A historic hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter comes alive with Acclaim Lighting
The US Grant, one of the oldest hotels in downtown San Diego, is once again a shining gem illuminating the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter thanks to an extensive exterior lighting renovation. For more than 100 years, The US Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Diego, has been distinguished by its regal elegance and sophistication. The luxury hotel, which was built by the son of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, has been promoted as a presidential palace that has hosted 15 U.S. presidents and an array of dignitaries and celebrities. Its location, just across from the famed Gaslight Quarter (which got its name because the neighborhood was once lit by more than 50 gas lamps), is ideally situated so guests can easily explore many of the city’s iconic attractions, like the San Diego Zoo, Petco Park and Balboa Park.
After five years of construction, the highly anticipated 11-story hotel opened its doors in late 1910 at cost of $1.9 million, a staggering amount for the times. Thousands of guests from around the country came to participate in the opening ceremonies all in the hopes of getting a glimpse of this marvel of luxury. Its palatial lobby featured sparkling chandeliers, glossy tile floors and impressive Corinthian-style columns. The signature restaurant, the Grant Grill, became renowned for its Four Diamond cuisine.
Thanks to its opulent décor and brilliant lighting, the hotel served as an eternal light even during the city’s hungrier and darker days until the structure itself fell victim to financial hardship. The hotel was refurbished in the 1980s but then fell on hard times over the next decade due to the nation’s financial slump. During that time, the hotel changed owners multiple times. It reopened with some fanfare in 2006 after being closed for nearly two years for renovations.
Lights Out
By the early 2020s, however, the brightness of the iconic 270-room structure was again fading as a result of outdated, failed exterior lighting. So hotel management reached out to lightning designer Chris Rynne, Director of Theatrical Applications for California-based OCS Lighting + Control, Inc. Rynne has been with OCS for more than 16 years but has been working in the lighting field for more than 25 years. During that time, he was responsible for creating the lighting schemes for such iconic properties as the San Diego County Administration Building, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, and multiple museums in Balboa Park, just to name a few.
Rynne said, “Our objective was to restore the beauty of the hotel with flexible illumination that spotlighted a number of stunning architectural design features on the building’s exterior. However, we were challenged with making sure the lighting equipment could be installed within a timeline that aligned with the scaffold schedule related to other exterior building refurbishments in process.”
Rynne and his team investigated several lighting sources. Using available lighting fixtures in stock, they developed an application mockup which met both the aesthetic and installation requirements of the project. During the test, they found that the best solution for restoring the nighttime glamour to the US Grant was a combination of Dyna Drum and Flood One EO Color from Acclaim Lighting.
A Dynamic Duo Solution
“Dyna Drum EO Color is a high output, outdoor rated, quad-color LED floodlight that comes with Acclaim’s Aria wireless DMX technology,” said Rynne. “This enables the hotel to easily control the fixtures.”
Designed specifically for facade lighting applications and providing up to 2200 lumens, the Dyna Drum EO Color fixtures feature an internal 100-277VAC power supply and onboard DMX+RDM driver. The IP66 rated fixtures for wet locations come with a narrow 10° beam standard with optional quick-change spread lenses for wider applications. They operate in temperatures ranging from -40° F (-40°C) to 125° F (51° C) and maintain 70 percent of their lumens up to 150,000 hours.
Complementing the Dyma Drum fixtures are the Flood One EO Color™ products. These tough, compact, energy-efficient fixtures can weather even the most extreme conditions. Their low power consumption of only 65 watts belies their impressively bright output of up to 2,560 lumens.
Flood One EO Color is available with a good selection of RGBW emitter choices plus beam shaping and mounting options. Its four-channel control is achieved using the industry standard DMX512A format with RDM for configuration. The internal auto-sensing power supply within each unit can accept mains inputs between 100 to 277VAC at 50 or 60Hz.
To highlight the architecture of the historic building, the Dyna Drum EO Color fixtures were installed near the base of the second floor for longer light throws, while the Flood One EO Color were placed on the base of the top floor for short light throws.
“Thanks to the easy-to-install Acclaim products, we were able to finish this project on schedule and the US Grant now shines again in all its splendor for everyone in San Diego to see,” said Rynne.
Products Featured:
For more information visit The US Grant.
Owner - US Grant
Designer - OCS Lighting + Control, Inc.
Distributor/Integrator - DCJ Theatrical Lighting Inc.
Electrical Contractor - Absolutely Electric, Inc.
