The glamourous new Holland Casino in Utrecht is a striking, golden building that blends sophistication with welcoming hospitality. This perfect alignment is reflective of the Holland Casino brand, and something the company aspires to at every one of its venues.
Designed by OZ Architects, the brief was to create a diamond-shaped building, adorned in gold, that was also completely light. As well as illuminating the entire building and using the façade to display content, it was also important that the building met the criteria for the BREAAM sustainability certification. Keeping light pollution to a minimum was crucial.
System integrator Livingprojects worked closely with light architect Siegrid Siederius on behalf of Arup to deliver the vision of Holland Casino. The façade is structured with individual panels, and an LED fixture is built into each one. The fixtures are not directly visible, ensuring indirect light for viewers. The panels of the façade reflect the light, and the ultimate result is a seamless integration that delivers stunning results.
As well as the golden façade being fully illuminated in the evenings, content can also be displayed on the panels. This ensures the casino can respond to special themes or days through the use of the media façade. The custom-made lighting system allows for a different colour to be introduced every 10cm, making it possible to create a dynamic façade and even show detailed video content.
The dynamic lighting is controlled by a system from Pharos Architectural Controls. The installation uses the Pharos VLC 500 (Video Lighting Controller). This high-power, yet cost-effective architectural lighting control solution is suitable for large LED pixel arrays, including building façades, making it the perfect system for Holland Casino Utrecht.
Pharos EDN 20 (Ethernet Data Node) remote devices are also incorporated into the system. This convenient and scalable solution provides cost-effective Ethernet distributed DMX ports for large control projects. EDN 20 is a 20-port unit.
A Pharos TPC (Touch Panel Controller) is due to be added soon, offering users an advanced lighting playback engine through a sleek touch screen device.
With more than 9000 fixtures, the cabling, connections and a suitable location to operate the Pharos control system had to be carefully identified to ensure both safety and style were achieved.
Coupled with the luxurious façade, the entrance of the casino completes the awe-inspiring experience. Livingprojects developed a 40m long light that shows dynamic content and wows visitors from the moment they enter the casino.
Additional Design
Light architect: Arup – Siegrid Siderius
Contractor: Wessels Zeist
Constructor: Van der Vorm Engineering
Facade: Aldowa
