Hospitality: Grand Hyatt Dubai facade outline
The brief
Grand Hyatt Dubai is a group of tall, curved towers, and the facade lighting had to draw their outline at night: a soft, even line of pure white, kept simple and clean. The lighting also had to be controllable: brightness that dims smoothly, and saved scenes that can be recalled without anyone touching the fixtures.
The site made it harder. A Dubai coastal facade faces strong UV, salt in the air and long, hot summers. The neon had to be specified for those conditions, and it had to follow the building, with the line curving sideways around the towers and turning up or down along the edges.
What we supplied
Unitop supplied the UT-N1616-3D 3D bend LED neon flex, about 5,900 ft (1,800 m) in total, in DMX512 RGBW at 24V DC and 15 W/m (4.6 W/ft).
The 3D bend profile was the deciding factor. Standard neon bends in one direction. This one bends both horizontally and vertically, so a single profile can follow the curved outline and turn up or down where the facade does. The 16 × 16 mm silicone body gives a soft, even line, and the white channel of the RGBW chip provides the pure white outline.
DMX512 control is what provides the dimming and the scene presets. The same RGBW neon can hold plain white for everyday use and switch to color when a scene calls for it. Each run is limited to 16 ft (5 m) per feed, so the layout is built around power feed points along the facade.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | UT-N1616-3D 3D bend LED neon flex |
| Body | Silicone |
| Cross-section | 16 × 16 mm (0.63 × 0.63 in) |
| Bend | Horizontal and vertical (3D) |
| Minimum bend radius | 3.94 in (100 mm) |
| Color | RGBW, DMX512 controlled |
| Voltage | 24V DC |
| Power | 15 W/m (4.6 W/ft) |
| IP rating | IP67 |
| Cut length | Every 3.94 in (100 mm) |
| Max run | 16 ft (5 m) per feed |
| Total quantity | About 5,900 ft (1,800 m) |
| Completed | 2022 |
The result
The facade lighting was completed in 2022. The facade now carries a continuous, soft white outline that can be dimmed or switched between scenes from the DMX controller.
For contractors, the lesson from a facade like this is to settle control and power early. Send us the elevations, the run lengths and the DMX layout, and we will plan the feed points and cut lengths with you before anything is ordered.
