Color Kinetics lights Lake of Dreams at Wynn Las Vegas

Alongside all its other attractions, Las Vegas now has a Lake of Dreams – an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind attraction that is the visual centerpiece of the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas resort and casino.

Walking on the Lake of Dreams Unveiled with the resort’s highly anticipated opening in April 2005, the lake marks the largest-ever installation of Color Kinetics’ intelligent solid-state lighting systems.

The Lake of Dreams spans 20,000 square feet and boasts a sophisticated underwater lighting system unlike any other. More than 4,000 individually controlled, submersed Color Kinetics® C-Splash 2 units are installed on 700 removable panels at the bottom of the 4 foot deep lake, transforming its surface into a spectacular light-and-water show.

Don't drink the waterThe precise control of each C-Splash 2 unit allows for seamless transitions from one eye-catching sequence to the next, including intricate patterns and psychedelic colors that complement video images projected onto a waterwall behind the lake. Various statues appear to rise from the lake’s depths, lending to the ethereal effect.

The original lighting concept called for the Lake of Dreams to appear red. Wynn Design & Development took that concept much further by choosing LED-based systems that could generate any of 16.7 million colors, as well as dynamic, color-changing effects. The C-Splash 2 units were supplied in a lighting package by Production Resource Group (PRG), who acted as the system integrator.

The team was also tasked with making the water translucent in order to properly illuminate it. They achieved the desired effect with millions of tiny reflective bubbles generated by air compressors, creating a reflective surface for the lights. The entire lake can be filled with bubbles in 15 seconds.

Girls on the waterfallPatrick Woodroffe Lighting Design conceived the graphics for each unique light show. Graphic images were mapped to the C-Splash 2 units and then controlled through a DMX network. The entire system spans 25 DMX universes.

The light shows are programmed to run every 20 minutes from just after sunset to 1:00 am, drawing large crowds every time. Dynamic lighting effects can also be seen in the resort’s resident show, Le Rêve, by Franco Dragone. The lighting system for the 2,000 seat aqua theater includes 300 Color Kinetics C-Splash 2 fixtures, as well as 270 special 3 watt Hydrel LED fixtures.

Credits:
- Project Manager: Wyatt DeFreitas, Wynn Design & Development
- Lighting Designer: Patrick Woodroffe, Patrick Woodroffe Lighting Design
- System Integration: Production Resource Group (PRG)
- Photos: Studio West Photography, Las Vegas