^{Kelowna, BC}Rhapsody Dolphins Statue

The 20-foot-high Rhapsody Dolphins Statue, surrounded by a 45-foot diameter pond, serves as a focal point of Kelowna’s waterfront. Until recently, however, the statue was not garnering the attention it deserved due to poor lighting supplied by outdated metal halide lamps.

Recognizing that the statue could benefit from an upgrade to its appearance, the Marriot Hotel worked with Macs II Agencies’ Kelly Kozar. The goal was to add colour and increase the lighting levels on the dolphins. After a thorough investigation alongside Horizon Electric, it was determined that a product with hardwire and wireless control ability suitable for a very wet environment would be needed.

For optimal illumination, 14 Aqua Drum fixtures were mounted in the bottom of the fountain and around the statue. The beam angle was set at 40×40 to highlight the intricacies of the three dolphins. Using eight high output and six standard output Aqua Drum RGBW (3000K) fixtures, the units deliver between 3259 and 1600 lumens while consuming a maximum of 18 watts. The Aria DMX system can provide transmission for approximately 2500 feet with the Aria directional antenna.

The Aqua Drum Family Series is a high output, submersible LED flood fixture. This IP68-rated fixture, submersible up to 20 feet, features an all-stainless-steel construction with optional in-grade housing mounting. Available in multiple colour temperatures of white (2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K) and colour-changing versions (RGBW and RGBA), Aqua Drum is ideal for fountains, ponds, and various landscape applications. It is even UL certified for pool and spa applications. Aqua Drum performs in temperatures from -40º F to 122º F (-40º C to 50º C) with a 150,000-hour performance life.

Complementing Aqua Drum with its built-in internal receiver, the Aria DMX system is a compact, local, outdoor-rated wireless DMX system that can also be hardwired. Its transceiver can act as either the sending or receiving point with up to 15 channels on the 2.4 GHz band. Aria’s internal wireless radio features both automatic networking and signal routing optimization to ensure the best possible reception of DMX data. The Aria DMX system has a 5dB, omni-directional antenna, providing transmission up to 2600 feet line of sight and 300 feet between obstructions and walls.

The lighting system also incorporated the Art 500, a touch panel DMX Controller with 1,024 DMX channels and 500 programmable scenes, to provide powerful control features for setting precise colours on the statue.

“We increased the lighting levels on the dolphins while maintaining the power consumption. The big change was adding and controlling the colour, which provides dynamic lighting effects. Since it was the first colour-changing installation authorized by the City of Kelowna, we were happy that the City was so pleased with the final results. We have also received positive feedback from the residents. As a result of all the buzz associated with the newly lit statue, the nearby hotel is now considering upgrading its landscape and building facade with similar products and colour-changing capabilities as a means to spotlight seasonal changes and local community events.”
— Kelly Kozar | Project and Specification Sales at Mac’s II Agencies