Illumination Physics Crowns Abu Dhabi Hotel with LEDs

The Rocco Forte Hotel in Abu Dhabi is distinguished by its curve, gleaming blue-and-green glass panels, and its wavy mosaic structure. The firm Illumination Physics, an Australian specialist in products for the architectural lighting market, used LED dots to accentuate the architectural form of the curtain wall.

In moderate climates, using LED dots is not overly problematic, provided that the light fixture designer has the ability and agility to customize the fixture design to suit the façade system design. In Abu Dhabi, however, the extreme temperatures required a different engineering approach.

Illumination Physics created a custom version of Speck, a compact, high-powered LED fixture designed for insertion into curtain wall panels. The version used at the Rocco Forte designed to withstand non-operating temperatures of 90 degrees Celsius and operating temperatures of 75 degrees Celsius. Six Rebel LEDs were used (RGB), driven at 350 milliamps.

The lighting design called for a matrix of ultra-bright LED pixels, which were to be mounted in the curved facade of the hotel as a crown effect. The LED fixtures had to be mounted on a number of different curtain wall finishes, including a glass spider wall system, mullion curtain wall system, and a concrete facade.

The Speck series of products has domed lenses that provide high visibility, even from shallow viewing angles. This is of particular benefit, as the hotel has an undulating wave form; the domed lens ensures that the apparent brightness appears the same regardless of the curvature of the façade.

The light fixtures, special cables, drivers, and control equipment were provided as a total solution.

The contract was managed by Illumination Physics' agent in the UAE, Cinmar Lighting.