A.C. Special Projects Provides Stunning Lighting Scheme for Park Plaza County Hotel

19th November 2008

A.C. Special Projects Ltd. has provided a stunning colour-changing lighting scheme for a 14-storey atrium overlooking the stylish Spectrum restaurant in the new Park Plaza County Hall hotel in London.

Conveniently located on the South bank of the River Thames next to London's County Hall, the hotel overlooks a number of the city's top tourist attractions, including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye, and is within easy rich of the city's buzzing nightlife.

BUJ architects and Galliard Construction commissioned A.C. Special Projects Ltd. to design, build and install five colour-changing light box beams to provide a spectacular feature lighting scheme for the hotel's central atrium and the Spectrum restaurant.

With a limit on the physical size of the five beams, the challenge was to design trusses that had the structural integrity required to span the atrium area, which ranges from 6.5m to over 9m in places. Also, the trusses had to accommodate the colour change lighting, recessed spotlights for the restaurant tables, as well as a sprinkler system and various speakers and security cameras.

A.C. Special Projects Ltd. worked with James Thomas Engineering to develop five custom beam trusses that once built, could be pre-fitted with all equipment prior to their delivery to site. Custom wall brackets to support the ends of the beams, which weighed in at over 500kg each, were also specially designed and manufactured to be discreet and fit in with the building's interior design.

The beams were then lifted into place and secured over several weeks. Once suspended, A.C. Special Projects Ltd. could proceed with the task of connecting all 117 Anytronics Anycolour colour change units, and control and supervise the final connection of the water sprinkler systems. Finally, each beam was covered in a Barrisol translucent membrane to allow maximum effect from the internal lighting.

The myriad of colours from the 14-storey atrium, which range from cool blue to warm red, blend with the Spectrum restaurant's exciting Mediterranean menu to provide a fantastic new dining concept and a memorable dining experience. Hotel guests can also enjoy the lighting scheme as they move between the floors in glass lifts, or whilst going to and from their rooms in the upper floor corridors, which both directly overlook the atrium and restaurant.

Chris Hoyle, Contracts Manager at Galliard Construction, commented: "This was a very complex part of the hotel lighting design, as the Barasol clad beams had to produce solid light, free from internal shadows from the structure and other services within the beam. The beams also had to incorporate lighting control, CCTV, audio system, down lighting and the sprinklers pipework and heads. A.C. Special Projects produced several working mock-ups before the design was finally signed off. The colour change light beams have become one of the main focal points of the hotel, and is a credit to the expertise provided by A.C. Special Projects."

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