Mexico’s Tallest Structure, Artfully Illuminated
Mexico’s Tallest Structure, Artfully Illuminated
Creating and lighting the tallest tower in the country is no easy feat, especially when it was designed to create a luxurious, comfortable experience for its residences and tenants.
Located in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in San Pedro Garza Garcia, the Koi Tower, home to the Banorte bank headquarters, was designed to make an impact at 918 feet. The design challenge was to create a lighting scheme to make the structure as iconic in the night as it is during the day.
The Koi Tower, or “Torre Koi” in Spanish, is a 69-story mixed-use skyscraper in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area. Developed by Internacional de Inversiones (IDEI) and designed by HOK and V&FO architecture firms, the building contains 27 floors of office space, and 218 apartments and 18 penthouses across the upper 37 levels, ranging from 1,400 to 8,960 square feet. Each apartment has access to its own storage space and two or three parking spaces. Further, residents can enjoy communal amenities on the 22nd floor, which include an infinity pool, a bar, a sauna, a private guest room, and more.
In addition to the Koi Tower, the mixed-use project in the VAO Complex consists of two additional high-rise structures. Liu East is a 524-foot-tall residential mixed-use office and residential building, and Liu West is a 317-foot-tall apartment tower. The complex also features a low-rise office building, the 140-foot-tall VAO Oficinas, and a shopping center with more than 32,300 square feet of retail space. The complex sits in a 7.8-acre plot of land, out of which 5.5 acres are green areas.
Fitting In
To ensure the structure made an impact not only in size but in beauty, the administrative council of the Koi Tower had the vision of illuminating the tallest part of the building to become a landmark of the city skyline. An important goal was that the tower could be seen from a long distance without disturbing the neighboring buildings.
After construction was complete, options of fixtures that could fit in the installed aluminum structure on the building and still provide a powerful and beautiful lighting design were limited. The lighting system still had to meet stringent criteria, which included performance quality, brightness, and direct view illumination, and easy installation and replacement, as well as to fit into the existing aluminum channel. Building owners and consultants worked with Acclaim Lighting, Los Angeles, Calif., to establish a solution. Acclaim Lighting offers an impressive portfolio of innovative and advanced solid-state lighting technology, including high-performance controller units for entertainment and architectural lighting demands. The company is known for its ability to create reality for the customer’s vision.
“When we were looking for a lighting solution that would be as stable and dependable as it was intense and beautiful, we knew we had a tall order,” said Ing. Edson Rivera, CEO and lead designer of Adimsa Monterrey. The company offers complete solutions using the latest technology to create an enhanced lighting scheme that fits within architectural designs.
After a thorough investigation, Acclaim’s Flex Tube Pixel fixture was determined to fulfill the needs of the building lighting design, providing the desired durability and the brightness for the project. The product provided a noninvasive aesthetic for the façade of the building, while still providing the required intensity.
Flex Tube Pixel is a flexible, direct view LED strip that features RGB control of every 4.9” (125mm) section. The direct view LED strip delivers 85 lumens per foot, while only consuming 3.65 watts in temperatures ranging from -40º F to 122º F (-40º C to 50º C).
“Due to the elevation in which the fixtures were installed, Flex Tube Pixel’s IP68 rating for wet locations gave us the confidence that we needed to prevent any water damage at those heights,” said Rivera.
Under Control
Controlled with the Pixel Driver 400 from Acclaim Lighting, the customized system can create low pixel effects and animations using the Madrix Professional software. Pixel Driver 400 is a high power, pixel control driver which has many configuration options to suit the project and eight output ports to drive Flex Tube Pixel sections. Those eight ports can either operate in unison or be controlled individually for custom lighting schemes.
After the project was finished, the Koi Tower received Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification in May 2018 for its sustainability characteristics. The certification included the lighting design and natural ventilation for savings in electricity consumption and air conditioning without demeriting the internal comfort, as well as achieving a low maintenance cost.
Even more important, Arq. Juan Hernandez Juarez, the creative director for Adimsa who programmed the lighting for the Koi Tower, said, “The owners and residents of Torre Koi were very pleased with the results of the project. The lighting of the building instantly became the landmark we wanted it to be at night, and the results could be seen all around the metropolitan area with ease. The lighting system enables us the opportunity and flexibility to program several shows for each of the clients calendarized events to the delight of the community.”
Kio Tower
Designed by: Ing. Edson Rivera Rosales
Programmed by: Arq. Juan Hernandez Juarez
Installed by: Adimsa
