Philips Invigorates Iconic National Theatre in Accra with Spectacular Digital LED Lighting

Accra, Ghana – On the occasion of Philips’ sixth consecutive Cape Town to Cairo roadshow, Philips today unveiled the newly illuminated National Theatre of Ghana. Philips, the global leader in lighting, has provided the theatre with a stunning makeover, using its latest LED technology to boost the beautification of the city of Accra, while also cutting energy consumption by up to 80%, as compared to the existing conventional lighting. The new lighting solutions are installed throughout the entire façade of the National Theatre, enhancing its distinctive architectural structure and contributing to the building’s energy saving performance.

Reigniting cultural pride

The National Theatre of Ghana opened in 1992 and is a hub of culture and heritage, as well as a source of national pride for the city of Accra. The elegant and imposing National Theatre has a complicated construction molding and novel exterior features. When looked at from a distance, the whole structure looks like a gigantic ship or a seagull spreading its wings.

Philips’ lighting concept is focused on highlighting the significance of this iconic building as an architectural masterpiece and as a source of national pride to Ghana, and in so doing assist with the building’s energy saving performance.

The digital LED lighting technology used by Philips, creates more light, while making it more focused and controlled. Philips used its Vaya LED lighting solutions and tailored them to the specific needs of the National Theatre of Ghana; which included devising effective lighting while respecting the authenticity of the building. The lighting was used to enhance the beauty of the theater without at any time overwhelming it. 

Philips Vaya LED lighting solutions

The Vaya Flood HP fixture provides the dynamic and stunning color to the exterior of the National Theatre of Ghana. The light levels achieved by this compact and light weight fixture make it ideal for illuminating large-scale exterior facades, bridges and monuments. 


The Vaya Linear MP fixture enables white and mono color lighting effects at the theatre. With wide and elliptical beam options, Vaya Linear MP is ideal for wall washing and grazing applications.

The new lighting system covers the 78m base platform of the National Theatre and illuminates the entire area of the central ship, as well as the columns supporting the ship. With a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, the new Philips lighting fixtures last much longer and reduce the need for periodic replacement.

The Vaya LED Lighting solutions are entirely cutting edge, with each luminaire having its own IP address; making it feasible to produce up to 16 million different lighting colors as well as remotely monitoring the performance of each light point.

Last year as part of Philips Cape Town to Cairo roadshow, Philips installed a permanent LED lighting system at Ghana’s iconic Black Star Monument. One year on and the lighting system has proved to be a huge success, beautifying the important building and reducing energy consumption.

LED lighting solutions improve energy performance in public spaces

Commenting on the illumination of the National Theatre of Ghana, Felix Darko, General Manager – Lighting, Philips West Africa said, “The magnificent lighting at the National Theatre of Ghana is testament to the incredible advances that are being made in the efficiency and beauty of LED illumination. LED lighting innovations are providing cities with completely new opportunities in the areas of energy efficiency and city beautification - policy makers and governments the world over are realizing the benefits. The LED lighting solutions at the National Theatre of Ghana, not only improve the commercial attractiveness of the facility, but will also contribute to the reduction of energy consumption in Accra.”
 
“We are extremely happy with the project Philips has completed at the National Theatre of Ghana, and we have no doubt that the people of Ghana especially in Accra will be just as pleased with the end result” states Mrs. Amy Appiah Frimpong, Acting Executive Director, National Theatre of Ghana.  “This project mirrors the revitalization that is happening within the theatre; the LED lighting is complementing the changes that are occurring on the inside.  It is making visible the work of our highly talented contributors and artists who perform at the theatre regularly. The state of-the-art digital lighting technology ensures we have a world class theatre that is aware of its environment, while also helping us meet our demand for energy efficiency.  We can’t wait to show the world the transformation on the inside and outside.”

Philips provides training in the area of Mother and Child Care for midwives at Pentecost Hospital
Another part of Philips’ stopover in Ghana during the Cape Town to Cairo roadshow includes addressing issues related to improving healthcare. Philips will host an intensive training workshop for midwives at the Pentecost Hospital (the “Hospital”), Ghana; ranked number four in terms of maternal deliveries in the Greater Accra Region, the Hospital averages about 2,800 deliveries per year.

By running this day long intensive educational workshop, Philips aims to ensure that staff can provide equitable and sustainable basic health services to all – particularly mothers and children. The workshop will identify two “super-users” who will get additional training to qualify them as trainers who can then repeat workshops in other hospitals.

Installing a lifesaving Innovation

Philips is also equipping the Hospital with its innovative ultrasound system VISIQ; the size of a tablet, the VISIQ is the first ultra-mobile system from Philips. VISIQ’s unique combination of mobility, ease of use and image quality, will enable clinicians in the Hospital to carry out comprehensive obstetric and abdominal scans themselves rather than referring patients to larger ultrasound centers or hospitals. This enables fast diagnosis and treatment.

Approximately ten times smaller than a traditional ultrasound machine and with reduced energy consumption, VISIQ can be used for screening, triage and fetal well-being scans, all of which helps to address the critical issue of maternal and infant care.

In addition to the VISIQ training, Philips will also deliver a breastfeeding workshop for the midwives. Breastfeeding is fundamental to reducing infant mortality. It can protect against common childhood infections such as neonatal sepsis. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), exclusive breastfeeding for a baby’s first six months and partial breastfeeding into a child’s second year, reduces a child’s chances of succumbing to several preventable illnesses including diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infections. By hosting the workshop, Philips aims to encourage the midwives to educate new mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding.

Commenting on the collaboration with the Hospital, Robin Armstrong, General Manager, Philips Healthcare, West Africa said, “We want to collaborate with Pentecost Hospital for the continuum of care in pregnancy – from prenatal, to antenatal and postnatal. It’s our ambition that this training workshop will be an ongoing education program, and we will do our utmost to support the development and advancement of midwives at the Hospital. Training and education has always been at the center of everything we do at Philips, and we realize that we have a responsibility to ensure our innovations are used so that they can provide meaningful change to people’s lives.”

Sixth stop on the Cape Town to Cairo roadshow

The announcements in Ghana formed part of Philips’ annual pan-African Cape Town to Cairo roadshow that kicked off on 11th May 2015, in Cape Town.  Ghana is the sixth stop on a journey covering 12,000 km across 11 cities and 8 countries over a period of 4.5 months. The roadshow has gained significant momentum over the past five years, allowing Philips to get to the heart of some of the key issues facing Africa –  including Mother and Child Care, the rise of non-communicable diseases, energy efficient LED and solar lighting solutions, as well as shining a spotlight on the need for clinical education and training.

Follow the Cape Town to Cairo journey via Twitter @PhilipsGhana or visit www.philips.com/C2CAfrica.

For further information, please contact:
Radhika Choksey               
Philips Group Communications - Africa           
Tel: +31 62525 9000               
E-mail: radhika.choksey@philips.com   

About Royal Philips:
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2014 sales of EUR 21.4 billion and employs approximately 108,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

     •    21st century energy efficient LED technology revitalises The National Theatre of Ghana  – bringing new life to the historic building and reigniting cultural pride;
    •    New Philips digital lighting innovations will meet the National Theatre of Ghana’s demand for sustainable energy consumption;
    •    Philips also reveals a unique collaboration  with Pentecost Hospital, Ghana – providing staff with clinical training in the area of Mother and Child Care;