USA - The Ghost Bar on the 55th floor of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas has recently upgraded its lighting with a design created by Adam Gregory of Kelly Communications. The installation features Martin Architectural Alien 05 stem mount fixtures hung from the ceiling above a series of curled acrylic photographs. Light from the Aliens penetrates the images, stretching the figure out onto the wall behind. The Alien fixtures (600mm stems) typically project a subtle blue but the Alien's palette of other colours is also integrated from time to time with six different looks programmed on a Martin 2518 controller.

The Palms is a $265 million resort just off the Strip with a diverse mix of top end entertainment venues under one roof. High above the Vegas Strip, Ghost Bar is an open-air venue with unparalleled views. The lounge boasts 12ft. glass walls and a glass floor on the open-air "ghostdeck."

From the deck a see-thru acrylic floor looks directly at the Skin Pool Lounge 55 floors below. The deck has been equipped with MX-10 scanners as part of Ghost Bar's lighting upgrade. Outside, the MX-10s are not enclosed but hang from pipes on a ceiling with a small Plexiglas shield to guard from direct rainfall. Adam Wuertz, technical director for The Nine Group, which operates Ghost Bar, reports that although they are exposed to the elements, they have had no problems with the fixtures, which are "holding up wonderfully."

The MX-10s serve two purposes according to Wuertz. "They liven the space up and create a dance floor area adding a design element to the area. Another reason I like the MX-10 has to do with the way they are oriented. When the fixtures are in their movement chases they swing out far enough to project over the glass and people on the Strip and adjacent hotels can see the colored lights. Actually, the day they were hung I got three phone calls from people wondering what they were. You can't help but notice them."

The main Ghost Bar area is lit in an atmospheric glow from MiniMAC projection (pre-existing fixtures). The stylized design and ethereal colour scheme is intended to make the bar feel as if it's floating over Vegas, a world apart from the chaos below. Installation was by Kelly Communications with lighting supply by Kelly Communications through Martin's Las Vegas office.

Three venues at the Palms - Ghost Bar, Rain in the Desert, and Skin Pool Lounge, all operated by The Nine Group - boast Martin intelligent lighting systems. In addition, 98 Martin Exterior 600 automated colour changers illuminate the façade of the Palms.

(Sarah Rushton-Read)


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