Iluminarc Ilumipod 7 IP Helps Viva Toro "Change Moods" As Evening ProgressesEveryone feels right at home when they visit Brooklyn's Viva Toro; it doesn't matter if they want to sit down to a Sunday family dinner, take a wild ride on the borough's only mechanical bull, or dance the night away to the latest Latin sounds. Part of the reason for this welcoming feeling is due to the friendly staff, part to the mouthwatering food and handcrafted drinks, and part to the magic worked by the 12 Iluminarc Ilumipod 7 IP LED washes. Lighting designer Tirso Pelaez of Tirso Lighting in the Bronx, New York, used the Iluminarc fixtures as down lights at Viva Toro, positioning them on the room's ceiling. Located in a warehouse in the heart of hip Williamsburg, the 7,500-sq.-ft. restaurant/club has timbered ceilings, and exposed brick walls, giving it an evocative rustic look and serving as an ideal backdrop for the richly saturated colors produced by the dozen washes. "A big reason why I love these lights is the color," said Pelaez. "The colors are very beautiful, and we can change moods very dramatically by changing the colors produced by the Iluminarcs. We use the lights to create an elegant and relaxing ambience during the early hours when people are having dinner, then we'll open things up during the party hours." Featuring seven 1W RGBW LEDs and an 18-degree lens, the Iluminarc Ilumipod 7 IP uses one-, three-, four-, or seven-channels of DMX control or remote addressing via the Ilumicode Addresser. "It's very important to us that we can control these fixtures individually, so we can have chase scenes for dances and parties," said Pelaez. "The same lights that provide soft background during dinner also move and change to the music to liven things up at night." The Ilumipods keep up with bachata, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, and more at night using pre-programmed chase scenes. "We programmed the scenes for the owner, then revisit every three months to add new scenes to keep it interesting," said Pelaez. "The owner is very happy with the versatility that the lights bring to his business." Also high on the list of things that make the owner happy is the cost efficiency of the Iluminarc fixtures. "The low power draw and long lamp life of these fixtures keep operating costs way down," said Pelaez. "Another big plus is the low heat emission. Since this is an intimate facility, people can end up being directly under a light, so you don't want to make them uncomfortable with excessive heat." Indeed, making everyone feel good is part of the charm of Viva Toro; a feat that's accomplished in part by setting the right mood with light. 
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