Philips Color Kinetics Celebrates Industry Milestone With 34,000th LED Installation

PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LIGHTFAIR INTERNATIONAL 2011 -- Philips, the global leader in lighting, today announced that its Color Kinetics business is celebrating its 34,000th installation with a unique lighting solution at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the latest in a long list of global landmarks to be transformed by the company's revolutionary LED lighting. The milestone was made even more meaningful given the role lighting is playing in the expansion of a major pediatric healthcare facility, underscoring Philips' global commitment to enhancing life through light.

This dynamic lighting project was part of Phoenix Children's Hospital's $538 million expansion led by architectural firm HKS of Dallas, Texas and called for a lighting design to replicate that of a desert flower blooming at night. Scott Oldner, Principal of Scott Oldner Lighting Design in Dallas used innovative interior and exterior LED lighting from Philips Color Kinetics to create an immersive escape for the hospital's patients and families and a distraction from the medical ailments surrounding them.

"It is symbolic that the Phoenix Children's Hospital is our 34,000th installation since it epitomizes what we do as a health and well being company," said Jeff Cassis, Vice President and General Manager of Philips Color Kinetics. "We give designers the tools they need to bring their vision to life that then translates into experiences for those who enter the created environment. Through the use of light, the wonderful team at Scott Oldner Lighting Design turned what could have been a very intimidating and sterile environment into a welcoming place with a positive feeling for children and their parents."

"From the start of the design process, beautiful, magical color was required for the 'Desert Blooms' concept," said Oldner. "Only Philips Color Kinetics had the quality, specialized solutions and passionate team needed to realize our vision. We gave the children and their families something unique, vibrant, entertaining and full of life to distract them from the challenges they face entering the building."

While the creative vision was strong, the lighting designers had to work within key practical limitations. The goal of turning the building into a beacon that could be seen from almost any direction was met with concerns regarding adherence to the local Dark Sky ordinance and the project's sustainability and budget requirements. The lighting solution from Philips Color Kinetics could outline the building's distinctive architectural fins, while creating a visual canvas to display artistic animated color displays. Long ribbons of LED fixtures were also placed down the front of the building and continued into the lobby area, visually connecting the building's exterior and interior.

Lighting also contributes to a visual surprise once inside, with the initial idea of an indoor wall fountain replaced with floor to ceiling textured acrylic and LED fixtures for cost and practicality concerns. The end result is a wavy water-like effect with shades of blue and aqua that surprise and enthrall patients and hospital visitors. "The LED lighting system has an extreme calming effect on patients as they arrive to our new facility - you can see it on their smiling faces as they enter the atrium," said Dave Cottle, Executive Director of Planning, Design and Construction at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Philips Color Kinetics solutions are also used along the corridor walls to provide interactive way-finding displays and to illuminate the back walls of the hospital's retail store display boxes.

To round out the ease of use of this installation for the hospital maintenance team, all interior and exterior LED lighting fixtures are controlled by a single lighting controller from Philips Color Kinetics. And while certain budget constraints meant that some traditional cove lighting fixtures had to be used in some areas of the hospital, these were all selected so that the hospital could easily retrofit with LED fixtures for additional energy savings in the future.

For further information, please contact:
Silvie Casanova,
Senior Manager, Lighting Communications
Philips Electronics North America
Ph: 781-418-7928
Email: [email protected]

Shai Dewan
Philips Lighting Communications
Ph: + 31 6 20695822
Email: [email protected]

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs about 117,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.3 billion in 2010, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Phoenix Children's Hospital

Phoenix Children's Hospital is Arizona's only licensed children's hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties. Though Phoenix Children's is one of the ten largest freestanding children's hospitals in the country, it is in the midst of a major expansion to meet the needs of the Southwest's rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 345 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. For more information, visit the hospital's web site at www.phoenixchildrens.com.

SOURCE Royal Philips Electronics