If color-controlled RGBW LED’s are used as above-ceiling illumination sources, ceiling color, as well as the entire room’s appearance and mood, can be changed at the touch of a button. The Bavaria Downs wedding venue, in Chaska, Minnesota, features a large luminous area in the central 50 percent of the double-slope ceiling, resembling a vast skylight, with opaque panels of a different pattern along the lower edges of the slopes (Figure 1).
Bavaria Downs’ designer Ed Hawksford was seeking an effect that recalled early 20th century Lalique glass. For illumination, he paired the color-controlled luminous ceiling with crystal chandeliers, affording a wide flexibility of effects. Luminous areas of the ceiling are lit by economical generic RBGW LED strips, located approximately 508 mm (20 in.) above the ceiling panels and spaced 0.6 m (2-ft) apart. They are operated by DMX controllers, a programmable system for theatrical lighting. The system can create whatever colors are required to suit an event. The ceiling can mimic a vast skylight with the blue of high noon or the pink of sunset. It can present a background wash of color that matches the bridesmaids’ gowns, while the chandeliers provide directed light that accents glamour and makes the food sparkle. Later, chandeliers can be dimmed to create a soft glow and the ceiling can offer colors in dramatic, saturated hues for dancing. The ceiling can even by synced to music to create a light show. This versatile ceiling has become a sales-point for the venue, with customers considering it additional free decor.
Luminous ceilings, therefore, can be a major design element in addition to the more conventional functions of a suspended grid ceiling.
Applications
There are a broad range of applications where luminous ceilings may be useful or desirable because they offer several different types of benefits: diffuse lighting, transmission of borrowed light, color and intensity control, and improved appearance. In some applications, more than one benefit comes into play.
| RENEWING EXISTING LUMINOUS CEILINGS |
 Facilities with older luminous ceilings can benefit by replacing elements of their existing systems with new technologies. Lenses of these older systems are often acrylics that turn yellow and darken with age. Replacing them with new panels may increase light output and restore illumination levels that were intended in the original design. LED tubes and high-efficiency ballasts compatible with old fluorescent troffers are available as well, and can decrease energy consumption without needing to replace entire fixtures. |
Hospitality
Soft, diffuse lighting is ideal for several types of hospitality environments. In restaurants, it can create a more intimate atmosphere. For example, indirect lighting is one of the must-have features for a five-star rating by the prestigious Michelin guide. Color-controlled lights can transform the decor for special occasions. Ballrooms can benefit from this transformational capability. There are many areas of hotel operations where luminous ceilings may be appropriate and useful, including guest rooms, corridors, lobbies, work-out rooms, and indoor swimming pools.
Exercise and fitness
Exercise and fitness facilities often have situations where occupants spend significant time looking upwards, such as the Pilates studio cited above. Luminous ceiling eliminates glare and makes exercise more comfortable. Decorative patterns in the ceiling form an added benefit of making the space more visually interesting and providing eye relief. In some yoga methods, fixing the gaze on a point in the ceiling is part of the practice.
Applicable environments for luminous ceilings include gyms, workout rooms, swimming pools, and yoga studios, both stand-alone facilities and those found in offices, hotels, schools, recreational centers, residential developments, and senior living residences.
