TSOGO SUN - Chandelier Installation

Ever wondered what the fuss is about when it comes to chandeliers? Well, SA Rope Access sure does! And we got to timelapse it all! Here are some details on the installation of a very unique crystal chandelier at the Tsogo Sun in Sandton, as done by SA Rope Access.

THE MISSION:
SA Rope Access was enlisted to install a unique, one-of-a-kind chandelier designed especially for the Tsogo Sun hotel in Sandton.

THE CHALLENGE:
Due to its sheer size, each and every component making up the main structural frame of the chandelier had to be brought in piece by piece. From there, each piece had to be hoisted up to the hotel’s skylight, where they were brought together to create the final product. This task was undertaken 70 meters in the air, all the while ensuring this bustling hotel could continue running at full capacity, without compromising the safety of our technicians, or the crowds below.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:
Before hoisting could begin, a catchment net was installed on the 20th floor of the hotel. This safety measure enabled the technicians to move freely within the skylight and install the rigging and lifeline points without the risk of falling objects, which could endanger the crowds below. The net was removed before the next step, the lifting, could begin.

The chandelier’s main structural frame consisted of 54 individual steel components and each component was lifted from ground level to the skylight, over 70 metres above, using complex rope access pulley techniques. The components were received by the technicians who were already standing by to conduct the installation. Each individual piece made up the chandelier’s supporting frame and the final product spanned over 10 meters in diameter. Once the frame was completed, all the joints were individually inspected, the frame was repainted and then levelled. The net was once more suspended underneath the frame to ensure the safety of those below.

The most rewarding, and perhaps the most challenging, part of the installation was the hanging of the crystal strands. This part of the process required an accurate installation methodology, which among other things, prevented the strands from becoming tangled. To accomplish this, each strand was carefully coiled into specially made bags. The bags were then lowered down from inside the skylight, connected and uncoiled by the technicians waiting below. Careful attention had to be paid to ensure the correct sequence was followed in order to create the unique spiral effect.

By the end of the process, a total of 456 crystal strands were suspended from the chandelier, the longest of which reached 40 meters in length.
The completed chandelier weighed in at over 4 tons.
Once the job was done, all that was left was to complete the installation of the specially designed lighting ring.
The SA Rope Access Team consisted of 12 Rope Access Technicians, and the chandelier installation took 2 months to complete.

CREDITS:

Executive Producer: SA Rope Access
Produced by: TimeLapse SA
Directed by: Joe Louw / Jonelle Louw
DP: Joe Louw
Offline editing & grading: Jonelle Louw
Online editing & Graphics: Nanette Dreyer - Handmade Media