Branson Landing, Branson, Missouri

Set within the Midwest's leading tourist destination, Branson Landing is a mixed-use waterfront development comparable to San Antonio's Riverwalk or Baltimore's Inner Harbor. This lightly themed destination occupies 95 acres, including 1.5 miles of waterfront on Lake Taneycomo and shopping promenade that incorporates a rich mixture of retail outlets.

Illuminating Concepts (IC), architectural and themed lighting designers and consultants based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was called upon to filter entertainment throughout the development. Their brief included designs for all exterior architectural lighting, theatrical and show lighting design, light tower design, audio integration, control systems, implementation, project management, procurement and logistics.

Promenade Enhancement
The shopping and entertainment promenade is divided into six districts, each with differing architecture and activities. IC chose Martin Architectural IP65 rated Exterior 200, Exterior 200 Long Barrel, and Inground 200 luminaires to visually enhance the pedestrian level of the mile-long promenade and fountain water shows.

Color Changing Streetlamp
Along the promenade’s length are 112 Holophane streetlamps whose design differs in each district. The streetlamps are a unique combination of Holophane luminaire outfitted with a Martin Exterior 200 CMY color changing module. The idea was to turn what is a standard yet elegantly designed roadway lighting fixture into a dynamic color changing fixture in order to provide a customized, defining look to each district. In a cooperative design effort between Holophane and Martin Architectural, modifications were made to both the streetlamps and the CMY module to produce an accurate and effective color changing streetlamp. Because of fixed design elements however, when mounted into the Holophane fixture, light exited the CMY module directly down, simply creating a “hot spot” on the luminaire’s glass instead of replicating the shape of a normally used ED17 Metal Halide lamp, obviously an unwanted result. Illuminating Concepts worked with Holophane on an optical control solution, utilizing prismed “pseudo-lamp,” distributing the colored light properly within the glass Holophane refractor.

The Holophane color changing lamps operate in white mode to light the pedestrian walkway the majority of the time, performing like any streetlight would, and then come alive to become part of the theatrical experience for events and themed shows. The ability of the MediaMorphFX control system, developed by IC, allows street performers to locally change colored illumination to support their performances. Additionally, IC developed
audio speakers concealed in each streetlamp base, along with the control gear for the CMY module housed in a custom enclosure. The speakers deliver 360 degree district-specific music throughout the area.

Motivating Draw
Retail facades and trees along the promenade are uplit using Exterior 200 and Inground 200 color changers. “We wanted to illuminate the facades and trees that were most visually important,” states Kenneth Klemmer, IC’s Design Director on the project. “We really had to be aware of where the sightlines were in order to get that motivating draw.” Located in flower pots and spaced approximately every 40 feet are Inground 200 color changers used to uplight stone and brick columns. “The flower pot idea grew out of a construction issue with the building footings in which we couldn’t place the lighting as close to the building as we needed to for coverage purposes, so this was the solution,” says Kenneth. “The effect is really nice. Martin 200 series luminaires – whether Inground, Holophane, short throw or Long Barrel – are the work horse on the project.”

Fountains
The promenade features two major fountain areas. A 2 1/2 acre Town Square with a 1,500 seat amphitheater and towering, lighted water fountain featuring gyrating jet streams and fireballs is located at the area’s culminating point and serves as the project's entertainment headquarters. Color illumination from Martin Exterior 200’s work with fire and water to create a gripping show that draws visitors to the area. Further down the promenade is another fountain, a white light water show that is spectacular in its own right.

“We recognized that if people view a show at the main show fountain with fire, water, sound, and light, when that show is over they need something else to get them back up the steps of the amphitheater, otherwise they can easily return to their car and only see half the project,” Kenneth comments. “By having two fountains that work in harmony with one another, after one show is over the other immediately starts to draw people back up the steps where they realize they have more to see. The goal is to increase retail sales by keeping them there longer, moving up and down the promenade.”

Light Towers
Also at the Town Square area are four, large, custom IC-designed light towers meant to anchor the open space in order to create a special feel for the area. The towers also provide sound reinforcement positioning for stage shows. Material at the top of each tower, acrylic tubing woven through the stainless steel tower structure, is lit by LED lighting from Color Kinetics while the rest of the tower is lit by Martin short and Long Barrel Exterior 200’s mounted on the tower’s center core.

Lighting control for the Branson Landing promenade is from IC’s own MediamorFX audiovisual and lighting system that takes input from external sources, such as the fountains, to control and synchronize all lighting, audio and special effects. Martin’s Maxxyz PC controller with Maxxyz Manager has been integrated into the MediamorFX system. The fully redundant network system utilizes four satellite control rooms and a main control room distributed around the project.

Owner / Developer: HCW Development, City of Branson, Urban Retail Properties
IC Designers: Kenneth Klemmer (DD), Michael Shulman (SD), Ron Harwood (Principal), Sonia Noble (Designer)
Audio and Controls: Jeremy McDaniel, Larry Schirmer, Adam Winter, Jim Anderson, Brandon Youells
Onsite PM: Kurt Henry
Programming: Eric Wade