luminaires from Germany illuminate Abu Dhabi's extravagant racing circuit island

The luminaire manufacturer Siteco, with headquarters in Traunreut in Germany, supplied luminaires from its standard ranges and also developed highly diverse, project-specific custom solutions.

"We are the Champions" was crooned by the scratchy voice of Jenson Button in his cockpit on the last racing weekend. Even before the start of the final event his position as the new Formula 1 world champion was certain. But despite the fact that the winner had already been decided, the fans impatiently awaited the close of the racing season on the last weekend of October, with the final race on Sunday 1 November 2009. After all, they won't just be given the thrill of a spectacular race for the second and third positions but will be witnesses to some spectacular developments as well.
The Abu Dhabi circuit will be used for the first time, and for the first time in the history of Formula 1 a race will be contested into the evening hours, meaning partly with artificial lighting.

When the lights are switched on for the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, numerous luminaires from the German manufacturer Siteco, with headquarters in Traunreut, will also be illuminating the event. The company installed various luminaire types from its standard ranges and also project-specific custom solutions that demonstrate its high level of flexibility and optical expertise.
Luminaires from Traunreut flood the tent roofs of the grandstand and main building, brighten the spectator stands and illuminate the facades of the functional buildings such as the media centre, kitchen facilities etc. They also illuminate the outer area of the team building and ensure safe lighting for parking lots and roads. The lighting solutions blend impressively well with the futuristic architecture of Abu Dhabi's largest natural island.

When the excitement permits and the expected 50,000 spectators at the Formula 1 end of season event cast their eyes away from the racing circuit, they will definitely notice the DL10 luminaires resembling the heads of cobras, and seemingly floating above the pathways and facades of the VIP area.  Their notably brilliant light is emitted from light emitting diodes (LEDs).
This technology allows a number of advantages and also operates with an exceedingly high level of efficiency. But constructing a road luminaire with LEDs still remains a challenge that only a few luminaire manufacturers are able to accomplish satisfactorily. Siteco is one of these, and in addition the company has managed to integrate lighting accents into the curved luminaire design of the DL10 LED luminaire that according to user requirements can illuminate in any colour desired. http://www.siteco.de/de/produkte/innovation/aussenleuchten/dl-10.html

LED technology has also been used for the Sun Tower. The tower in the form of a bicht robe is a landmark for the racing circuit that can be recognised from afar, and accommodates the VIP lounge of the Sheik of Abu Dhabi. The complete circuit can be viewed from the tower, and the tower itself can likewise be easily seen from any location. LED strips behind a white metal facade illuminate a bizarre pattern that resembles the border of a bicht. Dynamic colour changes are also possible.

The 20 m high umbrella luminaires constructed by Siteco especially for the project cannot compete with the Sun Tower but are nevertheless highly visible, generously illuminating the main access ways and VIP parking lots. For the 15 examples of these large-scale luminaires, tried-and-trusted series products from the company enter into a symbiosis with the optical expertise of its engineers. Projectors from the SiCompact A2 series are accommodated below the upper luminaire canopies with diameters of five metres. The most interesting characteristic of these high performance and highly efficient luminaires is their precisely calculated light emission, distributing light exactly to where it is needed, thus avoiding unwanted light spill.

In a more compact variation the same projectors illuminate the tent roofs of the main building, the team buildings and spectator tribunes. During the day the roof structures architecturally resemble the Bedouin-style tents that have been common in the desert region for thousands of years, and at night time they emit a distinctly special atmosphere as warm light surfaces for the buildings around the racing circuit.

"The world will experience the wonderful beauty of an Arabian sunset. It's exactly the right backdrop for the first Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix", answered Richard Cregan, CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management to the question of why the race starts at the unusual time of 5 pm. And without a doubt he is right. But even after the sun has disappeared over the horizon, visitors to the Yas Marina Circuit will still be dazzled with spectacular architecture and modern infrastructure thanks to convincing lighting concepts from Siteco.

Key Data:
Client/Investor: ALDAR Properties, PJSE, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
User: Yas Marina Ciruit, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Architect: Tilke Architekten und Ingenieure,  Aachen, Germany
General Contractor: Cebarco WCT WLL, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
Electrical Contractor: PKE / Siemens, Abu Dhabi U.A.E
Lighting: Siteco, Traunreut, Germany