THE new headquarters of Qatar National Bank (QNB) in Doha has been turned into a gleaming showpiece by night through the use of a dynamic LED (light-emitting diode) solution from Philips,  according to Techno Q, Philips’ local partner in the Gulf state.

“The use of colour in architectural lighting design is not limited to entertainment facilities,” says Techno Q marketing manager Margherita Trestini. “A case in point is QNB’s new headquarters in Doha.”
Conceptualised by Philips and Techno Q lighting designers, it incorporates vibrant colour and colour-changing effects enabled by 104 Color Kinetics’ ColorGraze and 10 LED floodlights. As per the client’s original request, the lighting system provides the flexibility to produce special light shows for holidays and events.
She continues: “The 30-m-high glass-façade – not providing a reflecting surface – represented the major challenge for the lighting designers. The decorative effect has been obtained spotting the LED lights towards the oblique steel structure that is positioned within the outer glass.
“All the fittings are connected and their colour effects and intensity may be quickly and easily authored with a light system manager, which holds up to eight light scenes. On top of the aesthetic versatility, the lighting system boasts long source life, low energy consumption and minimal maintenance requirements – translating to an operationally efficient and visually striking result.”  
Once relegated to humble indicator signals in electronic devices, LEDs have advanced at a rapid pace to enable an entirely new source of illumination, she says.
“The market for LEDs is growing at approximately 30 per cent each year, and is expected to reach $30 billion by 2025. In fact, LEDs are projected to save Americans $280 billion in energy costs over the next 20 years. No other lighting technology offers as much potential to enhance the quality of our living, working, and entertainment environments,” she says. “LED based-illumination, the first breakthrough in lighting in more than a century, is delivering real benefits in a variety of applications today — illuminating major international landmarks, skyscrapers, bridges, television studios, hotels and casinos, and even our homes. LED sources offer a host of advantages over conventional light fixtures: they are highly efficient, easy to maintain, long-lasting, environment-friendly, and simple to control.”
“Philips brings constantly innovation in the region, with superior quality products. We are proud to have set a milestone in the LEDs lighting solution we provided for QNB,” comments Techno Q managing director Zeyad Al Jaidah.
“The brightness and saturation of the colour produced by this lighting solution is just awesome, and the rapidity and liveliness of the colour changes and effects you can create with this lighting is like nothing else,” says a spokesman for Philips Lighting Middle East. “We wanted to distinguish QNB’s premises and make them a landmark in town. We know nobody can miss to notice it now.”