Copacabana Palace Hotel

Lead Designers Monica Luz Lobo, LD Studio

Entry Description

The Copacabana Palace Hotel, situated on the beachfront in the Brazilian Capital city of Rio de Janeiro, has been a feature of the area since 1923.
As part of a lighting renovation of the façade, a new system has been put in place for lighting control. It was important to the owners of the hotel that the project brought together the tradition of the famed hotspot with a contemporary feel.
A two universe Designer LPC was specified to fulfil the lighting control element of the design. The system utilises DMX technology, enabling the façade to be changed to different colours, patterns and themes, triggered by an iPad touch interface.
The system features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, offering the freedom of real-time manual overrides with the versatility of powerful show control and integration features.
This customisation allows the hotel to celebrate national days and holidays through a visual display using the façade as the canvas. These include international festivities such as Christmas and New Year and national events including Carnival.
By illuminating the façade, the hotel can be appreciated even during hours of darkness, with its striking architecture explored through light. Working in harmony with the new lighting, the façade has been painted in a shade of pearly white to showcase its beauty.

Sustainability Approach

The renovation of the façade and the upgrade of the lighting to modern LEDs has created a design which is much more energy efficient, saving on both energy usage and energy costs for the hotel. The reduction in energy consumption also lowers the carbon emissions being produced by the hotel, contributing towards their overall sustainability goals.
This much-needed renovation reduces the requirement for further maintenance to the iconic building. Selecting durable, long-lasting fixtures and smart control capabilities prevent the need for manual changes to the lighting scheme for each special occasion and extend the amount of time between any updates needed.