Visitors to the Ghost Bar on the 55th floor of the $265 million Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas have witnessed some unusual sightings lately. Apparently, otherworldly figures have been to appearing on the walls of the bar, ghostly sightings that, upon further investigation, aren’t much of a mystery at all.
These sightings in the Ghost Bar's luxurious VIP room coincide with the installation of Martin Architectural www.martin.com Alien 05 stem mount fixtures. Hung from the ceiling above a series of curled acrylic photographs, light from the Aliens penetrates the photos stretching the figure out onto the wall behind. The Alien fixtures (600mm stems) typically project a dreamlike blue, but the Alien's palette of colors is also integrated from time to time with six different color looks programmed on a Martin 2518 controller. Lighting design was by Adam Gregory of Kelly Communications.
Located high above the Vegas Strip, Ghost Bar is an open-air lounge with unparalleled views. This upscale bar boasts 12’ glass walls and a glass floor on the open-air "ghostdeck." From the "ghostdeck", visitors look through the see-thru acrylic floor directly at the Skin Pool Lounge 55 floors below.
As part of Ghost Bar's lighting upgrade, the deck, simple, yet eclectic, has been equipped with MX-10 scanners. The MX-10s are not enclosed and hang outside from pipes on a ceiling with a small Plexiglas shield to guard from direct rainfall. Adam Wuertz technical director for The Nine Group, which operates Ghost Bar, reports that although they are exposed to the elements, the fixtures are "holding up wonderfully."
The MX-10s serve two purposes, according to Adam. "They liven the space up a bit, create a dancefloor area, and add a design element to the area. Another reason I like the MX-10 is the way they are oriented. When the fixtures are in their movement chases, they swing out far enough to project over the glass; so people on the Strip and adjacent hotels can see the colored lights. Actually, the day they were hung I got three phone calls from people wondering what they were. You can't help but notice them."
As its name implies, the main Ghost Bar area is lit in an atmospheric ghostly glow from MiniMAC projection (pre-existing fixtures). The highly stylized design and ethereal color scheme make the bar feel as if it's floating over Vegas, a world away from the chaos below. Installation was by Kelly Communications with lighting supply by Kelly Communications through Martin's Las Vegas office.
Three venues at the Palms–Ghost Bar, Rain in the Desert, and Skin Pool Lounge, all operated by The Nine Group–boast Martin intelligent lighting systems that have helped make them some of the most popular destinations in Vegas. In addition, the façade of the Palms is illuminated by 98 Martin Exterior 600 automated color changers.