bespoke lighting fixtures. They allow seamless glowing
light to resonate throughout, piercing the building
levels and complementing the interior material
finishes. Atkins wanted ‘the sense of a lantern which
will offer a warm glow to onlookers and accentuate
the impact of seeing guests inside the building’.
LEDs hidden in the columns are high-output, high-efficiency RGBW ‘for a lovely, warm-white output,
and have the potential for full colour change to meet
any specific show requirements,’ says Thornton.
‘After numerous concepts and iterations for the facade
lighting we made a decision to have no specific facade
lighting. Instead we focused on the interior and
accentuated the impressive dhow shape by allowing
it to fall into silhouette, letting the interior lighting
“sing” out through the glazing,’ says Thornton.
With an emphasis on indirect lighting there were
no downlights used for the general lighting in the
promenade space. Instead cold cathode within the
ceiling slots and coves is supported by integrated
LEDs that illuminate the escalators, main lift
structures and bars. These layers of light combine
to provide the general ambient lighting as well as
highlighting elements of the interior design.
A lighting control system alters the look and feel
of the space for different occasions and scenarios.
As a multi-format venue the Dubai Opera transforms
into three modes: a theatre, a concert hall, and a ‘flat
floor’ to cater for banquets or events.
In the auditorium, customised linear uplights from
Vexica graze the wall panels from the skirting. Ceiling-mounted spots from Remote Control Lighting are
operated from floor level using an app, allowing staff
to use pre-set scenes or pan, tilt and dim each fitting
individually. Bespoke housings ensure that regardless
of the angle of each panel of the undulating ceiling,
the luminaire body remains perpendicular to the floor,
making it easier to focus accurately.
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