The dark color of the letters reinforces the contrast between the individual letters and the background. The lettering is also easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
© Blue Rhine General Trading LLC
Illuminated Advertising That Even Survives in the Desert
When the sun shines mercilessly from above, thermometers in Dubai can climb to 45 degrees Celsius. ACRYLITE® protects the black lettering of the popular Dubai Mall from high levels of UV radiation.
More than 80 million visitors flock to the Dubai Mall annually, and with over 1,300 shops, the Mall is among the world’s largest shopping centers. Equally impressive is the huge "The Dubai Mall" lettering on the façade which points the way for visitors to the Mall from a long way off – by day and by night.
Visibility through contrast
During the day in the desert metropolis, the elegant black lettering is clearly visible and stands out from the sand-colored building. At night, the lettering shines evenly in bright white, making it easy to read, even amidst the flood of lights emanating from the surrounding skyscrapers. This fascinating alternation between daytime and nighttime impressions has been welcoming the flow of visitors to the Dubai Mall since 2018.
"We were commissioned to replace the previous illuminated advertising with its reddish hue," says Ameer Ashraaf, who was responsible for the replacement as the project manager for the lighting experts at Blue Rhine Industries from Dubai. "This was by no means an everyday project for us; after all, the lettering on the Dubai Mall is seen by millions of people every year and that brings a high recognition value with it."
Unusual project
Another unusual aspect of the project was the size of the illuminated Latin and Arabic letters, measuring up to 2.5-meters high and up to 20-meters wide. These gigantic elements were constructed from a reinforced aluminum light box, LED strips and a light-scattering cover made from ACRYLITE® LED color changing back lit black/white acrylic.
"This is a version of our brand acrylic glass that was specially developed for illuminated advertising, and which also enables color-changing effects," explains Matthias Schäfer, Market Segment Manager Visual Communication in the Acrylic Products business area. When unlit during the day, the material appears to be dark. However, when the lighting is turned on when darkness sets in, the advertising sign shines brightly in the color of the LEDs used; in the case of the Dubai Mall, this is white.
Material with UV protection
This color change remains unaffected by even the extreme climactic conditions in Dubai thanks to the ACRYLITE® material’s own UV stability: the acrylic does not fade or yellow. This is a key factor for illuminated advertising in the Middle East, as expert for illuminated advertising, Ashraaf explains: "Temperatures and solar radiation are very high during the summer months. This is why products without UV protection are faced with problems, such as discoloration and stains on the surface."
In comparison, the brand acrylic glass offers long-lasting protection of the lettering and prevents discoloration and surface damage. "That is why I consider ACRYLITE® to be an excellent choice in this part of the world," Ashraf adds. Illuminated advertising that even survives in the desert thanks to ACRYLITE®.
