Al Zahia City Centre

One of the key features of this mall is the eye-catching wave-shaped canopy right at the entrance. It resembles the spill of a fisherman’s nest spread across the canopy with abstract holes, a beautiful architectural marvel that was the brainchild of Callison RTKL and Khatib Alami.

Lighting design maestro Waleed Fakousa (Principal at CD+M Lighting Group) brought this structure to life with the use of dynamic lighting that is easily programmable to play different color scenes and has now become an integral part of the retail communication of Al Zahia City Centre.

The Traxon Podium DOT RGB was used across the canopy. These are extra bright diffused dots that are constructed on a flexible cable with customizable pitch. Although the Podium DOT has 12 LEDs per dot casing, the unique shape and curves of the canopy design proved to be a challenge with regards to the cabling. To conceal the wiring, the cables had to be literally sewn into the hollow bands of the canopy. However, the length of the cables turned out to be shorter than expected and a voltage drop per power supply could not be risked when adding more DOTs. The cabling was therefore specifically customized for this project.

To add more depth to the overall lighting of the structure, the Allegro Washer RGBW, an intelligent AC line powered high brightness luminaire was used. This product was specifically chosen after considering a list of contenders as it fit best into the ‘branches’ of the canopy without protruding out or being visible from below.

Apart from the canopy, another Traxon e:cue product was used to light up a wall by the entrance. Archishape Dot L was used in the façade’s architectural ‘pockets’ and they play in sync with the canopy lighting that is all orchestrated by the trademark e:cue Lighting Control Engine and SYMPL DMX Nodes that operate using the e:cue Sympholight software.

The wave-like canopy acts as a welcoming trademark of Al Zahia City Centre, and its magic would be lost without the dynamic play of light across its curves and adjoining wall. The controls system is very user-friendly, and the mall’s Facilities team have been trained to play different colour schemes for key events. The lighting also adds a festive, communal vibe to the alfresco dining area spread across its vicinity, including a play area for children at the tail end of the canopy wing.