Architectural: Dubai logistics park facade
The brief
JAFZA South Logistics Park is a large logistics development in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. Its warehouse blocks are wrapped in curved metal cladding, and the design calls for thin lines of light that run up and over the barrel-shaped facade, plus lit level markers on the stair towers.
Our client was a small electrical contractor based in Sharjah, a team of five to ten people bidding on a high-end Dubai government project. Before awarding the lighting package, the owner tested samples. They looked right at first, but after the owner’s accelerated aging test the silicone surface turned yellow. The cause was low-grade silicone with no surface treatment. On a facade that sits in the UAE sun all year, that yellowing would have shown within a few summers.
There was a second problem. The light lines follow the curve of the cladding, so the neon had to bend in two directions. A top-bend neon flex bends easily along its height but resists bending sideways.
What we supplied
Unitop supplied UT-N5025-TB top-bend silicone LED neon flex for the facade, about 16,400 ft (5,000 m) in total across 2700K, 4000K, 5700K and RGBW.
Two changes answered the two problems. For the yellowing, we built the neon with DOW silicone and added a surface coating, so the jacket holds its color under heat and UV. For the curves, our engineering team enlarged the internal space of the profile, which lets the top-bend neon also bend sideways and follow the facade lines.
The neon uses Lumileds LED chips, is rated IP67 and is specified for ambient temperatures up to 131°F (55°C), a real number on a Dubai summer facade. Both 24V and 48V DC versions were used on the project.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | UT-N5025-TB silicone LED neon flex |
| Bend | Top bend, with added side-bend capability |
| Silicone | DOW silicone with surface coating |
| LEDs | Lumileds LED chips |
| Colors | 2700K, 4000K, 5700K, RGBW |
| Voltage | 24V DC and 48V DC |
| Power | 5 W/m (1.5 W/ft) |
| IP rating | IP67 |
| Rated ambient | Up to 131°F (55°C) |
| Connections | Male/female connectors, A3 end cap |
| Total quantity | About 16,400 ft (5,000 m) |
The result
With the yellowing solved in the new samples, our client won the facade lighting package. At dusk, white lines of light trace the curved cladding, and RGBW bars mark each level on the stair towers.
Phase 1 was delivered in 2023. Phases 1 and 2 were supplied by Unitop and are installed. Phase 3 is in production now.
The project shows what high-end owners actually check. They don’t stop at how a sample looks on day one; they age it. For contractors, asking about the silicone grade and surface treatment before submitting samples can decide whether the bid is won.
