Griffin Automation opted for Anolis LED fixtures for an installation at the Blue Martini club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to replace the venue's previous neon lighting scheme. Port St. Lucie, Fla.-based Griffin Automation first worked for the Blue Martini brand when its first property launched 10 years ago. Back then, they installed a dance floor lighting rig.
Since then, Blue Martini has steadily expanded its portfolio of venues, each time going with newer variations in lighting solutions.
Blue Martini's Fort Lauderdale Beach location originally opened six years ago with blue and a red neon. The club serves as a hometown martini bar and late night dance club and features DJs every night. The venue also features live music six nights a week.
Blue Martini sought to revamp the location with more reliable fixtures. Griffin Automation's Tom Griffin proposed converting to LED and arranged with Robe's David Chesal for an A/B comparison demo.
Although the cost of the LED was much greater than the neon had been in its day, the reliability and low running costs of Anolis over the next 10 years were calculated to more than pay for this differential. This convinced independent owner Byron Gardiner to take the LED route forward.
The improved color temperature of the Anolis gear was an additional selling point. Other advantages included the ability for Blue Martini to run the Anolis fixtures off the PC-based lighting controller in the DJ booth.
Once the installation was approved, Griffin replaced the red neon around the main room with 300 Anolis ArcLink 3 Red LED fixtures, which is ensconced in the ceiling coves running all around the main room.
In a recessed circular ceiling lighting feature, above the main bar, Griffin Automation also replaced all the blue neon with 60 pieces of ArcLink 3 Blue LED fixtures.
Tom Griffin developed the design in conjunction with David Chesal, who also supplied the Anolis gear.
"I'm extremely happy with the product," said Griffin, who recently used Anolis for the first time in another Blue Martini venue at West Palm Beach. "It's absolutely rock solid, easy to install and maintenance free."
The Fort Lauderdale Beach install also included the addition of two Anolis Recessed ArcSpot 170 ATs over the dance floor. Those fixtures have been painted to match the faux finish ceiling color scheme. They were also chosen for their compact dimensions and considerable light output.
The Recessed ArcSpot 170ATs can also be swung upwards to hit the stage, providing front light for the band or whoever is performing. They have also been fitted with custom glass Blue Martini gobos that can be projected onto the floor and around the room.
Adjacent to the dance floor – and installed in a previous update – is a "dance platform" where Anolis ArcSource 12 RGB down lights work together with a frosted glass backlit floor using ArcLink 3 RGB.
