Retail: Abu Dhabi Apple Store water terrace steps
The brief
The Apple Store at Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi has a water terrace outside, with steps that go down into the water. The lighting for those steps had to sit under the surface: a line of cool white light that keeps the steps readable at night.
That is a hard place for a light. The strip sits in water, in strong sun for much of the year, in hot, salty coastal air. A material that yellows, softens or takes in water would not last. The project needed a neon body that holds up to constant water contact, UV and salt, in runs long enough to follow the steps across the whole terrace.
What we supplied
Unitop supplied the UT-PU1018 PU LED neon flex, more than 6,500 ft (2,000 m) in total, in 6000K at 24V DC and 10 W/m (3.0 W/ft).
We chose polyurethane for the body. PU resists UV yellowing and hydrolysis, the slow breakdown that water causes in many plastics, and it resists tearing. The strip is rated IP68 with properly rated accessories, so the ends, joints and cable entries have to be sealed to the same level as the strip itself.
The profile is 10 × 18 mm with a 120° beam and 144 LEDs per meter, so the line reads as one even band of light. It can be cut every 1.64 in (41.7 mm) to match the step lengths, and sections up to 16.4 ft (5 m) join into longer lines. It is rated to operate in ambient temperatures up to 131°F (55°C), which suits Abu Dhabi summers.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | UT-PU1018 PU LED neon flex |
| Material | Polyurethane (PU) body, light-transmitting |
| Cross-section | 10 × 18 mm (0.39 × 0.71 in) |
| Voltage | 24V DC constant voltage |
| Power | 10 W/m (3.0 W/ft) |
| Color temperature used | 6000K |
| Output at 6000K | 640 lm/m (195 lm/ft), typical |
| CRI | Ra > 90 |
| LEDs | 144 per meter (44 per foot) |
| Beam angle | 120° |
| IP rating | IP68, with properly rated accessories |
| Operating temperature | Up to 131°F (55°C) |
| Cut length | Every 1.64 in (41.7 mm) |
| Section length | Up to 16.4 ft (5 m) |
| Total quantity | More than 6,500 ft (2,000 m) |
| Completed | February 2022 |
The result
The installation was finished in February 2022. A continuous line of 6000K light now follows the steps of the water terrace, under the water.
For contractors, the lesson is to treat a submerged run as a sealing job, not just a strip choice. IP68 covers continuous immersion under conditions agreed with the maker, so tell us the water depth and how long the strip stays under. Send the step drawing early, so cut lengths, lead positions and end seals are settled before anything is installed.
