May 1998
High RollersThe Rejuvenation of a Las Vegas Landmark
The principal interior lighting plan for the major renovation of Harrah's Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas involved defining and designing a system that would unify many of the public spaces while adding to the entertainment experience. Planning for the exterior reflected the sense of merriment that begins with the famed jesters atop the Harrah's sign.
As the lighting consultant, I had to make sure that the interior lighting also highlighted architectural details, while simultaneously meeting stringent design criteria and addressing energy consumption concerns. Over a mile-and-a-half of cove lighting in lobby, lounge, restaurant, elevator lobbies, and gambling areas provided the opportunity to develop a unifying theme. However, I was limited by the nominal space allowed by many of the coves.
The use of fiber optic lighting allowed the development of a color-changing system that unified these areas and helped define a pathway through the principle public areas of the casino.
Using Lumenyte International's generation LEF (linear emitting fiber) side-light fiber optics instead of decorative fiber optic effects resulted in attractive as well as functional illumination.
Color changing throughout the cove installations was synchronized using a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). The color changing among four custom colors - rose, light green, hot pink, and blue - takes the cove lighting from a static to a kinetic element and adds another level of interest, while coordinating all areas of the casino.
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