Temple aeen as never before with new lighting design<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Magelang<\/p>\n
From Wednesday night onward people will be able to enjoy the
\nbeauty of Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java, thanks to
\nnight lighting that helps reveal the details of the world's great
\nheritage sites.<\/p>\n
The new facility was inaugurated by Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare Alwi Shihab on behalf of President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono, who canceled his trip due to a crucial Cabinet
\nmeeting on new economic policies to cope with the recent rupiah
\ndevaluation.<\/p>\n
The inauguration was marked by a ballet performance Mahakarya
\nBorobudur.<\/p>\n
American lighting designer Robert Daniels prepared the new
\nUS$45,000 installation with the financial support of U.S.
\nelectronics giant General Electric (GE).<\/p>\n
\"Under the lights, it (the temple) looks much more beautiful.
\nYou'll see more details of both the carvings and the statues,\"
\nsays Robert Daniels, who has been in the specialist lighting
\nbusiness for 12 years and has won numerous international awards
\nfor his projects.<\/p>\n
Borobudur, according to Daniels, is very unique as it has so
\nmany carvings and statues on it. It, therefore, needs lights that
\nwork in different ways to create a three-dimensional effect and
\nshape to the temple.<\/p>\n
\"I decided to use photographic techniques. It's like when you
\ngo to a photo studio, you are able to have many lights and the
\nlights make the shapes come out. Light can indeed create three-
\ndimensional shapes,\" says Daniels, who is also a photographer.<\/p>\n
Unlike the sun that produces a horizontal shadow, Daniels'
\nlights come at the temple from all sides. The lights, however, do
\nnot point directly at the temple in order to produce a three-
\ndimensional effect.<\/p>\n
\"I put lights on each side of the four little entrance ways
\nand they should go across to the opposite side,\" he says.<\/p>\n
For the new design, Daniels had to readjust the existing poles
\nto generate the desired effects, including the \"crossfire
\nlights\".<\/p>\n
He also installed larger poles, which stand some 80 feet high
\neach on the four corners of the temple to fire the very narrow
\nbeams of light that hit only the top of the temple. Another
\nimportant part of Daniels' work is the light beam control that
\nseparates the upper and lower lights.<\/p>\n
\"We're basically working with two colors on the temple. The
\nwhite one on the top, or the stupa, and the yellowish one on the
\nlower parts, or the first six steps of the temple,\" says Daniels.<\/p>\n
Both the crossfire technique that he has specially created for
\nBorobudur and the light beam control, according to Daniels, are
\nwhat make this new design completely different from the old one
\nthat was installed in 2003, also with the financial support of
\nGE.<\/p>\n
\"The system we are using now is much more sophisticated, much
\nmore complicated. Everything has to be aimed very specially and
\nperfectly. The light control is much more emphasized so that the
\nvery narrow beams of light that we're using can go exactly where
\nwe want them to,\" Daniels says.<\/p>\n
The new design also is an energy efficient system, according
\nto Daniels, yet the lights are four times brighter than the old
\nlamps.<\/p>\n
Operational director of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur,
\nPrambanan, and Ratu Boko temple management company, Guntur
\nPurnomoadi, however, said they would not turn the lights on every
\nnight.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the operational costs, we will only light it up on
\nspecial occasions or for special requests. So, what you have to
\ndo if you want to enjoy the beautiful view of the temple under
\nthe light is just call us,\" Guntur asserted, but declined to
\nreveal how much he would charge for the service.<\/p>\n
\"It's all still under calculation.\"<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/temple-aeen-as-never-before-with-new-lighting-design-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }