Full Spectrum Color Tuning
The emotive power of color has been an integral aspect of theatrical design since the advent of stage lighting. Take even the most mundane setting, and with a miniscule modulation of hue, saturation, intensity, or direction, it is possible to evoke a cornucopia of feelings. An average table and chair set in an unexceptional space can become at turns terrifying, delightful, whimsical, comforting, or imbued with any number of other sensibilities almost entirely through color.
Modulate Color Using LED Lights
Today, it is possible to modulate color using LED arrays in two ways:
- Tunable White (or Dynamic White): in which arrays of chips with different color temperatures are used in coordination to create light within a defined range, for example, between 1800 – 6000K.
- RGBw Color Mixing: in which full-saturation Red, Green, Blue, and White chips are used to blend light and create specific color characteristics in terms of hue and saturation.
The former is commonly found in wellness and health applications, or in contexts that require subtle modulation of white light based on a pre-established range of programs. The latter is more common in theatrical applications, or in contexts where a more theatrical approach is warranted to add drama or dynamism to an environment.
Litelab x Sony
In 2015-2016, Litelab worked with Loop Lighting to develop full-spectrum RGBw Tunable White downlights for the Sony Experience Showroom on Madison Avenue, NY (Sony Square NYC). Providing up to 2000 Lumens, with color rendering of 90+, and capable of full saturation color tuning, these downlights add to the Showroom’s multifaceted and experience-driven program. The host of multiple events, every experience is illuminated using unique hue and saturation settings customized to the subject — resulting in a truly immersive, one of a kind experience.
Litelab provided both recessed 2-lamp color tunable fixtures for the lower level, and 12” square surface-mounted downlights for the double-height space. In both instances, the fixtures were designed to meet the aesthetic requirements of the architectural design, and the conceptual requirements of the open-ended lighting program, which needed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate unspecified events with unknown media.
The result is a lighting landscape that adjusts to the variable program of the showroom, and provides a rich and powerful experience to visitors.
