Horizon ITX Light Bars Featured in Unique Sculpture

Illumitex, the industry leader in precision LED technology, had a unique opportunity to partner with one of the world’s leading performing arts centers, the Long Center, to illuminate a giant “walk‐thru” sculpture. On the Architects of Air Mirazozo Luminarium’s scheduled pre-opening night (January 13, 2012), 80 Horizon LED fixtures illuminated the 11,000 square foot inflatable PVC sculpture installed temporarily on the Long Center’s grounds near downtown Austin. The resulting spectacle was a truly unique addition to the Austin skyline. A maze of winding interior paths and soaring domes, the inflatable luminarium utilizes natural light filtered through the structure’s .5mm thick colored plastic seams to create an interior space filled with vibrant color— a sensory experience intended to inspire and entertain everyone who enters in a personal way.

Illumitex’s unique “reverse‐illumination” was created using a series of single and double light bars, from the soon-to-be-released Horizon ITX line. The total energy consumption of the project was less than 6000 watts (75 watts per fixture), while providing the equivalent light output of 400 watt metal halide and 500 watt halogen fixtures totaling 19kW that would be required to achieve the same stunning effect. Illumitex LEDs also provided unseen benefits to the project. Based on past experience, the Architects of Air team had concerns for potential heat damage to the hand-sewn plastic sculpture in the event of power loss and deflation during nighttime lighting projects. With metal halide and halogen lighting, the PVC structure requires significant protection in the form of wooden “frames” to protect against heat in the event of any contact with the structure itself. However, according to Illumitex’s Director of Engineering Darren McCosky “once they realized that Illumitex light bars were running at only about 40 degrees C, it simply wasn’t an issue.”