Programmed spatial lighting Sound-reactive light

Morph Rooftop Bar, Kempinski Hangzhou

Around 2,000 metres of addressable light form a continuous composition across Morph Rooftop Bar. Refractiv developed the lighting concept with artist Deyan Raykov, then designed and programmed the system that moves the venue between ambient, event and sound-reactive states.

Project Details

Year:2019
Developer / end client:Sino-Ocean
Project lead and Refractiv commissioner:Xuan Xu Ltd
Stakeholders:Marriott and Kempinski
Location:Hangzhou, China
Spatial context:Three zones across a 700 m² rooftop venue
Media layer:Approximately 2,000 metres of addressable LED integrated across the ceiling and interior
Behaviour:Selectable ambient and event states with sound-reactive modes
Refractiv role:Collaborative lighting concept, system design, technical planning, content and programming
Installation:Local contractor under the general contractor

The House of Silk

Developed from Hangzhou’s relationship with silk, the lighting concept gives Morph Rooftop Bar a continuous luminous identity across the bar, ceiling and surrounding interior. Deyan Raykov and Refractiv developed the concept collaboratively, with the emphasis on paced movement, soft transitions and a coherent visual language rather than isolated effects.

Lighting system across ceiling and architecture

Around 2,000 metres of LED strip run through three zones of the 700 sqm venue. Pixel mapping, content and control were built as one custom system in TouchDesigner, so the lighting behaves as one coordinated composition across the ceiling and the wider interior.

Addressable control at pixel level allows the room to shift in tone, pace and intensity while keeping one coherent lighting language. Sound-reactive modes introduce a direct relationship between music and the movement of light, while programmed sequences establish slower transitions, moving the venue between ambient operation and active event conditions without breaking the identity of the interior.

Technical delivery

Refractiv developed the system design and technical planning required for implementation. A local contractor completed the physical installation under the general contractor, with Xuan Xu Ltd leading the project.