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Lighting control plays key role at citadel of Hungarian ice hockey

Alba Aréna, Székesfehérvár, Hungary

At the newly-built and eagerly anticipated Alba Aréna in Hungary, a system from Pharos Architectural Controls is adding to the energetic atmosphere by controlling the sport and façade lighting.

The multifunctional venue, located in the Hungarian city of Székesfehérvár, has been built to become the home of the Hydro Fehérvár AV19 professional ice hockey team. It will also serve as an event and community centre, a domestic hockey venue, and host 20-25 other indoor sports. With a capacity of 6,000 spectators for hockey matches and up to 8,000 for concerts and other events, lighting will play a key role in creating a truly encompassing experience.

A system of solutions from the Pharos Designer range has been specified to control the façade of the stadium, as well as being able to programme the indoor lighting to meet the differing requirements of sports matches, shows and other events. A two-universe Designer LPC (Lighting Playback Controller) is being used alongside a Designer TPC (Touch Panel Controller) and Designer BPS (Button Panel Station).

The LPC is an award-winning, all-in-one controller that is designed for 24/7 operation. Offering unrivalled reliability for LED installations, the LPC features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes. This is ideal for offering fully customisable pre-programmed lighting effects – and perfect for Alba Aréna, a stadium designed to host a wide variety of different activities, each with their own lighting needs.

The TPC is an award-winning, elegant touchscreen lighting controller with a 4.3” capacitive touch panel. It offers sleek styling and an advanced lighting control playback engine. The touchscreen user interface is fully customisable using the free Pharos Designer 2 software.

Completing the system, the BPS is a versatile eight-button panel station with integrated button LEDs that works with any Pharos Designer Controller.

Alba Aréna has been designed by two award-winning architects, Mihály Balázs, winner of the Kossuth-Prize, and Attila Tamás Tarnóczky, winner of the Pro Architectura Prize. It boasts impressive sustainability credentials, with heat pumps being used instead of gas to ensure the right temperature inside. Although the heat pumps need electricity to operate, the lower levels of the arena, including the seating areas and the actual pitch, are located below ground level, significantly reducing the amount of power required to cool and heat them, thereby delivering a lower carbon footprint and lower energy bills.

Mark de Gruyter, Sales Director at Pharos Architectural Controls, said: “The Alba Aréna will no doubt play a big part in the cultural calendar of Hungary. From sporting events to concerts and more, the stadium is set to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Pharos is proud to have a number of our solutions installed to help spectators have an enjoyable and memorable visit to Alba Aréna.”