M&M’s World London

Superior LED design and control was required for this prestigious location in the heart of the regeneration zone of Londons Leicester Square.

Lighting consultants Optelma, in association with the design team at Abstract HQ, designed and built this stunning RGB colour changing facade using high powered LED modules embedded within the 360 degree visual light boxes. The design concept required full colour mixing of hundreds of hanging light pendants controlled by dual dmx interfaces. The control was provided by Abstract MFD control drivers custom manufactured to Optelma’s high specification.

System configuration was provided by dual output 1024 channel Mode Scene Style controller, wall mounted in store for ease of operation. Further system stabilisation required the installation of additional DMX slitters to provide data in to each of the 28 windows. Each window handles individual data processed by the MFD Abstract LED drivers resulting in a solid operating platform.

Each light box pendent varies in length creating a visually spectacular effect running the entire facade of the worlds largest candy store dominating Leicester Square. M&M world Leicester Square is the first Europeon investmamt for the brand that enjoys success in prime locations such as its Las vegas strip store, enjoyed by millions of visitors each year.

Installation of the complex system was mastermind by Optelma lighting consultants. Detailed technical assistance offered by Abstract technicians resulted in a harmonised quality timely completion of the project. “Working with Optelma was a pleasure, they listened to our advice and we listened to their needs. A perfect alliance” Steve Watts Founder Abstract.

Quality manufactured dmx control gear will provide years of service life when installed correctly. The M&M project has over 280 custom built LED drivers produced in the UK by Abstract lighting. Our dmx drivers deliver superior control of the RGB outputs that power the LED. We have 4 versions of the MFD driver modules 60/ 75/ 150/ 200 Watt avaliable. All models are dmx 512 compatible with data connection via RJ45 in/out. Power input voltage from 100 – 256v with built in PSU provided by branded meanwell internal components guarantee safe continues operation.

Full technical details of the M&M project Leicester Square

The project required 3 bespoke drivers to be designed and manufactured because of the verious lengths of LED. To overcome this the design team split the led drivers in to 3 categories of 75 watt / 150 watt and 200 watt. This decision worked out very well allowing for a cost effective drive solution that maximised the flexibility of the drivers. The drivers had dmx512 selected by dip switches so that the address was locked in as digital displays could be button sensitive in a confined space if the lock mode was not set correctly. Attention to fine details such as address locking was vital in an installation over 6 meters high.

Optelma designed the light boxes to be viewed from all side giving a 360 degree visual spectacular when walking Leicester Square and while visiting the M&M store. To achieve this a 15mm central spine was installed fitted with high powered Ledion RGB led lighting modules on all 4 sides. This ensured a powerful dramatic effect producing extremely high light output. The composit light pendants had to be cleaned very carefully to avoid static that could have damaged the led when installed. The 3 meter lengths of some of the LED boxes caused some issues in handling as they had to be hung between scaffolding due to the hight of the store. The electric cable was designed in Ireland incorporating a steel support cable to take the weight of the boxes and supply the electrical connection to the LEDs.

Project installation: Optelma lighting
Project manufacture: Abstract