The Pavilion of Light, Mardyke Gardens, Fitzgerald Park, Cork

This paper describes the lighting design and rationale for the Mardyke Garden project. It is realised through accentuating the historic buildings and integrating the local biodiversity issues such as the park’s bat population. Many new modern structures have been added to this historic park such as a pavilion bandstand, called the “Pavilion of Light”, with colourchanging luminaries and in-ground, star-scape, fibreoptic lighting in the children’s play area. This paper discusses the background behind the final lighting design and how integral elements such as the walkway bollards were designed so that bats would avoid the area involved, thereby sustaining their participation in the local ecology. Furthermore, the bandstand is now used as a reflector that not only changes the colour of the stage but as a projector into the sunken garden, synergising performance with the experience of patrons. Also discussed will be how the lighting designer drew from localised landscaping in maximisinging optimal experience. Lighting controls are also discussed. Cork City Council can now manage this complex lighting design so that patron’s experiences can evolve based on multi-faceted elements such as season, event and even occasion.