The tallest construction in New Taipei City, a.k.a. the Xinbei Bridge, reveals that even the latest architectural technology can dance elegantly with beautiful scenes when it is given help from appropriate lighting design.

Taipei City is the biggest city in Taiwan; across the rivers surrounding it, it is the second biggest city – The New Taipei City. For decades, these two major cities have been connected by several bridges and become the Big Taipei Metropolis. However, as the population increasing, it is necessary to build a new one that can improve traffic conditions for the most densely inhabited districts. And the answer is Xinbei Bridge, literally “New Taipei Bridge.”

Xinbei Bridge was inaugurated on September, 2010. Located on the joint of Dahan River, Xindian River, Tamsui River and Er-Chung floodway, this bridge is built as a grand architecture and a new landmark as well. The cable-stayed bridge, 135.7 meters tall and 1,100 meters long, is the tallest construction in New Taipei City and is only lower than Taipei 101 and Shin Kong Life Tower in Taiwan. It successfully provides more fluent transportation between districts it connects.

People in Taiwan have been developing better aesthetic concepts. Same to new constructions. Alliance Optotek Corp. (AOP), FORMOLUX Co. and Ken Su Lighting took responsibility for designing Xinbei Bridge, they chose LED lighting instruments to light up this grand architecture and, at the same time, paint this bridge in a colorful lighting show. Combined with riverside bike routes, the location of the bridge is typically between riverside parks, where local residents frequently go. In order to enhance the landscape without destroying the original environments there, AOP and Ken Su Lighting tended to design Xinbei Bridge in a way that can not only balance all sights but also protect our planet. Consequently, the designer, Lin Shi-bin (林世秉), adopted 56 set of AOP’s latest modular lighting fixtures. The most prominent feature of the system they use is the flexibility that allows selection and combination between different function, shape and optics. With help of the high degree of flexibility, Lin applies them on the bridge tower, cables and edges of the bridge to create a harmonious and vivid atmosphere.

Take the light projects onto the main bridge tower for instance, the designer focuses on this part as it is the most-seen structure of Xinbei Bridge. Lin uses the LED lighting fixture set mentioned above to project colorful light beam onto the tower, and the colors change time by time so it can reveal different faces of the tower. For cables, it is necessary to use a perfection configuration of lighting system to bring out a balanced aesthetic perception. Furthermore, in order to highlight the whole bridge, the designer uses over 800 high brightness full color linear lights to embellish sideways on both side of the bridge, makes the H-pylon even more robust.

Undoubtedly, Xinbei Bridge is an attractive construction for everyone. Moreover, hence it cooperates the advanced LED lighting system, it has become the new indicator of innovative technology. We can regard this construction in many aspects – transported, architectural, technological, even green and aesthetic.