How does the ballroom at Hotel Albuquerque go from a Batman-themed birthday party complete with a glowing green and purple ceiling to a sophisticated, softly lit evening reception at the touch of a button? The answer: its new state-of-the-art LED lighting system from Philips Color Kinetics.

Prior to the new lighting, the master 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) Alvarado Ballroom at Hotel Albuquerque could only change the aesthetic feel of the space so much — brightening or dimming the lights and accommodating the guests' own themed décor. To extend the ballroom's flexibility and create more value for customers, owner Heritage Hotels and Resorts turned to Joseph Barron Lighting Design in Albuquerque to design a new dynamic lighting system. "The number one design intent was to completely transform and enhance the ballroom experience," says Barron. For the project, Barron specified 1,350 linear feet of Philips Color Kinetics iColor Cove EC LED lighting fixtures, installed end-to-end within a low-profile painted wood molding along the perimeter of the large ceiling coffers. Strings of iColor Flex LMX LED nodes were installed in each of the ballroom's Southwestern-style chandeliers. Together, they light each coffer with saturated, intelligent, color-changing light that complements the existing halogen sources in the ballroom. 

Because the ballroom can be divided into numerous spaces with multiple events occurring simultaneously, the hotel needed a flexible and dynamic control system. Barron specified a solution consisting of a Light System Manager Ethernet controller and an iColor Keypad wall-mounted controller to individually control 12 different lighting zones. The result is a seamless, digitally controlled lighting system that allows users to transform the ballroom for any occasion.

"This is the most advanced LED lighting system in the state," notes Jim Long, Heritage Hotels and Resorts Founder and CEO. "The LED system was designed for flexibility, scalability, and customization. This enables our customers to create a variety of stunning atmospheres during the same event by programming the lighting to change."

The new lighting system has paid off. Because the lighting completely changes the space's look and feel, event functions can save tens of thousands of dollars on décor budgets, which has increased event bookings. The ballroom can now accommodate events ranging from vibrant fashion shows to softly lit wedding receptions, fire-engine siren light shows for a firefighters' conference, and superhero-themed birthday parties. 

"The really fun thing about the project is the instant 'wow' effect on the client when they see and feel it for the first time," says Barron. "I think there is a synergistic and immersive aspect to the lighting and it has an instant appeal."