Alex Douglas vibes with Ayrton at Zenon Dubai

Zenon Dubai at Kempinski Central Avenue in the prestigious Dubai Mall, is a stunning new high-class restaurant and lounge that, using cutting edge immersive technology with AI-powered performances and interactive displays, promises its customers an unforgettable sensory experience. It is the first nightclub in Dubai to be fitted with all-Ayrton moving lights.

The design, installation, programming and system integration were all the responsibility of Alex Douglas, Lighting Consultant with Em-Tec, UAE’s leading AV installation and maintenance provider. Douglas put Ayrton fixtures front and centre of his design, alongside two floor-to-ceiling video walls and two holograms. He chose Ayrton Zonda 3 FX, Zonda 9 FX and Cobra fixtures to create an elaborate overhead ‘chandelier’ comprising 3 concentric circular trusses suspended 18m above the DJ and lounge area, augmented by a side dish of Ayrton Diablo in the private VIP area in the upper echelons of this dual level venue.

A celebrity hotspot and one of the few venues in Dubai Mall with an alcohol licence, Zenon Dubai is focused on showcasing the best and the next greatest technology to achieve its out-of-this-world looks.

“I chose Ayrton fixtures because of their effects and build quality which is sleek, modern and high end – exactly what this modern venue called for. Plus, I was confident I could rely on good support from Procom Middle East (Ayrton’s distributor for the GCC countries).”

Douglas populated the concentric circular trusses with 12 Zonda 3 FX and 9 Zonda 9 FX. Inspired by Zonda’s 3D ringed look and multi-layered pixel effects, Douglas saw the potential of these unique Ayrton fixtures, and pixel mapped them so the whole structure could act as a low resolution video wall across which he could programme sweeps, or effects that explode out from the middle.

“I’m a perfectionist! I pixel mapped every single pixel, unfolded every fixture and created palettes for everything on an Avolites Sapphire Touch console using them in 199 channel mode for maximum pixel control,” he explains. “Ayrton were amazing with their support and there’s a lot you can do with Zonda FX to create countless looks, combining all the pixel effects with the inbuilt chases which are awesome. For example, I programmed it with two different colours for the background and foreground during the chases, and the same for the liquid effects, which gives you 4 looks; add another layer with the pixel effects, plus all the movements and then the zoom and you have seven layers of effects!

“The effects are perfect,” he says. “No-one has anything else like the liquid effects rings on the market – they even look amazing just on their own, and it fitted the bill for the client wanting the latest technology.”

To help change the mood from a restaurant to a lounge vibe after hours, Douglas incorporated 6 laser-sourced Cobra fixtures rigged on two truss arms off the central chandelier truss reaching out either side of the DJ.

“I chose Cobra for its strong beam, gobos, prisms, smooth colour changes and endless attributes,” he says. “With 80 gobos to choose from and all those effects, I could programme a lot of palettes for the venue techs to play with after I’d handed over the installation. I also wanted a nice tight beam to bounce off reflection mirrors located on the mezzanine. Nothing else can do that tight beam and work with the bounce so efficiently, focusing the beam length perfectly and being 100% accurate. There’s nothing much out there that can replace Cobra.”

Four Diablo S fixtures complete the scenario located on the front of the mezzanine beside the bounce mirrors and the upper level to light up the VIP guest tables and add texture to the room. “I chose Diablo because it has good reputation and is very compact, with framing shutters and gobos that are perfect for close level breakups. When I design I like to keep everything from the same brand because the colours match and there is a uniformity to the look and features.”

An Avolites desk triggers all lighting and video effects which are synchronised to emulate the video content – designed by Ouchhh Studio – on the video screens during restaurant hours. “I like to keep it simple with pure DMX desk control from the console, for more direct creative control which makes it easier for the venue techs to use after I have gone.”

After hours, the synch is switched off and the inhouse technicians are left to free-style in time with the music with Douglas’s range of effects palettes leaving them with “a whole box full of toys to play with!”

 “In conclusion, I was highly satisfied with the features and build quality that the Ayrton fixtures brought to my design,” concludes Douglas. “The professional support from both Ayrton and Procom has been exceptional. Without a doubt, I will continue to use Ayrton for my future designs.”