Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Lighting designer Marty Peck of Creative Lighting Design & Engineering employed a combination of Philips Color Kinetics LED lighting fixtures for the installation. Chosen for their low power consumption and energy efficiency, the LED fixtures help the conservatory stay true to its spirit of conservation while giving it a dynamic new look.

ColorGraze Powercore fixtures subtly light the upside-down U-shaped windows of the Mitchell Park Domes lobby building, while iColor Flex SLX nodes (now specified using iColor Flex LMX) fill the lobby skylights with saturated color at night. ColorCast 14 LED fixtures (now specified using ColorGraze Powercore) line the entrances of the Dome to emphasize the arched entryways, while ColorGraze Powercore fixtures crown each dome to create a brilliant RGB halo. While conventional lighting is used for the Tropical and Desert Dome, ColorBlast Powercore LED lighting fixtures uplight the Show Dome, washing the concrete frame and aluminum and glass skin with saturated reds, violets, greens, and blues. iColor MR g2 lamps, installed at each window mullion intersection, highlight the geodesic structure.

The new lighting has made the Mitchell Park Domes a popular attraction, quadrupling attendance from previous years and garnering it the National Gold Medal Award for Parks. The Domes are popular for events after public hours, too. The LED lights, controlled by a Pharos controller, can create any atmosphere at the touch of a button, allowing the Domes to host elegant weddings, vibrant proms, and casual corporate events. In the Show Dome, event-goers can enjoy one of five pre-programmed light shows set to music, including The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, or they can create their own custom light shows to complement their events.