Unlike any other building in China or elsewhere, the MGM COTAI in Macau combines architectural marvel and lighting inspiration to create an iconic structure and dramatic spatial experience. Its striking stacked "jewelry box" design pays tribute to the local culture while showcasing spectacular engineering feats.
The $3.45 billion facility is the largest property and the first private-sector project ever to achieve the China Green Building (Macau) Design Label Certification. At more than 4 million square feet, MGM COTAI has approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting spaces, a high-end spa, retail offerings, and dining outlets.
Although the exterior of this architectural icon is visually striking in the daylight, it offers an even more exceptional nighttime experience thanks to dramatic lighting made possible by 60,000 LED fixtures that are part of an integrated lighting system spread across all four elevations of the towers.
According to Kelly Stechshulte, Executive Director for Illuminating Concepts and the project’s architectural lighting designer, the intent for the façade lighting was to finish the exterior in silver, gold, and copper powder-coated aluminum, and make them glow to create an elegant, yet distinctive presence. Acclaim Lighting provided the two major exterior light sources for the MGM COTAI Tower to create high-output, brilliant illuminations and superior color rendering with a high energy efficiency.
With maximum durability and control flexibility in mind, Dyna Graze offers multiple configurations, is available in 1-foot and 4-foot sections, provides 1,100 lumens per foot, and maintains 70 percent of its lumens at 150,000 hours. Featuring a built-in DMX/RDM control driver, the fixtures were easily linked together in one chain using weatherproof link cables. The custom IP67 build for the Dyna Graze Exterior HO DMX units are so durable that they can be temporarily submerged. This provides extra flood protection, which was one of the reasons why the Dyna Graze Exterior HO DMX was specified for use in the north and south lobbies, as well as for landscape and pool deck lighting.
In addition, the Dyna Drum HO provides a highly powerful, highly energy-efficient floodlight that combines stellar performance with a compact form factor. Consuming only 228 watts, each Dyna Drum HO fixture provides 12,000 lumens with a 10-degree by 60-degree spread lens for the MGM facility. The fixture also features an onboard DMX/RDM driver with Acclaim’s Aria wireless DMX technology and rear OLED display with full text readout for ultimate control. It was specified for the roof of the north tower and also for the facility's landscape and pool deck.
To control the exterior lighting, a custom DMX/RDM booster (DD-1IP) and e:cue engines support the Dyna Graze and Dyna Drum HO fixtures. The specified Butler PRO DMX is an e:net-to-DMX512 interface for the e:cue Lighting Application Suite (LAS) controls to 16 DMX512 universes with 512 channels per universe and full RDM capability.
The end result is an energy-efficient, highly versatile lighting system that showcases the architectural innovations of the building in a dramatic and sophisticated manner.
For more information, visit http://www.acclaimlighting.com.
