The construction of an ultra-luxury hotel in Abu Dhabi, the capital of Dubai, is hardly news. Nor, of course, is the staggering sum spent on building it. The Yas Hotel is different from the others. First, because it is the architectural structure that stands at the centre of the brand-new Formula 1 circuit. But mainly because it is the largest architectural lighting project using LED technology in the world.
The 85,000 sq m complex was awarded to the architectural practice Asymptote Architecture after a closed competition held two years ago. The architects drew inspiration from the aesthetics and forms associated with speed, as well as from the artistic geometric patterns of the ancient Islamic tradition. The curved canopy that surrounds the building consists of 5,300 diamond-shaped metal frames, which enclose more than 5,000 RGB LEDs manufactured by Cooper Lighting.
The task of conceiving the illuminated canopy was taken on by a team of 20 designers and engineers from Arup Lighting, the company responsible for the lighting of the building. Together they worked to create, at the centre of the circuit, a structure that would catch the eyes of the millions of viewers watching the race on television.
The LEDs were mounted at a 30° angle to the horizontal axis of the panel, both to achieve the desired visual effect and to protect them from the sun and high temperatures during the day. In addition, a two-way DMX RDM (Remote Device Manager) communication system makes it possible to adjust and monitor the status and temperature of each panel individually, so that any malfunctions can be prevented.
The software and hardware for the control system were supplied by e:cue, a company active in the field of lighting control systems. Alongside RDM, the company has equipped the hotel with Lighting Application Suite 5.1, which makes it possible to play low-resolution video on the giant screen formed by the LEDs.
“With such a complex geometric form, the software’s preview capabilities saved us whole weeks of valuable working time in understanding the frame rate and the viewing angles that had to be provided for spectators and for the Grand Prix cameras on race day,” says Brian Stacy, project director for the Yas Hotel at Arup Lighting.
Of course, the lighting project does not stop at the dazzling shell of the hotel. The surrounding area, with a series of LEDs installed in the concrete of the building and its ancillary spaces, gives an impression of haze and opulence emanating from every corner of the new ultra-luxury hotel. Together, the lighting interventions create the feeling of a racing strip, following the shape of the curved dome that covers the building.
Credits:
Client: Aldar Properties
Lighting Design: Arup Lighting
Architects: Asymptote Architecture
Local architects: Dewan Architects & Engineers, Tilke & Partners
Engineers: Dewan Architects & Engineers, Arup Lighting
Text: Eleftherios Savvidis
Photographs: Bjorn Moerman, Arup Lighting
Sources: Mondo Arc, Enlighter
