Esencia 501 was searching for something totally different – something special for their avid guests. A lighting design that would bring the bar to life.
Antonio Solvas Duarte and Mundo RGB had demonstrated their experience and ability to innovate and adapt technology in many previous projects. So, they were brought in to maximise the potential of the venue – and they have proven that creating a spectacular project within only five days before the opening is indeed possible.
The team were very aware of the need to integrate all the different elements, combining them into a complimentary whole, and adapting them to the various forms and structures of the venue. One of the drawbacks of this installation was that the establishment only had a height of 2.8-metres. That is why the team had to choose products that would allow a beautiful result without using equipment that would be too bulky. Digital LED strip lighting, small moving heads, and small but high-performance speakers helped them to achieve that.
The goal was to create an environment where the light by itself was capable of creating the entire atmosphere. It should not only be a visual experience for the guest, but also be the protagonist of the whole; albeit in a much reduced workspace.
In order to achieve this goal, around 1km of digital LED stripes with 60 LEDs per meter were installed inside aluminum profiles with light diffusers on top. The linear elements are all around the venue; in front of the bar and behind it, along the pillars and the DJ booth.
In order to break this linearity, the concept of ‘the heart of light’ was further introduced. This visual highlight is able to transform the little space that is available in front of the bar into a dance floor area. It is a stunning canopy above and as a round element, it also nicely integrates the name of the venue several times.
MADRIX NEBULA interfaces act as hardware controllers and extra 60W LED beam moving heads are controlled by Martin Light Jockey for DMX control, while an Akai APC 40 is used as an easily-accessible MIDI controller for the entire system.
The main characteristics of the installation are its versatility and dynamic energy, achieved by both the arrangement of the individual elements as well as the play of colours. This is all thanks to the digital lighting and MADRIX Software with all of the impressive possibilities it offers.
The auditory experience complements the visual one. The venue needed sharpness and depth in the sound quality, so the team chose to install 16 Void Acoustics loudspeakers, model Venu 8, two Void Acoustics low-frequency loudspeakers, model Venu 215, the dbx processor Zone Pro 1261 M model, a EcuDap XBASIS noise limiter, and a Stage Sound Crown XTi power amplifier.
The main challenge of this installation was the time frame – it needed to be completed in only five days. This was achieved thanks to outstanding systems design work beforehand and an efficient programming workflow.
During the planning phase, the space was scanned in all three dimensions with a Leica BLK360 scanner – it generated a data cloud with which the team could model and visualise the entire installation in SketchUp, allowing them to know in advance what was necessary down to the millimetre before implementing and installing the design.
