111 Buckingham Palace Road LED Light Wall

At the entrance of 111 Buckingham Palace Road in Victoria, London – a shared office block for many high-profile companies and organizations – a large, vibrant, eye-catching light wall features Color Kinetics’ intelligent LED lighting systems to greet employees and guests.

Lighting designer Alma Cardzic of Hilson Moran Partnership was tasked to reinvent the office light wall with dazzling dynamic effects. Previously lit with over 900 fluorescent tubes that were costly to maintain, Cardzic chose iColor Cove® MX Powercore – Color Kinetics’ highest-intensity, color-changing cove light.

The entire glass wall stretches approximately 100 feet long by 16 feet high (30 m by 5 m), curving along the entranceway. Over 380 units of iColor Cove MX Powercore were stacked four units high and arranged in a linear fashion behind glass panels.

Cardzic chose iColor Cove MX Powercore because of its intensity and its capability for simple digital control. Because LED sources inherently emit colored light, the fixture can produce millions of colors and programmable effects with a push of a button, unlike the previous fluorescent tubes that would require colored filters or gels. Additionally, the long source life of LEDs can translate to reduced fixture maintenance and replacement.

The entire lighting system is controlled by Light System Manager – an integrated, Ethernet-based software/hardware control system. Light System Manager combines an intuitive graphical user interface for light show authoring with a powerful hardware engine for light show storage and playback. At 111 Buckingham Palace Road it controls 8 client-defined sequences and states, ranging from funky multi-colored rainbow effects to solid single color scenes and a few custom-designed “specials.”

Cardzic worked with Architainment Lighting Ltd, the UK distributor for Color Kinetics, and Lighting Technology Projects (LTP) to supply, install and program the renovated light wall and coordinated the entire installation with the site’s main contractors, Simpson York.

“Color Kinetics fixtures gave me the ability to create a truly unique design and provided me with a virtually unlimited color pallet,” said Alma Cardzic of Hilson Moran Partnership. “Working with LED fixtures allows me to provide a design enriched with color that everyone can enjoy.”

“The iColor Cove MX Powercore fixture was the ideal choice for the job,” said Terry Reeves of LTP. “The installation went smoothly, and because of Color Kinetics' robust engineering and overall product quality, we know that the light wall will be in place for years to come.”

The result has transformed a functional public area into a stimulating, fun gallery-style space that has become a great conversation piece for those who enter the building.