF\FOH%XLOWWRFRSH with burgeoning demand for air travel to and from Cebu City, the hub around which the entire Visayas revolve, the new terminal building is housed beneath an undulating roof supported by glue-laminated timber Y-shaped pillars. Skylights that run the length of the roof ridges, glass curtain walls that delineate the plan of the terminal, as well as the use of ETFE in select areas allow for the use of natural OLJKWLQJWREHPD[LPL]HGWKURXJKRXWWKHEXLOGLQJ7KHGD\OLJKWWKDWVWUHDPVLQWR the terminal through these openings create a moving play of light and shadow on interior surfaces. 7KHQHZWHUPLQDOZDVGHVLJQHGE\+RQJ.RQJEDVHGGHVLJQ௕UP,QWHJUDWHG Design Associates Ltd. (IDA) and airport planning consultant Ove Arup and Partners in collaboration with local architect-of-record Albert Yu of ASYA Design as well as interior designer Budji Layug, architect Royal Pineda, and industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue. MCIA Terminal 2 sits on a 5-hectare site south of the old terminal and control tower.

Licensed to Illuminate

Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) has, by means of judicious illumination, EHHQWUDQVIRUPLQJPRQXPHQWVIDFDGHVEULGJHVEXLOGLQJVDQGRWKHUVLJQL௕FDQW landmark infrastructures in more than 100 countries for the last 125 years. MCIA Terminal 2 is now one of the most recent in a long line of monuments that include Nhұt Tân Bridge and Dragon Bridge in Vietnam, the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge, London Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Golden Jubilee Bridge, WKH/RQGRQ(\HDQGWKH(PSLUH6WDWH%XLOGLQJDPRQJPDQ\RWKHUVWREHQH௕W from Philips LED technology.

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/LJKWLQJGHVLJQHUVIURP,'$SURYLGHG6LJQLI\ZLWKWKHOLJKWLQJVFKHPHEXWVSHFL௕HG SURGXFWVWKDWZHUHDYDLODEOH௕YH\HDUVSULRU$VWKH/('OLJKWLQJUHYROXWLRQKDGEHHQUDSLGO\ GHYHORSLQJLQWKHODVWWKUHH\HDUVWKHGHVLJQVSHFL௕FDWLRQVZHUHXSGDWHGE\/3,DQG3KLOLSV LQKRXVHOLJKWLQJGHVLJQHUVZLWKWKHQHZHVWDQGPRUHHௗFLHQWOXPLQDLUHVZKLOHPDLQWDLQLQJ the requirements originally set out in the design. 7KHH[WHQVLYHXVHRIJOXODPWKURXJKRXWWKHDUFKLWHFWXUHSURYHGDOWRJHWKHUFKDOOHQJLQJ to the lighting design team, whose task included choosing the appropriate lighting solutions from among the range in the product groups, to identifying how these luminaires are to be LQVWDOOHGDQGSRVLWLRQHGZLWKLQWKHXQLTXHULEEHGDQGXQGXODWLQJFHLOLQJVFDSH',$/X[WKH OHDGLQJVRIWZDUHIRUSODQQLQJFDOFXODWLRQDQGYLVXDOL]DWLRQRILQGRRUDQGRXWGRRUOLJKWLQJ proved invaluable in guaranteeing that the brightness and uniformity of the lighting design complies with international standards, and that their positioning and installation parameters DUHFDUHIXOO\H[HFXWHG7KLVUHVXOWHGLQDQDOO/('VWUXFWXUHZLWKDWRWDORI/(' lightpoints used throughout the airport.

LED practicality

Historically, many airports have regarded lighting as nothing more than a legacy burden, DQDQQXDOFRVWGUDLQRIWHQFRQVLGHUHGWRRH[SHQVLYH\HWWRRGLVUXSWLYHWRDGGUHVV7KHXVHRI LED technology throughout the project relegates this problem to the past at the very onset. With the system in place, Signify says that with a total energy consumption of 282KW, the airport will only spend roughly 10 million PHP a year on lighting costs.

Most of the Philips LED lighting solutions that are installed in the airport count for 50,000 hours of lifespan with a lumen output or brightness at 85% at the end of their rated life—a span of about 8 to 10 years depending on the area applications. These lighting solutions also require minimal maintenance as they are designed for longevity with long hours of operation regardless of location of installation.

Open walkway towards the main terminal entrance for departing passengers. The 89-meter link bridge is roofed with ETFE pillows to allow light in but keep out the rain with its tear and chemical resistant membrane. Opposite page: The terminal building’s signature curved Y-shaped pillars span 30 meters wide and soar 18 meters high. The supports are made out of glulam or glue-laminated timber from Austrian supplier Rubner Holzau who provided the airport with 4,500 m³ of glulam timber. Signify’s LED lighting system reduces the usual heat stress normal lighting imposes on wood, even moreso with the usage of hardwearing glulam.

The baggage claim hall rises two storeys high, with a ceiling finished with a slatted timber treatment. Gentle lighting calms down tired travelers while the blue accent lighting above the hall columns recall the sea, as well as provide a cool contrast with the wooden ceiling’s warm tones. Top: Swirling wood strips that mimic the curves of ocean waves undulate over the pre-departure duty-free shopping area. The combined area of the MCIA T2’s two duty free outlets is 1,200-square meters.

Bright dependability

Base illumination is the layer of lighting that provides general illumination throughout a building. In the case of Terminal 2, it is WDLORUPDGHWRRSWLPL]HWKHOX[OHYHOVEDVHGRQYDULRXVFHLOLQJKHLJKWVDW GL௔HUHQWORFDWLRQVRIWKHGHSDUWXUHDQGDUULYDODUHDV

The aim of Terminal 2’s interior lighting system was to make the overall H[SHULHQFHIRUDOOWUDYHOOHUVLQFOXGLQJPRPHQWVRIPRYHPHQWDQGVWLOOQHVV more enjoyable. Minimal walking distances and clear orientation were LGHQWL௕HGDVFUXFLDOIDFWRUV7KHV\VWHPZDVDOVRGHVLJQHGWRHFKRWKHSOD\ of daylight and, through variable light levels, smooth the transition from day LQWRQLJKWXVLQJ௕[WXUHVEXLOWLQWRWKHFHLOLQJXQGXODWLRQV %HQHDWKWKHURRIGL௔HUHQWOLJKWLQWHQVLWLHVDUHXVHGWRPDUNRXWJDWHV furniture, and signage. The idea is to help passengers move quicker WKURXJKWKHVSDFHPDNLQJWKHZKROHWHUPLQDOPRUHHௗFLHQWDQG FRPIRUWDEOHDQGJHQHUDOO\DLGLQJLQDKDVVOHIUHHWUDYHOH[SHULHQFH7KH design of the architectural lighting was meant to stimulate movement and enhance the sense of direction of the passengers, without compromising YLVXDOFRPIRUW/('֢VVXSHULRUOXPHQHௗFDF\KLJKFRORUUHQGHULQJ ability, relatively longer lifetime, and comfortable color temperature all SURYLGHFOHDUHUZD\௕QGLQJIRUSDVVHQJHUFLUFXODWLRQDQGJRRGH[WHUQDO DZDUHQHVVIRUSDVVHQJHUH[SHULHQFHV/LNHZLVHOLJKWLQJGHVLJQVDLGHGE\ ',$/X[ZHUHDSSOLHGLQVSHFL௕FDQGFULWLFDODUHDVWRLQIRUPWKHVHOHFWLRQ of appropriate lamps and luminaires that consume the least energy while still bringing about the best lighting conditions.

Getting the green light

The Cebu government and GMR saw how the power of LED lighting can go beyond energy savings that result from the long-running and HௗFLHQWODPSVDQGOXPLQDLUHV7KHQHHGWRDGRSWDQHQYLURQPHQWDOO\ sustainable business model has never been more critical and Philips LED lights do not only help bring that substantial amount of energy savings for Cebu, but also support sustainability while supporting the wellbeing of the environment.

With LED lighting, savings are made not only from the energy directly used by the lighting systems, but also from that of air conditioning systems as LED lighting products produce a lot less heat than other conventional lighting solutions.

A resort airport

%H\RQGWKHSUDFWLFDOOLJKWLQJUHTXLUHPHQWVRIDQLQWHUQDWLRQDO௖LJKW terminal, there were thematic intentions aligned with the idea of a “resort airport” that the designers wanted to realize.

As the term ‘resort’ especially in the context of a tropical location HYRNHVFHUWDLQH[SHFWDWLRQVWKHGHVLJQHUVLQYROYHGZLWKGL௔HUHQW aspects of the airport project sought to accentuate the ideas of all things tropical, be they serene or celebratory, in the various aspects of the structure—a motivation that has never been more true than in the case of the lighting designers and providers. While the glulam arches and timber ceiling provide the architecture with a structural lightness and openness of space, feature lighting was called upon to accentuate these aspects of the building. )HDWXUHOLJKWVDUHDFFHQW௕[WXUHVGHGLFDWHGWRUHQGHUWKHGHVLUHG mood or atmosphere which is unique to the spatial quality of these areas. The performance of the lighting in terms of evenness or uniformity proved a challenge not only to the quantity of luminaires, but also the positioning and the characteristics of the lamps, considering the complex repetition of the upturned boat-hull form of the ceiling. Ultimately, the lighting conditions were achieved that strategically create a pleasant ambience within the spaces that accentuate the sheltering warmth of the timber roof substructure.

Signify expresses the excitement of having worked on one of the biggest SURMHFWVLQWKHDUFKLSHODJRZLWKDGH௕QLWLYH lighting scheme of such massive scale and demanding attention to details, to bring out not only the atmosphere and ambiance, but also to celebrate the proud new architectural landmark.

With the illumination and sparkle provided by Signify, there is little doubt that compliments of a coronal nature will abundantly be garnered by the terminal as being truly worthy of the Queen city. Long may she reign.

Signify expresses the excitement of having worked on one of the biggest projects in the archipelago, with a definitive lighting scheme of such massive scale and demanding attention to details, to bring out not only the atmosphere and ambiance, but also to celebrate the proud new architectural landmark.

Workers performing finishing touches on the MCIA T2 pre-departure hall interiors before opening day, which was, at the time the photograph was taken, four days away.