Whitehaven’s Wave sculpture – which has not been lit up for several years – will be switched on again thanks to a partnership between two West Cumbrian organisations.
The harbourside landmark has remained in the dark for years but is set to shine again thanks to Forth Engineering and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners.
A “soft” switch-on of the Wave is planned to take place today, May 5, at 9.30pm.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners chief executive John Baker said: “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re grateful for the hard work and collaboration of everyone involved in making this happen. We know this will bring immense joy to the people of Whitehaven who have been requesting its return for years.
“Forth has shown great commitment and endeavour to the project and alongside our own team, headed up by project manager Trevor Prowse, they’ve gone to enormous lengths to get The Wave relit in time for the King’s coronation weekend.
“We must also say a special thank you to Gill Marsden, director of NIS Ltd and her team, including Hold Engineering, for donating their time, equipment and expertise to clean The Wave prior to the installation of the new lighting.
“Relighting the harbour is key to attracting tourism, new events and new investment to Whitehaven.”
Forth, based in Maryport, Cleator Moor, and Barrow-in-Furness, came up with an environmentally-friendly, resilient and cost-effective solution to light up the Wave brighter and better than ever before.
Forth’s solution features 400 metres of remotely-controlled high intensity LED lights, which cost significantly less to run than the previous lighting.
The business also used 3D printing technology to print 800 translucent brackets to allow maximum light through the silicon rubber casing while also being resilient to all weather conditions, including UV rays.
Forth collaborated with fellow engineering business NIS Ltd, which also donated its time, in the final preparations to install the lighting.
