Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan

This month features an elegant renovation project at the historic Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, which originally opened in 1913 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In order to complete a custom crystal display, WPF Electrical Engineering specified WAC Lighting’s Beauty Spots in the Grand Ballroom and Grand Concourse.



“We were looking for unique lighting fixtures to install near the crystal chandeliers,” explained Amy Zeboor, LC/LEED AP, an Electrical Engineer for WPF Engineering.  “We loved the stunning patterns, beautiful striations and eye-catching splashes of illumination that the Beauty Spots projected on the ceilings and walls.”

During various business and social events, the low voltage Beauty Spots could be brightened or dimmed to add sparkle and bring out the classic architectural accents on the ballroom ceilings. These geometric crystal luminaires were easily mounted in the architectural coffers of the tray ceiling, with eight in each coffer, to help provide multi-level lighting. In the entryway, the hand-polished crystals are strategically placed to bring out the texture of the shiny wall coverings.



These customizable crystal displays provide perfect indirect illumination when the general lighting fixtures are switched off in the ballroom during video presentations as the hotel hosts business conferences and corporate meetings.  The Amway Grand Plaza played a major role in the renaissance in downtown Grand Rapids, drawing thousands of visitors annually to western Michigan.

“Our interior design firm, Gooch Designs, loved how WAC Beauty Spots complemented the crystal chandeliers and helped create a visual flow to provide smooth transitions from one room to the next,” continued Ms. Zeboor.  “The clear, round crystal orbs were used as diminutive sources for superb accent and ambient decorative lighting.”

Specified for a variety of design and functional purposes, the Beauty Spots are positioned in clusters to create customized light patterns and help tie-together the different areas into a common theme.  In this example, the high-end, multi-use ballroom can be divided into sections while the concourse serves as both a corridor and entryway used as a pre-function and circulation space; it doubles as an extension to the ballroom when the doors are opened for additional space.

 

Click below to see WAC products used in this application:

Empress
Beauty Spots
Model: DR-G363-CL
 

 

 

Project
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
Attn
187 Monroe Avenue NW

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

 

Architectural Firm
Concept Design Group
89 Monroe Center Northwest
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503

 

GoochDesigns Studio LLC
410 S.Michigan Ave., Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60605
(312)427-0850
www.goochdesignstudio.com

 

**A special thanks to Amy Zeboor, LC/LEED AP, an Electrical Engineer for WPF Engineering.