Environmental Lighting Technics

For the dining areas, I wanted the rooms to feel environmentally different. John had already treated each room with individual flare. One room was in gold; one room in silver; and one was lined with 56 feet of a Moroccan mural and rectangular dining tables. I decided to change the color of the air to further distinguish the rooms, accenting each room's unique character with complementary light.

White light isn’t really white. The color temperature plays a huge part in designing with white light. Lower color temperatures have an amber hue and high color temperatures have a bluish hue. When designing jewelry stores, lighting designers use the appropriate light for the appropriate precious metal or stone. Gold, rubies, and dark woods look glamorous under lower color temperatures. Higher color temperatures highlight blue hues increasing the appeal of silver, platinum, and diamonds. For our dining experience we used common white light at various color temperatures to create contrast and bold yet indescribable environmental changes.

The entrance tent was in the middle. Looking up, long metallic forms traveled from the apex of the tent all the way to the ground below. Layers of black fabric contrasted with nearly a hundred geometric metal forms chained together to form two center pieces expanding the room into the sky. Ornate table clothes on rounds were made of silver medallions sewn into a soft gray fabric. Four truss towers stood like sentries as they blasted cool white light and deep rich blues into the centerpieces. The metal reflected and refracted the light as the cool colors danced into the shimmering character of the black drapes. CTB was used on the Par-Nels to increase the natural color temperature of the HPL lamp. Eighteen Elation Opti 30s were also gelled with CTB (Color Temperature Blue) to bring out the natural color of the silver chairs and table cloth. The effect was cool, industrial, and very modern.

The tent to the left of the entrance suggested a Moroccan restaurant. Thirteen rectangular dining tables lined the room graced with arrangements of palm reaching into the soft fabric ceiling. Using ungeled par 30s, the lighting style, common in ethnic restaurants or buffets, was honest and familiar. Narrow spots highlighted the tops of the palms, as narrow floods washed the full length of the table. A modular geometric screen lined the far side of the room mirrored by the geometric prints on the table clothes. Along the geometric screen, 40 Color changing cove lights were programmed to sweep in the same orange as the table cloths. The lights dimmed from 10% to 100% in slow subtle waves, caressing the lingering screen. The faux grass floor connected to the palms as the soft white fabric of the tent ceiling reached down to the white table cloths and screen. Black chairs waiting patiently around the tables complimented the geometric outlines on the table cloths. Well thought out, the room was effortless and natural.

The tent to the right of the entrance was traditional and elegant. Engulfed in black fabric, the tables themselves commanded the room. Wrapped in a shawl of greenery, long gold hooks extended into the air. Gracefully reaching back downward, the sweeping arcs curled through golden chain holding the ornate votives sparkling with candle light. On the table top, a gathering of gold hand painted votives adorned the base of the tree. The golden table cloth was embroidered with the Middle Eastern geometric theme. Around the room, gold sentries of an unknown modular design rested against the black fabric walls. Intriguing and mysterious these golden forms carried the eye through the room giving an elegant table display a clever frame. I immediately gelled the table spots with CTO (Color Temperature Orange). The room glowed with deep amber. Rich and tasteful, the golden color apparent throughout the room shimmered under the complementary light.

By controlling the color temperature, I was able to create three different environments. The atmosphere morphed from tent to tent. The quality of light was subtle yet dynamic, ordinary yet when juxtaposed to each other . . . astonishing. By using different lighting styles in each area, the rooms contained a world defined only by its Moroccan style.

That night each guest took a journey starting with simple traditional styles to an increasingly complex blend of themes. In many ways, the events dynamic style was much like listening to a symphonic work. The combination of contemporary LED design and Moroccan expositions was seamlessly woven throughout the event. The development and variations provided interest both to the event novice and planner. Emotional and provoking, the crescendo to the diner did not leave the guest wanting. For the finale, the guest returned back though Quail Hollow Country Club greeted by a loosening theme and a cover band. Whooping and hollering, the guest boogied down. Intoxicated, seduced, and inspired; everyone left with an unforgettable evening, a smile, and a cab ride.