Color Kinetics Showcase Devos Performance Hall

Grand Rapids, MI

Color Kinetics’ intelligent LED lighting technology played a starring role in the summer 2004 renovation of DeVos Performance Hall -- the 2,400-seat performing arts theatre in Grand Rapids. The popular theatre is home to the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Grand Rapids Ballet Company, Broadway Theatre Guild and many touring concerts and family shows. The extensive internal renovations called for colorful accent lighting to enliven the theatre’s side walls.

Conceptualized by Shuler Shook, the lighting scheme was intended to give new life to the previously gray perimeter walls, which reach 60 feet (18 meters) high. The owners desired a new look that would accentuate the walls and actually change the perception of the audience space. According to Schuler Shook partner Todd Hensley, “Given the height of the walls, the new treatment had to be large-scale, readily buildable and maintainable, as well as having immediate costs that met the owner’s budgets. The project also was limited to a 90-day renovation period for the theatre, in order to preserve the production dates for its major users.”

The solution? Approximately 44 ColorBlaze® 72 units were mounted to the ceiling in a linear run along each perimeter wall to uniformly wash their surfaces with saturated color and subtle, dynamic effects. ColorBlaze 72 is Color Kinetics’ highest output system, measuring 6 feet (2 meters) in length and controllable in 6-inch (15 cm) increments. It has an on-board power supply to simplify installation. A smaller number of ColorBlast® 12 units were installed underneath the audience access bridges to provide completely even illumination. “The owners had a high value for color-changing lighting,” says Hensley. “Single-color schemes were evaluated, but the decisions kept coming back for a dynamic color choice. Learn more...