The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Dressing Up in Houston 
Curves of Plexineon Add the Right Touch to a New Skyscraper
A new 40-story residential tower in Houston’s urban core is quickly becoming a local icon. Known by its address — 2929 Weslayan — the LEED Gold-certified structure includes 254 luxury apartment homes and 12,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. Designed by Dallas-based RTKL Associates, it incorporates exquisite finishes and stunning architecture while providing panoramic views from spacious balconies.
Indeed, those balconies are among the building’s standout features, thanks to creative use of iLight Plexineon White 2X 4500 LED fixtures.
“iLight came to the table ready with questions to understand our goals.”
– Scott Oldner, Owner, Lighting Designer, Project Manager, Scott Oldner Lighting Design
 
The Design Challenge
The balconies are on every floor, and they’re curved — creating a wavy, organic appearance up and down the building’s gleaming façade. At night, those curves are accentuated by lines of Plexineon, which outline the edges of the balconies and form what appears, from a distance, to be a wave of light.
Scott Oldner, of Scott Oldner Lighting Design, says the wave effect was intentional — to compliment the glassy “river” that exists between the two columns of 16-foot balconies. On the one hand, it’s a nod to nature; on the other, Oldner says, “The building was designed by RTKL to look like a woman in a flowing dress, with the balconies embellishing it like lace or the lines of a corset.”
Whether suggesting a river or a dress, one thing was certain to Oldner: that Plexineon was the right product for the job. Having already used it in several applications, he appreciates Plexineon’s bright, consistent light.
“Consistent color temperature across all the fixtures was crucial. Tape in an extrusion would not have provided that consistency, Oldner says. Color-changing light was considered, but he adds, “The design was classic and costs were tight, so we needed to go with a static white look. To add a bit of eye-candy, we used the Plexineon fixtures to define the upper dress and another color temperature for the “skirt” at the bottom.”
The Plexineon Advantage
Oldner adds that another advantage was how Plexineon can be bent in the field, allowing each curve to “be just a tad different” — further contributing to the organic feel. He notes that bending the fixtures on site provided significant cost reduction, and the iLight team did everything possible to ensure a smooth, successful installation.
“iLight came to the table ready with questions to understand our goals. The lighting design needed to follow the architecture, and that’s exactly what it does.”
In addition to the balconies, a thin line of Plexineon also traces an arc inside along the lobby ceiling. From exterior to interior, Plexineon provides sophisticated adornment.
More information is available at www.ilight-tech.com