SWANSEA, UNITED KINGDOM -- 11/01/09 --
It's brand new. It can be seen from
miles around. It's an architectural landmark that embodies key influences
and inspirations from ancient Islamic art and traditions, melded with the
artistry and geometries associated with speed, movement and spectacle. Its
visual impact is all made possible by leading-edge LED technology.
It's the Yas Hotel, a 500-room, 85,000-square-meter complex recently
completed by Aldar Properties PJSC, Abu Dhabi's leading property
development, management and investment company; just in time for the
inaugural 2009 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which has just
taken place from 30 October to 1 November. And it's a study in how the
marriage of ancient customs and a cutting-edge technical partnership can
create surprising and unique results. The Hotel is unique as the only hotel
in the world with a race track running through its centre. The start of
the inaugural F1 race on 1 November was re-scheduled to commence at dusk
and finish in the dark in order to show the viewers of the Grand Prix the
building's full potential.
Many disciplines come together
The project represents collaboration between many disciplines, among them
two primary entities: UK-based Cooper Lighting, a lighting solutions design
and engineering firm and Swansea-based Enfis Group Plc, a developer and
manufacturer of SMART high-power solid-state LED lighting systems.
The hotel's design was the brainchild of Asymptote Architecture, the New
York-based architectural firm known for creating visionary building
designs, master plans, and spatial experiments that challenge the
traditional boundaries of architecture and integrate the potential of new
technologies. The Yas Hotel truly embodies everything that is exciting
about advanced contemporary design.
Impressive numbers
Of architectural and engineering significance is the main feature of the
project's design, a 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear forms
constructed of steel and over 5,300 pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels
which are illuminated via a sophisticated LED lighting system from Enfis
Group Plc, providing limitless shades and colors. This grid-shell component
gives the building an atmospheric-like veil that contains two hotel towers
and a link bridge constructed as a monocoque sculpted steel object passing
above the Formula 1 track that makes its way through the building complex.
From the outside, the Enfis LED color changing shroud can be seen for miles
around. It visually connects and fuses the entire hotel, racetrack and
marina complex while producing optical effects and spectral reflections
that play against the surrounding sky, sea and desert landscape. The
architecture as a whole "performs" as both an environmentally responsive
solution as well as an architecture of spectacle and event. The entire
jewel-like composition of the project responds visually and tectonically to
its environment to create a distinct and powerful sense of place as well as
a breathtaking backdrop to the Formula 1 and other events that the building
will celebrate in years to come. The Yas Hotel is designed to be a
significant landmark destination on Yas Island for Abu Dhabi and the UAE at
large.
Enfis and Cooper Lighting - A collaboration of contrast
The desert climate of Abu Dhabi can reach 60°C in the summertime making
havoc out of just about every form of light source -- incandescent or LED.
But as Managing Director of Cooper Lighting, Gavin Smith, stated, "Right
from the beginning we knew that ambient would be a major challenge
considering the inherent performance limitations for LEDs components and
driver technology. We carried out numerous studies testing products from
some of the world's major LED manufacturers." Smith went on to say, "Our
collaboration with Enfis solved this problem almost immediately. The Enfis
array/driver solutions were the only systems that passed our rigorous
environmental chamber trials."
Extensive testing carried out by Cooper confirmed that the Enfis
array/driver solutions actually exceeded the light output specification
necessary to operate at these extreme ambient temperatures. Furthermore,
Enfis SMART driver and LED array technology also offered Cooper:
a) the ability to control each LED array, setting them to any desired
color within a 4.2 billion color palette;
b) two-way communication with each driver/array combination via Enfis
software providing real-time monitoring of fixture temperature, CCT and
energy consumption; and
c) Remote Desk Management (RDM) DMX capabilities.
A total of 208,800 LEDs were used on the project making it one of the
largest LED projects in the world.
The collaborative team saw off competition from some of the world's largest
lighting enterprises by handling the technical demands of the project.
Enfis specializes in super-bright solid-state LED lighting arrays that
allow for optimum light output and extraordinary heat management. Their
products, which also allow for color variability and sleek, compact
designs, have introduced LEDs to applications that were until recently only
possible with traditional lighting sources.
The ongoing ability of Cooper and Enfis to work as a team in response to
the highly complex and challenging environmental needs of the Yas Hotel
project is a source of pride at both organizations. "I believe the
designers are able to create the lighting effects they originally
envisioned for this project due in large part to the ability of Cooper to
come through with solutions," said Smith. "And I also believe Cooper was
able to come through with those solutions in large part because of Enfis."
"The team at Cooper Lighting was great to work with, they have a unique
technical acumen for how to drive LEDs, and how to package them in a
fixture, and more importantly, how to integrate it all into a unique
environment such as this massive structure," said Shaun Oxenham, Chairman
of Enfis. "The result is a truly iconic structure that will be admired and
enjoyed for generations to come. It really captures the whole essence of
how to use solid-state LED lighting for achieving architectural
excellence."
In the end, Cooper used over 5,850 Enfis LED arrays in its lighting design
for the exterior environs of the Yas Hotel complex. The products consisted
primarily of Enfis 4-channel UNO Plus arrays and control drivers integrated
into custom designed IP65 rated stainless steel stanchions. The result is a
testament to the "above and beyond" effort of the two companies working
together.
About Cooper Lighting
Cooper Lighting & Safety (www.cooper-ls.com) offer a comprehensive product
range including mains lighting from Crompton Lighting, architectural
lighting from Axent and both emergency lighting and fire detection systems
from Menvier & JSB. Cooper Lighting & Safety is one of the operating
companies of Cooper Safety.
Cooper Safety is a leading manufacturer of emergency lighting, security,
fire detection and Notification systems also offering lighting fixtures,
and electrical installation materials.
Our well-known brands and products can be found in a whole variety of
industrial, commercial, and domestic settings providing protection to both
life and property by offering fire and security detection, and escape route
illumination in the event of an emergency. Under normal conditions our
products offer professional lighting solutions and high specification
installation materials.
Headquartered in Royal Leamington Spa, England, Cooper Safety comprises 11
different operating companies located in the UK, mainland Europe and North
America. Together these businesses utilise in excess of 1 million square
feet of modern manufacturing and warehousing space, and currently employ
over 2000 people.
Cooper Safety is a division of Cooper Industries, Ltd., a USA based Fortune
500 company.
About Enfis
The Enfis Group Plc (LSE: ENF) designs, manufactures and markets
intelligent, high-power, 'tunable' LED lighting with a focus on providing
cutting-edge solutions that can be easily integrated into luminaires,
fixtures and custom projects. The company's expertise covers semiconductor
technology, packaging, thermal management, optics, electronic design,
software and volume manufacturing.
Enfis 'smart' LED array technology offers luminarie and fixture
manufacturers unsurpassed optical white light output. Their ultra-bright,
multi-watt, multi-wavelength 'smart' LEDs are designed so that each
wavelength can be individually controlled and monitored. Each Enfis 'smart'
LED array has active color temperature and heat-sensing components that
control, calibrate and regulate the light output of each wavelength on the
array for the lifetime of the component.
More information about the company's LED products and solid-state lighting
technologies can be found at www.enfis.com.
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