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IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
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The Tuscan idyll that tourists sigh over has a makeover in timefor F-Light
talian-based Cree has collaborated with Italian lighting utility company, Silfi, and the Municipality of Florence to illuminate the historical, and beautiful Florentine Oltrarno district. According to Silfi, the lighting installation will deliver an estimated 55 per cent energy saving compared to the high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps previously installed - and of course it also showcases the area’s historical beauty. In conjunction with the Firenze Light Festival (F-LIGHT), 31 specially designed Cree 304 Series LED luminaires were installed to brighten the areas of Borgo San Jacopo, Via de’ Barbadori, and Via de’ Bardi. ‘Aiming to combine technology, beauty and energy savings, the second edition of F-LIGHT required the creation of 13 important projects, including the high quality and efficient illumination of many historically
important masterpieces and districts of the city, helping to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Recognition of Unesco,’ said Simone Tani, F-LIGHT project coordinator, City of Florence. ‘The previous lighting system needed structural upgrades and, from a technical point of view, the antiquated and inefficient diffused lighting didn’t adequately convey a fitting perception of the area,’ explained Claudio Bini, CEO, Silfi. ‘Installing Cree’s new Square LED fixtures met our needs by combining the lighting requirements of a modern city with the historical and aesthetic features of an artistic and cultural city like Florence.’ In addition to delivering quality lighting for residents and tourists, the project is helping to illuminate the historical beauty of Florence’s old town centre. Every building’s stunning aesthetic value defined by its individual style, adornments, trim and colours, is now illuminated by LED lighting. ‘Cree’s LED lighting accentuates all of these details and allows for a perfect detection of the features, giving more value to the historical and artistic heritage of the city,’ said Massimo Targetti, managing director, Cree Europe. ‘Square LED fixtures have a linear and clean design that gives a neutral aesthetic to the lighting installation. Through this concept, it is possible to achieve the perfect integration of the lighting system with the urban context, such as the building facades, without creating any visual interference for pedestrians. ‘Finally, a specialised Lilium, the symbol of Florence, has been designed for this project and is displayed on the three fronts of the devices.’ The wall-assembly version of the Square LED fixtures was designed to optimise the use of LED technology. The next-generation light bars, containing from 20 to 30 LEDs, are separated one from another and placed on a base that was designed to ensure efficient heat dissipation, thanks to the company’s exclusive air flow-through technology. The heat control system assures the long duration and high performance of the product. By placing a highperformance precision lens on every diode to direct the light output with extreme precision, light dispersion or grey areas are prevented. This helps enable a safe and comfortable pedestrian and driver route. CON TACT Cree Europe www.cree.com
46 • A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 • www.tlmagazine.co.uk
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