SEATTLE – Enhancing the overall shopping mall experience for visitors — by creating an atmosphere with low maintenance color-changing fixtures, which can be activated for selective events — is a challenge facing many management companies. When Gene Tasche, operations manager of Pine Street Group LLC, the company responsible for the Pacific Place shopping center in Seattle, contacted GLP authorized dealer PNTA, it was precisely with that in mind.
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With the Christmas season approaching, and the annual ‘Snow Show’ looming, he needed something innovative to grab the attention of passers-by, and give the 15-year-old retail center a fresh approach. Having worked on other projects at the site previously, the lighting specialists recommended seven of GLP’s LED fixture, the impression Spot One, to be installed in each of the mall’s dominant columns.
Sheldon Warshaw, PNTA’s custom services manager, explained that the Spot Ones were set up in such a way that they could light up the main atrium with color — giving them a multipurpose functionality. They will also be used for various events that take place in the atrium during the year.
He confirmed that using the Spot One in this application provided a large number of advantages to both the installer and the shopping mall themselves, notably ease of installation and operation, along with the low maintenance required (backed by GLP’s five-year warranty on the light engine).
“As the initial emphasis was for the ‘Snow Show,’ the overall approach has been theatrical,” he said. “We wanted to have moving lights on each of the columns, firing from the bottom up. This way we could color the columns and also shoot them out and down to cover the floor of the atrium.” The bases for the fixtures to be bolted onto were created by the Pacific Place engineers.
PNTA had first been introduced to the Spot Ones by GLP Inc’s Ed Cheeseman. “We were, and still are, very impressed,” said Sheldon. “Aside from being easy to install, the quality of the color and the brightness met all of our needs and the maintenance and low power usage were definitely big pluses.”
The impression Spot Ones are also very easy to program, he notes. “The fixtures’ response time is excellent, which makes it effective when changing colors and movement quickly.”
And shoppers seem delighted with the theatrical look given to the general concourse during special events and public holidays, as the columns are brought to life. This includes several fashion shows and color themes in support of the local sports teams, the MLB Seattle Mariners and the NFL Seattle Seahawks, among other events.
Warshaw confirms that mall management are “totally satisfied” with the impact the Spot Ones have created. “The lights are a smash hit!” he says.
