Colorado Convention Center, Denver, USA

Architect:  Fentress Bradburn Architects
Lighting Designer:  Sorcar Engineering

In December 2004, the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado completed a major $268 million expansion/renovation that makes it the 15th largest conference center in the United States. More than 100 national meeting planners played a major role in designing the expansion, a 292,000 sq. ft. seamless addition to the facility.

The expansion includes a new 50,000 sq. ft. flexible space ballroom. The new ballroom is sunken off the ground floor and is divisible in 18 different rooms, offering literally hundreds of possible configurations. The wow factor however comes when guests gaze up at the built-in color changing fiber optic lighting located in the ballroom ceiling.

Overhead sparkle an amazing 4,540 teardrop Swarovski crystal points powered by 72 Martin Architectural FiberSource CMY 150 fiber optic illuminators and Advanced Lighting Systems FocaLyte™ Fiber Optic Cable. The Martin FiberSource illuminators are located in the ceiling, at the extreme edges of 42 zones - one or two illuminators per zone – which consist of a perforated aluminum panel or round drywall disk. Each zone is a separate control area meaning that each area can be separately controlled for color. The entire ballroom can shine one static color or sequentially change to another color across the room, from the center out, in color waves, etc. The fiber points are controlled via a PC-based Martin LightJockey controller.

Tom Seymour of Denver-based MH Lighting was integrator on the project and completed the Martin programming and setup. He comments, “The two primary reasons for the system selection were the color mixing ability of the Martin FiberSource illuminator and the pre-made FocaLyte™ fiber harnesses from Advanced Lighting Systems, which made for a very simple installation.

“The Saworski Crystals were all pre-terminated from the factory and make for an excellent star pattern. 

The Martin illuminators are absolutely dead on and go to the color assigned throughout the system at exactly the same time. It’s very impressive to see it snap from color to color and to watch it happen across the entire ceiling.” Tom programmed six different looks for the Center and taught the Convention Center staff how to program more.

MH Lighting is a manufacturer’s representative and fiber optic vendor who sold the project to the expansion architect Fentress Bradburn Architects (who were also the designers of the original building) and the consultants. The fiber ceiling design was completed by Sorcar Engineering who also laid out the multiple fiber points. Foothills Lighting & Supply of Denver was the FiberSource distributor while Ludvik Electric completed the install.

One week prior to the ballroom’s official opening, an industry crowd of 800 gathered for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (DMCVB) Opening Night celebration. Producers of the opening night event were Denver-based Impact Productions, Inc. Sharing the spotlight with the evening’s esteemed honorees was the brand new 50,000-square-foot ballroom and lighting installation, including the fiber point ceiling. Working in conjunction with the Convention Center’s engineering team, Production Services International of Denver programmed multiple scenes and color changes designed for maximum ambiance.