In March 2014, The LINQ Resort by Caesars Entertainment altered
the Las Vegas skyline when it completed the world’s tallest observation wheel. The
High Roller, shaped like a giant
floating hoop, now rises above the cityscape of Las Vegas, illuminated from sunset
throughout the night by fixtures from HARMAN’s Martin Professional’s Tripix range of
products.The Linq’s High Roller Observation Wheel Enhances The Iconic Las Vegas Skyline with
HARMAN’s Martin Professional Lighting

Commissioned by Caesars Entertainment in 2009 with an overall vision to change the
Las Vegas Skyline with a new iconic landmark, construction on the world’s tallest
observation wheel began. On the lighting side of this extravagant architectural
project, NYXdesign teamed up with Martin Professional, systems integrator 4Wall
Entertainment and electrical contractors Bombard Electric.

The installation includes 1,120 Tripix 300 fixtures, 1,008 Tripix Wash fixtures, 560
Tripix Power IP66 power supplies and four MAC Viper fixtures.

“Working with Henrik Kristensen from Martin and the rest of the team was very
rewarding,” said Buddy Pope, Senior Systems Project Manager, 4Wall Entertainment.
“We had to make sure everything would be able to withstand being turned upside down
every 30 minutes over and over again. Also, everything had to be designed down to
the last hole before we were able to test anything. Martin’s willingness to come up
with customized solutions was a key success factor in these early stages.”

“The amount of time we spent and the level of detail we worked with in the mockup
stage really was worth it,” said Lighting Designer, Abigail Rosen Holmes. “It
allowed us to know the choices we were making would work as we intended when
installed. This information had to be carried through to the drawings, and
eventually construction, as it would not be possible to adjust the fixtures’
mounting positions.”

One major challenge that had to be considered in the early stages of the project was
to accommodate the user experience from both inside the cabins and from various
angles and viewing distances make the lighting design successful from every possible
perspective. The Tripix products were chosen because at the time it was the only
fixture on the market with a converged light source, also known as a tri-color chip,
meaning that when you look directly at the light source you only see the color that
the fixtures is programmed to show. As visitors would be able to see directly into
the light source from the cabins, a traditional RGB light source was not an option.

“Apart from the difficulty in getting to the fixture locations, our involvement was
a ‘bolt-up’ and ‘plug and play’ installation of a well-designed lighting system,”
said Mike Gurule, Bombard Electric. “It is clear to us that Martin places a high
emphasis on quality control.”

The guidelines for the lighting design was that it had to respect the beauty and
simplicity of the structure while at the same time embracing its kinetic qualities.
In contrast to a lot of Las Vegas lighting, the design for the High Roller was not
meant to be flashy and carnival-like.

“The vision of everybody involved allowed me to treat the object very simply,
because in its pure form the structure is extraordinarily beautiful,” said Holmes.
“They had this clear idea and vision and were very consistent on keeping it all the
way through.”

Even though the fixtures are moving around with the rim, it is possible to program
the fixtures to make the wheel appear to be one color in the bottom half and another
in the top half. The programming frequently returns to white to reestablish the pure
form of the object and there are subtle design choices that may not all be perceived
by spectators, but contribute to the overall perception of the design.

As the sun goes down a slightly different time every day, there are 365 individual
cues timed to actual sunset. It starts with a sequence designed to play from sunset
to dark. When darkness falls another set of sequences carry on all through the
night. Sets of special sequences are designed for holidays and special events,
including, according to Holmes, an awesome one for Halloween.

There is an obvious challenge in lighting up a structure like The High Roller.
Unlike The London Eye, which is designed as an open truss structure, The High Roller
is a massive white object that has to be illuminated from the outside.

“The 2,000 Martin fixtures were individually mapped and numbered to provide the
detail and variety we wanted in the programming,” said Holmes. “This formed the
basis of the varied movement patterns and groups which play out in the programming
for the wheel lighting."

Holmes, working with programmer Jason Badger, created the initial wheel lighting
sequences using an offline 3d visualizer, allowing the project team to further
review and develop the feel and aesthetic of the programming in advance of
installation. For onsite programming, a position was set up on a hotel balcony
overlooking The High Roller. All the fixtures are wirelessly DMX-controlled and
during this phase all the pre-programmed sequences were tested and more were
developed.

More than a year into its completion, many believe The High Roller has become an
integral part of the Las Vegas Skyline with its beautiful shape and elegant lighting
design, making it fully deserving of its status as the latest and greatest Vegas
landmark.

“To me the most exciting moment was the first day when we were able to turn
everything on and knew that it worked,” said Pope. “Three years of work and planning
turned out successfully but you can’t help but hold your breath right up until the
moment you turn it on. To me it is magical when, at night the wheel comes to life
with light and turns into something different.”

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