The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Doha

PERMANENT LIGHTING IN A SUB-TROPICAL CLIMATE

DOHA, QATAR

Situated on a small island in the Persian Gulf, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha combines the proverbial five-star elegance of the Ritz with the restfulness of a sub-tropical beach paradise. Towering 115 metres over the waterfront, the hotel is a powerful symbol of Qatar’s rapidly developing tourist industry.
Qatar was the venue for last year’s Asian Games, in which much use was made of light – particularly during the opening ceremony – with lighting systems from A&O Technology proving particularly effective.
Indeed the successful illumination of the Asian Games 2006 in Doha (Qatar) secured the lighting equipment specialists of A&O Technology a further contract in the emirate:the operators of the Hotel Ritz Carlton were so impressed by the manner of operation and the quality of the lighting systems A&O had installed for the Asian Games that they commissioned the Oyten-based company to provide permanent lighting for their property in Doha.

For the purpose, the A&O team installed thirty-two SKY FALCON® ARC 1.2kW colour luminaries manufactured by alpha one, which are capable of withstanding the high level of humidity prevalent in sub-tropical climes. Together with the customer, the company’s creative department, A&O Creative, individually programmed the colours, the colour sequences and the timing of the colour changes for the illumination of the building. The e:cue butler lighting controller employed here allows not only the programming but also the stand-alone use of the fixtures. Eye-catching colour illuminations such as this are very popular in the Gulf Region as a way of making the most prestigious buildings stand out at night. With the Ritz Carlton now one of the most unmistakable landmarks of the Doha nightscape, heads are turning throughout the rapidly developing Emirates region as well as in the other Gulf states, and the Ritz-Carlton installation is likely to have a strong influence upon urban design throughout the region.