Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, United Arab Emirates

The Opportunity

Located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an exceptional and imposing structure with a 262-foot main dome and four minaret towers rising to a height of 351 feet. As the largest mosque in the UAE and the third largest in the world, the 72,000-square-foot Grand Mosque accommodates up to 40,000 visitors. The mosque recently opened a new three-story visitor’s center bookended by two impressive glass dome entrances. To highlight the new addition, Abu Dhabi officials requested a state-of-the-art lighting solution capable of dynamic video mapping.

The Solution

Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) deployed over 2,500 Martin Exterior PixLine 10 linear LED video fixtures to create a dazzling lighting display on the curved surface of the domes. To map complex video effects accurately across the domes, MPME deployed Martin P3 System Controllers alongside the PixLine fixtures.

The Exterior PixLine 10 is a linear LED video fixture for media façades and creative installations, which can be fully customized in length and color to match any specification while the power source remains hidden. In addition to illuminating the translucent domes at night, MPME also utilizes the creative LED media façade to display video content to support religious holidays, cultural events and special occasions.

MPME used four Martin P3 System Controllers to fully synchronize the Exterior PixLine 10 fixtures installed on the glass domes with the larger 360-degree exterior installation lighting the mosque itself, which has been lit by Martin fixtures since 2009. Being the Grand Mosque’s official service partner, MPME is responsible for making sure that every lighting installation works properly at all times. The P3 System also enables the MPME team to remotely monitor the new media façade and respond quickly in case of errors or fallouts.

The Impact

“Installing a high number of fixtures on a curved surface is a complex process,” said Bilal Assidi, Sales Manager, MPME. “We selected the Exterior PixLine fixtures because Martin could supply them in customized lengths, which reduced installation time and cost, and also allowed us to perfectly integrate the fixtures into the structure of the domes.”

“Mapping out video content across such a high number of fixtures on a curved surface is a demanding task which requires a reliable and user-friendly video processor,” continued Assidi. “The P3 system made it simple to set up the PixLine fixtures, and ensures that the installation will look as good as it does now for many years to come without having staff onsite at all times.”