Thompson Hotel at The Allen
Collaborating At Its Best
Project Description
Working collaboratively with the owner and its design firm and general contractor, Illume engineered and produced 28 custom ballroom fixtures for the Thompson Hotel—each an 8-foot–by–10-foot sculptural mesh form designed to create a dramatic, airy presence in the space.
Challenges
- Original design before Illume’s involvement was extremely overbudget
- Fixtures needed perfect uniformity, since all 28 are visible at once
- Mesh structure was at risk of bending during shipping and installation
- Lighting requirements were unclear, including lumen levels and color temperature
- Large volume fixtures created packing complexity and posed logistical challenges
Solutions
- Thinned the mesh pattern for a lighter, more cost-effective design
- Used a heavier-gauge steel wire to ensure structural rigidity and maintain perfect shape across all fixtures
- Improved optical performance with more light transmission and reduced shadowing
- Created a full-scale mock-up with adjustable lumen output and CCT options so the design team could physically test and select the optimal lighting
- Reduced weight and refined the packing strategy to simplify shipping and installation
Results
- Achieved perfect visual uniformity across all 28 fixtures
- Significant reductions in both cost and weight
- Stronger, deformation-resistant structure ensured consistent appearance
- Optimized lighting performance and accurate lumen/CCT selection
- Delivered and installed on schedule for the ballroom opening
