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Engineering Reference · Building Facade Lighting

Building Facade
Lighting Solutions

An engineering reference, not a catalogue. Each facade type is matched to its real project constraints — fixture selection, structural limits and control planning — with key figures sourced from project files.

4,495Custom pixel fixtures
Tianjin Haitang Building
860Linear fixtures, 16 floors
Live! Hotel Maryland
2Facade types documented
more in preparation
Tianjin Haitang Building facade pixel lighting at night — custom DMX512 RGBW fixtures across a parametric curtain wall by TPK Lighting

Start From the Facade Type

Facade lighting is not one problem. A parametric cladding, a glass curtain wall and a stone elevation each impose different constraints on the fixture, the mounting and the control system. Find the type that matches your project — each section connects the condition to the engineering decision.

01
Custom fixture geometry · DMX pixel addressing · thermal validation
02
32mm cavity · ETL listing · T-type power distribution
More types being documented
Metal panel · stone & concrete · facade renovation
Facade Type 01

Pixel-Integrated Curtain Wall

The luminaire is built into the facade package, not added to its surface. Each structural node becomes one addressable pixel — so the fixture shape is driven by the architecture, and a catalogue product usually cannot be used without custom development.

Tianjin Haitang Building curtain wall — custom LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX six-pointed star pixel fixtures seated at each structural node, TPK Lighting
Tianjin Haitang Building, 2023 — parametric aluminium curtain wall, custom six-pointed star fixtures at each node. Invisible in daylight.
How to recognise this facade type
01

A repeating geometric pattern — hexagons, stars, petals — with a consistent structural node at each unit.

02

The fixture must be invisible by day, reading as cladding rather than as a light fitting.

03

Each position is individually addressed for pixel animation, not uniform wash lighting.

04

Weight per node is a hard structural limit. No welding to primary structure.

The representative engineering problem
LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX custom six-pointed star pixel fixture seated into the curtain wall node — TPK Lighting
Challenge 01 · The shape is fixed by the building

A catalogue fixture cannot match the node

The Haitang facade uses a six-pointed star derived from the crabapple flower (海棠花). Each star is a structural element in the aluminium curtain wall, and the fixture must match that exact geometry. No existing model fit the shape and scale.

Resolved — TPK developed the LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX from the architect's concept sketch: a six-pointed star aluminium body with a PC face cover, seated directly into the node recess with a plug-in clip. Concept → samples → weight, thermal and aging validation → mould lock.

02

Face apertures exposed the LED in daylight

Large apertures reduced 1mm, small 0.5mm over two sample cycles. Approved "within acceptable range" by the lighting designer before mould lock.
03

Node bracket has a maximum fixture weight

Two variants weighed on calibrated scales — PC body 373.6g, metal body 404.2g. Both confirmed within the structural load limit before production.
04

4,495 fixtures in a dense array — thermal load

FEA thermal simulation at rated power in the installed cavity. Peak 63.7°C, within the LED operating range. Report supplied to the project team.
4,495Pixel fixtures across the facadeSource: production order, 2022
63.7°CPeak thermal simulation, installed conditionSource: FEA report, TPK Engineering, May 2022
373.6gPC variant weight — metal 404.2g, both within limitSource: weighing test, file XSJH202204221001
Product used in this facade type
LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX
12W · RGBW · DMX512 · IP65 · 130mm across flats · DC 24V
Custom star geometryCustom aperture sizingPlug-in clip mount
View product →
Control system — DMX512 pixel control via Madrix, driven by 12 × MADRIX-A18D controllers and synchronised with the building's rooftop 3D LED screen. Each fixture carries an individual address, creating 4,495 independently addressable pixels. Address scheme, repeater placement and channel count should be resolved before cabling commences.
Tianjin Haitang Building full facade pixel animation at night — Madrix-driven RGBW DMX512 system, TPK Lighting
China · Commercial Office · Parametric Curtain Wall

Tianjin Haitang Building

An 11-storey office building with a crabapple-derived star curtain wall, ~8,000 m². TPK developed the LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX from concept to production specifically for this facade — validated through weight testing, thermal simulation and iterative sample review.

4,495 fixturesRGBW DMX512Madrix controlIP65Lit March 2023
View project references →

LPM-MJ-HEX130-DMX Specification Sheet

Dimensions, weight, electrical, IP rating, installation method

Available on request

Thermal Simulation Report (May 2022)

FEA model, boundary conditions, peak temperature 63.7°C

Available on request

DMX Address Scheme Template

Channel assignment, repeater placement, Madrix integration notes

Available on request
Facade Type 02

Glass Curtain Wall — Slab-Edge Linear

A continuous glowing line at each floor slab edge, with the fixture recessed into the spandrel cavity between floors. From street level only the light is visible — and every decision starts from one number: the cavity depth available to hold the fixture.

Live! Casino Hotel Maryland slab-edge linear LED — LLS-OP-W30C recessed into the glass curtain wall spandrel cavity, TPK Lighting
Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, USA — LLS-OP-W30C RGB linear fixtures in the spandrel cavity across 16 floors. Cavity depth: 1.25 inches (≈32mm).
How to recognise this facade type
01

A glass curtain wall with a visible horizontal spandrel zone; the intent is a continuous line at each slab edge.

02

The fixture cavity is built into the framing — access after install means removing glass, not routine maintenance.

03

Cable entry points are fixed by the curtain wall structure; new penetrations need installer and waterproofing coordination.

04

For US projects, the fixture must carry ETL or UL listing — CE alone is not accepted under the NEC.

The representative engineering problem
LLS-OP-W30C 30×30mm linear fixture fitting within the 32mm spandrel cavity — slab-edge installation, TPK Lighting
Challenge 01 · Everything fits in 32mm

A 1.25-inch cavity sets the entire spec

The spandrel cavity at Live! Hotel Maryland is 1.25 inches deep (≈32mm) — independently flagged in the architect's submittal: "Confirm fixture and mounting method will fit within 1.25" cavity." Body, clip and cable termination must all clear it without structural change.

Resolved — The LLS-OP-W30C uses a 30×30mm extrusion; with the flat clip and drainage clearance, assembled depth sits within tolerance. A tempered glass lens was specified over PC, which yellows under multi-year UV exposure and loses output.

02

Three floor-plate widths — one length won't fit all

Three in-line lengths on one DMX run: L12 (1,219mm) for long West runs, L6 and L3 for short segments and corners. 692 × L12, 105 × L6, 63 × L3.
03

10 fixtures per row, no new wall penetrations

At 24V DC only five L12 fixtures run per leg before voltage drop. A T-type cable splits one feed into two legs of five — no extra penetrations, confirmed by the integrator.
04

ETL listing required for US commercial install

CE alone is not accepted under the US NEC. LLS-OP-W30C carries ETL listing, confirmed before production: "must be ETL or UL or similar."
05

860 fixtures at height — no address fixes after install

All 860 fixtures were sequentially DMX-addressed at the factory before shipment (Bar 1 = ch 1–12, Bar 2 = 13–24…). Address coder supplied for field verification.
860Linear fixtures — 3 lengths, 3 elevations, 16 floorsSource: production order M-231207GAB, Jan 2024
1.25"Cavity depth — 30×30mm profile within toleranceSource: architect submittal review, BLTa, Mar 2020
ETLListing confirmed — CE alone not accepted under US NECSource: project correspondence, Aug 2023
Products used in this facade type
LLS-OP-W30C-L12
1,219mm · 15W · RGB · 24V DC · DMX512 · IP66 · ETL
Main West runsMax 5 per leg at 24V
View product →
LLS-OP-W30C-L6
610mm · 8W · RGB · 24V DC · DMX512 · IP66 · ETL
Short segmentsIn-line compatible
View product →
LLS-OP-W30C-L3
305mm · 4W · RGB · 24V DC · DMX512 · IP66 · ETL
Corners & fillsMin-width positions
View product →
Voltage drop, 24V DC linear — permissible drop is often designed around 5% (1.2V at 24V). For L12 at 15W, total current per leg and wire gauge must be checked for the run length: V-drop = I × R × L. T-type distribution halves the effective run length per leg. Calculate per installation rather than relying on a generic table.
Live! Casino Hotel Maryland glass curtain wall slab-edge linear lighting at night — 860 ETL LLS-OP-W30C fixtures, TPK Lighting
USA · Hotel High-Rise · Glass Curtain Wall

Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland

One of the Mid-Atlantic's largest hospitality complexes. 16-floor glass curtain wall with slab-edge linear lighting on three elevations, integrated by Gable Company (Baltimore). TPK supplied 860 ETL-listed LLS-OP-W30C fixtures across three custom lengths.

860 fixturesETL certified3 lengths24V DC / DMX51216 floorsJan 2024
View project references →

LLS-OP-W30C Series Specification Sheet

All three lengths (L12 / L6 / L3) — dimensions, electrical, optical, IP, ETL reference

Available on request

24V DC Voltage Drop Worksheet

Cable sizing for 24V linear runs; T-type distribution wiring diagram

Available on request

DMX Sequential Address Programming Guide

Continuous-mode assignment; factory pre-programming; field verification

Available on request

From Brief to Commissioning

The same path applies whether the fixture is custom-developed or selected from the range. Custom projects add sampling and validation rounds before mould lock.

01

Concept & geometry

Cladding drawings, node dimensions, fixing method.

02

Sample iteration

2–3 rounds of cover and aperture review before sign-off.

03

Validation

Weight, thermal, aging — submitted before mould lock.

04

Production

DMX addresses pre-programmed at factory.

05

Commissioning

Channel mapping, Madrix scenes, remote support.

Have a facade project in mind?

Send your facade type, cladding drawings or cavity dimensions. Our engineering team will confirm whether a standard fixture fits or custom development is needed — and outline the constraints worth resolving early.