hen the new LED field-of-play
lighting system was unveiled at
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
in April 2019, it placed a shine
on one of the world’s most
anticipated and innovative new sports venues.
In the time since, fans in London and those
watching Premier League matches and National
Football League (NFL) games from around the
globe have experienced the lighting’s exceptional
performance and special effects capabilities. Less
apparent to those looking in from the outside – but
equally significant – is the level of customization it
took to achieve these results.
“Virtually every aspect of that lighting system
was custom designed and fabricated to meet the
exact needs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which
clearly is one of the most innovative and unique
new venues anywhere in the world,” says Jeff
Rogers, vice-president of Musco, the soccer club’s
Official Stadium Field of Play Lighting Supplier.
Luminaires and structures
One of the key benefits of a single source, systembased
approach to sports lighting – as opposed
to pairing LED fixtures with parts, pieces, and
components from a variety of other manufacturers
– is the level of customization it makes possible.
LIGHTING
“When the lighting technology, structural elements
and electrical components all come from a proven,
single source, that clearly will create a much greater
level of reliability,” says Rogers. “And having all of those
things designed, engineered and built to work together
also makes it possible to create a much more versatile,
bespoke solution.”
Nowhere is this more apparent than the LED
luminaires and mounting brackets installed as part of
the new system at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Using
Musco’s extensive special-build capabilities, the system
comprises 54 light assemblies, with each containing
an array of six LED luminaires. Each luminaire and
bracketing unit was designed and built specifically
for its designated location around the top of the
venue’s asymmetrical roofing.
Glare is greatly reduced thanks to patented
visoring technology that has minimal impact on
players and spectators. Also, custom-designed Total
Internal Reflection (TIR) optics around the LED chips,
along with Musco’s multi-zone aiming expertise, meets
UEFA’s Elite A lux level standards and creates a much
more uniform distribution of light for enhanced
broadcast quality.
Dazzling light shows
Delivering a unique entertainment experience was
among the priorities at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The venue needed special effects capabilities that
would create the most memorable stadium experience
possible, and be versatile enough to meet the needs
of the wide range of world-class events that would
ultimately be hosted at the venue.
To address this need, Musco and its lighting
controls partner, StadiumFX, created a bespoke
lighting controls system that integrates the dynamic
control of the Musco field-of-play lighting system with
additional color-changing lights in the internal bowl,
roof halo and external stadium facade. The resulting
light shows, when integrating all of these systems into
one dynamic experience, have received rave reviews.
Remote LED drivers
One of the big misconceptions about LED sports
lighting since it has become recognized as a costeffective
option is that it is a virtually maintenance-
free solution. It is not. No sports lighting – regardless
of the light source being used – is maintenance free.
The electrical components of LED sports lighting
will have to be maintained and serviced over the
course of many years.
One of the highly customized features of the fieldof
play lighting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was
the creation of dedicated electrical rooms where
Tottenham Hotspur’s
lighting system was fully
customized to enhance the
view, minimize glare and
improve broadcast quality
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