Light as A Powerful Symbol of Hope and Selfless Sacrifice of the Freedom Fighters
Light as A Powerful Symbol of Hope and Selfless Sacrifice of the Freedom Fighters
As night falls in Dhaka, powerful beams of light shine tall as a reminder of Bangladesh’s hard-won independence achieved in 1971, after one of the twentieth century’s bloodiest war. The site for the Independence Monument is where Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation, delivered the historic speech that united the people of Bengal to fight for their liberation from 24 years of oppressive military rule under Pakistan.
Victory Day was declared on 16th December 1971 after nine months of bloody battle, when the Pakistan armed forces accepted defeat at the same grounds. The Bangladesh Liberation War is remembered as one of the most violent wars waged in the 20th century. Victory Day has been celebrated since 1972 and is a national holiday in Bangladesh. The memorial also features the Liberation War museum, a research centre, library and an amphitheatre. The park surrounding the memorial is publicly accessible and one of the few remaining green public spaces in the fast growing city of Dhaka.
The light beams are anchored to the Tower of Light, focal point of the Independence Monument designed by architects Marina Tabassum and Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury from Urbana, winners of the national design competition held by the Ministry of War Liberation Affairs, Public Works Department in 1997.
Tower of Light (Shadhinata Tower), a 150 feet high structure made up of stacked glass, is a focal point of the Independence Monument commissioned by the Ministry of War Liberation Affairs, Public Works Department in 1997. Light Collab was commissioned to achieve a glowing tower which can be seen from all around the city. The lighting design concept was to achieve a prismatic glow without highlighting the skeletal structure within. Searchlights at each corner are used to heighten the glowing effect of the Tower of Light, rendering it visible from afar.
"A pathway to the sky" - a commentor from social media network
To achieve the architects’ vision of a glowing tower, special attention was given to angling the many ERCO narrow beam spotlights for them to graze the surface of the stacked glass panels. Searchlights at each corner of the 150 feet high structure are used to heighten the glowing effect of the Tower of Light, rendering it visible from afar.
As light passes through clear glass, it was a challenge to make the 150-feet tower made up of clear stacked glass glow. Prior to the final execution of the lighting effect, mock-ups were done to test how light will react with the façade of the glass tower; example having them stacked horizontally . With careful angling of the narrow beam spotlights, it is possible to show other properties of light such as internal reflections and refraction causing a prismatic glow; which varies in relation to the distance of the viewer.