Color Kinetics Inc. announced its largest networked lighting system to date: an 11,700 square foot video screen that wraps around Aspire Tower, the tallest building in Doha, Qatar. The project was completed in December as the focal point for broadcast coverage of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
The installation marks the latest in a growing number of large-scale, lower-resolution video displays that are being erected as a cost-effective alternative to conventional high-resolution LED screens. Color Kinetics’ systems can enable such displays on almost any interior or exterior surface, including façades, ceilings, floors, and even rooftops and sculptures—placing video where it was previously cost prohibitive or impractical.
The 1,000 foot tower’s façade is covered in wire mesh. Approximately 156,500 nodes of iColor® Flex SL were woven through the material to form a massive cylindrical video screen that’s divided into three low-resolution and three higher-resolution segments. Each node acts as an individually programmable pixel by incorporating Color Kinetics’ custom-engineered Chromasic® microchip. Live coverage of the Asian Games was fed directly to the nodes via Video System Manager.
“We’ve proven that LEDs are an ideal source for many illumination applications, and now we’re increasingly targeting low-resolution video as well, based largely on the strength of our intelligent control technology. With our Chromasic chip inside each self-contained LED node, we can produce video grids in virtually any form, including the transparent grid as installed on Aspire Tower—which wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago,” notes Bill Sims, president and CEO, Color Kinetics. “On top of the digital intelligence, we can create very durable displays that are able to withstand harsh climates and vibration without the bulk and weight of typical high-resolution LED screens.”
“We’re pleased to name Aspire Tower among our global collection of landmark projects,” says Sims.
Although its exterior is complete, the tower’s interior space is set to open in August 2007, comprising a luxury hotel, rotating restaurant, and sports museum, among other amenities.
For additional Live Design coverage on the 2006 Asian Games see links below:
Asian Games Awash In Mac 2000 Color
Clay Paky Lights Up The 2006 Asian Games
Element Labs Creates Collossal LED Display For Asian Games Ceremonies