80 Collins Street Office Building, Melbourne Skyscraper Lighting, Australian Architecture Photos

80 Collins Street Melbourne Building

Architects: Woods Bagot

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Can light make a skyscraper move?

17 May 2021

Still Light at 80 Collins Street Melbourne

Multidisciplinary design studio RAMUS unveils one of their largest artworks to date, a massive 42-storey façade of light that pulsates to inspire repose in Melbourne’s busy CBD.

A brilliant new work called Still Light graces the new 80 Collins St development that towers above Melbourne’s skyline. Featuring 1,136 metres of light and hours of visual content, the work radiates gently to encourage a slower rhythm in the CBD, evoking a sense that the architecture is moving.

“Still Light brings a calming energy. It slows the pace and gently beckons people back into the CBD.”

– Bruce Ramus, Artistic Director, RAMUS

Still Light was inspired by naturally occurring moments of light seen in the gas lamps that historically lined Collins St. The light patterns in the façade reflect and refract like facets of a cut diamond. When examined carefully, the artwork displays low-resolution animation with each individual light fixture programmed by RAMUS’ creative team. As the light pattern moves, it shifts the buildings’ appearance in ways that balance the scale of the skyscraper with an intimacy that can be felt for kilometres.

RAMUS’ custom-built software platform called CORE controls each light fixture and integrates the content into a dynamic self-adjusting schedule that allows the building to respond to the different rhythms of the city.

The work is mounted on the inner layer of the façade, with each light integrated into the frame of the glazing, creating a sense of the building itself being a light fixture. When that fixture turns on, the whole building starts to move, or so it seems.

Still Light – 80 Collins St, Melbourne – Media Architecture Building Facade Lighting from Ramus on Vimeo.

“Light can be seen as a material, like steel and concrete. It can be an integral part of the architectural form.”

– Bruce Ramus, Artistic Director, RAMUS

“We thought about the new tower being a beacon, creating a warm glow over an entire city block,” says Peter Miglis, Woods Bagot, Principal and Regional Design Leader Australia.

Still Light is now live, lighting up Melbourne’s CBD skyline every night.

Still Light 80 Collins Street Melbourne – Building Information

Client: QIC and Dexus

Architect: Woods Bagot
Lighting/Media Architecture Design + Content: Ramus

Builders: Brookfield Multiplex

Building Services Engineers: AECOM

CORE control system: RAMUS/iion

ABOUT RAMUS

RAMUS is an award-winning design studio led by founder and Light Artist Bruce Ramus. We make art with light. Our multidisciplinary team spans across immersive, interactive and architectural design. We combine light, sculpture, digital media, performance, music and interactive technology to create sustainable, integrated light installations.

Film on YouTube

THE ARTIST, BRUCE RAMUS

Founder and Director of RAMUS Light Studio, Canadian born Bruce Ramus has been creating immersive light experiences for decades. Starting as a designer and director of grand-scale, theatrical light experiences in the entertainment realm, Bruce now creates compelling, beautiful site-specific artworks that reflect the essence and natural rhythms of people. His concepts combine long-term artistic vision with deep technical understanding.