Transforming the Grand Hyatt Banquet Floor
This Media Release was published in the following:
|
One of Melbourne's most prestigious entertainment and accommodation venues, the Grand Hyatt, has recently undergone six months of extensive renovations to the Level 8 Banquet floor. The Grand Hyatt's magnificent new Savoy Ballroom, Mayfair Ballroom and pre-function area, feature the most sophisticated technology, wedded with impressive interior design.
Critical to the Grand Hyatt's vision was an intimate and comfortable atmosphere throughout the ballroom and foyer areas, utilising kinetic lighting and video. This vision was realised by lighting designer, Mike Huggins, from Light Directions in Hong Kong . Mike has an extensive relationship with the Hyatt Hotel Group, having previously designed the lighting for Melbourne 's Park Hyatt.
Mike's concepts for lighting control relied heavily on a total integration of all kinetic light sources and functional lighting, but with a simple front end. This was no easy task when the system was required to perform a range of tasks, including local or global control, complex room joining, plus control over an eclectic blend of incandescent, metal halide, fluorescent and LED light sources.
Lightmoves were invited to offer specification for a control system that could achieve these objectives, within the tight budget constraints.
Lightmoves' Technical Director, Andrew Sherar, met with the client to discuss the most effective way to implement a design within the limited timeframe. He found that not only did the Hyatt require control of the standard light sources, but they also needed to control colour changing LEDs and DMX-controlled moving lights. All via local control for Banqueting staff, and by the in-house AV company.
Knowing the exact parameters of the system requirements, Lightmoves proposed a system that allowed complex and sophisticated control but could be utilised for simple meetings and functions without the need for an AV Technician. The overall system included 240 channels of ‘ Dual Port ' dimming, controlling incandescent and fluorescent lighting, various LED controllers, 14 LCD touch screens, push button panels, 12 Enttec DMX Streamers and a DMX patch bay .
During the development of the control solution, Lightmoves became aware of the need to integrate the colour-changing feature lighting into the system. They proposed a number of alternate fixtures that could be directly controlled via the Dynalite system. Total control via this Dynalite system, provided the potential for substantial cost savings and significantly improved performance of the specified fittings
This was achieved in areas throughout the Grand Hyatt Ballrooms. The Mayfair Ballroom's walls were originally specified with colour changing LED spotlights to create a wall washing effect. Joe Casamento , Lightmoves' Project Manager, states “We asked the client if they had considered colour changing fluorescents instead of LED spotlights. The Martin Cyclo Directional fittings offer brighter output, wider coverage and are not quite as expensive. After several site tests they were quickly convinced!”
Subsequently, the Martin Cyclos were placed behind frosted glass panels on the wall. The result was an amazing colour dimensional wall with programmable colour wash settings.
The walls were matched with ceiling alcove colour washing, using Osram LED strips running directly off Dynalite LED controllers.
The visual impact of these rooms is amazing. Most striking, however, are the colour changing LED feature glass panels in the ballroom foyers and escalators. Lightmoves worked closely with glass specialists Toucan Glass, to develop mesmerizing back-lit glass features along the main pre-function wall, column and escalators. Almost 70 LEDion colour changing MR16 LED downlighters were installed behind the textured glass panels. Using Martin LightJockey, Lightmoves programmed a variety of colour-changing sequences. These were recorded into Enttec Streamer DMX recorders and are simply triggered via Dynalite touchscreens.
The Ballroom was designed with movable walls, to enable the space to be divided into many room configurations. Each of the 13 rooms contains a customised LCD touchscreen to provide lighting control functions and control of background audio and lectern microphone volume.
Alternatively, the system allows for control of the entire ballroom lighting via any LCD panel in any room.
Each separate area in the ballroom is controlled by its own set of " Dual Port " dimmers. This means that in addition to the Dynalite control panels they can also accept the DMX signal from any industry standard lighting desk.
A complete DMX patching system was installed to integrate the fixed intelligent DMX controlled fittings, house light dimmers and any portable equipment bought in for a particular event. The DMX Patch Panel has a separate link to each room's lighting dimmers. Plugging a lighting desk into the system will render the lighting panels and LCD touch screens temporarily inoperable, making the system respond solely to the lighting desk.
Almost all of the rooms have moving (intelligent) lights in the ceiling. These fittings can be controlled either by a lighting console operated by a member of the in–house A/V supply company, or through the House Lighting Control System, via LCD Touchscreens operated by A/V Staff or Banquet Staff. Enttec DMXStreamers control the intelligent lights in each room, storing programmed sequences that are are triggered through the lighting control system via the LCD touchscreens sending RS-232 commands. As there are separate DMXStreamers and control interfaces in each room area, control has been set up to follow the the joining of areas. When a member of the banquet staff opens a removable wall and joins the two rooms together, all the systems are joined, including intelligent lights..
Despite the complex control required by the variety of possible room configurations, the house lighting system is simple and straightforward for all banquet staff to operate. Advanced functions are password-protected to limit access to management staff and/or the in-house A/V contractor.
After visiting the Grand Hyatt Ballrooms there is no doubt that the feature lighting and control is one of the major elements of the complex. The use of the latest technology in light and colour, allows the unique ballroom to transform its interior easily and without the need for skilled technical staff.
Back to the Projects page 
Lightmoves Home page
contact
Lightmoves