Auckland Harbour Bridge to shine in celebration of light

SUPPLIED

The Auckland Harbour Bridge will illuminate to celebrate this year's International Day of Light.

Aucklanders will be the first to see a spectacular light show celebrating the UNESCO International Day of Light.

The Auckland Harbour Bridge will dazzle with a six-minute light and sound display at 12.01am on Wednesday, making New Zealand the first of about 60 countries around the globe to mark the event. 

The show will then be repeated at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm and 11pm on Wednesday evening. 

The Vector Lights-led operation will depict the primitive use of energy from the earliest origins of human settlement, all the way through to a future full of potential energy and light technologies.

"The day aims to improve public understanding of how light and light-based technologies touch the daily lives of everybody," Vector spokesman Iain Butler said.

Countries from Bulgaria and Cameroon will have events to mark the day, but with New Zealand's time zone advantage, the Auckland Harbour Bridge's display will be the very first dedicated event on May 16.

The Auckland Harbour Bridge was fitted with $10 million worth of lights in December 2017, in collaboration with lines company Vector. 

Every visible beam, arch, pile, girder, strut and pylon was covered in about 90,000 individually controlled colour-changing LED pixels, with an additional 100 spotlights thrown in for good measure. 

Now it's illuminated to celebrate days of significants, such as Auckland Anniversary Day, Anzac Day and Matariki.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIGHT

In 2015 New Zealand led the world in celebrating the International Year of Light, an initiative dreamed up by Kiwi professor John Dudley.

Dudley worked to secure an International Year of Light to raise awareness of the achievements of light science and its applications.

New Zealand Committee for the International Day of Light chairman Professor David Hutchinson said light is something "many of us take for granted.

"We assume the sun will come up each day; beyond flicking a switch or two, chances are most of us don't give light much thought."

But to light scientists such as Dudley, light means so much more. 

Dudley, who now lives in Paris, said that the science and technology of light has revolutionised medicine, opened up international communications, and is central to linking the cultural, economic and political aspects of the world. 

"Advances in light-based technology are crucial for sustainable development; they open up new educational horizons, preserve cultural heritage, and address issues of climate change."

Light based technologies are also particularly important for developing New Zealand's economy, as it plays key roles in manufacturing, entertainment, transport and medical technologies, development and agriculture, he said.

A livestream and on-demand video of the light show will be available here.