CS Lewis Square is considered the jewel in the crown of the impressive Connswater Greenway project that has been described as a new inspirational living landmark in East Belfast. This project creates a green corridor alongside the Connswater, Knock and Loop rivers, from the Castlereagh Hills to Belfast Lough, providing a network of open spaces and a continuous, uninterrupted pathway.
It gives residents and visitors alike the option to walk, run or cycle the 17km greenway between the Castlereagh Hills and Belfast Lough.
Working with FARRANS, the main contractor for Phase 2, Braham Electrical put the company’s hard-earned reputation as Public Realm specialists to the test on this stunning project.
At the centre of it all is CS Lewis Square – a new, dedicated public space for events and activities that features seven new pieces of artwork based on the characters from CS Lewis’ ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’.
Commissioned by Irish artist Maurice Harron, the seven sculptures – including Aslan, Maugrim, Mr and Mrs Beaver, the Robin, the White Witch, the Stone Table and Mr Tumnus – are all beautifully lit up at night with a lighting scheme that reflects the high levels of expertise provided by Braham Electrical.
The company was involved in designing and installing the lighting for the project, that has not only been created to showcase these beautiful statues but also to provide a perfect space for public events.
CS Lewis Square has the capacity to hold up to 2,000 people and includes 300 newly- planted trees, street furniture and façade art.
While this part of the project proved the most demanding, the entire work carried out by Braham tested the company’s skills.
“We’re delighted to be part of this hugely impressive project that has already become so popular in Belfast,” said Colin Slevin, Contracts Manager for Braham Electrical. “One of the most important aspects of the job was CS Lewis Square, with the lighting an integral part of this.
“We worked closely with the design team to deliver an impressive lighting system that offers complete control. As well as lighting up the new statues, we installed a colour-changing system for the handrails that also works in conjunction with the fountain.
“Different lighting scenes can be created for the square through DMX lighting controls and Dynalight system that can all be operated via an app on a smart device. This provides flexibility but also futureproofs the project for future requirements.
“We achieved all this within a very tight timeframe that had to be met to allow the official opening to go ahead as planned.”
Braham Electrical is exceptionally good at meeting tight deadlines and faced a series of targets across the 17km greenway.
“The project was zoned and we had deadlines for each one,” added Colin. “It was a vast space to cover, but we held regular meetings with Farrans and the other contractors, as well as the client, to ensure everything ran as smoothly as possible.
“Logistically, this was a challenging project but we have a lot of experience in Public Realm work so were able to use that experience to foresee any potential issues and solve problems quickly. The project ran relatively smoothly and we are delighted to have been involved.”
Braham Electrical, 7a Charlotte Street, Warrenpoint, Newry, BT34 3LF
T: +44 (0)28 4177 2989 – E: info@brahamelectrical.com
www.brahamelectrical.com
