Hotel Facade Lighting in Dallas: Inside the Lorenzo Hotel Project

Hotel facade lighting is the most visible thing a hotel owns. Every night, it tells thousands of drivers, guests, and neighbors whether a property is alive and cared for. When the lines of light on a high-rise go dark, flicker, or fall out of sync, people notice. That is exactly the kind of problem the WDM Lighting project team solved at the Lorenzo Hotel in Dallas in early 2026.

The Lorenzo sits at 1011 S. Akard Street, just south of downtown, where its tall vertical bands of color-changing light are a landmark on the skyline. This case study walks through what the project involved, how our crews worked safely at height, and how a modern networked control system keeps a facade like this running reliably. If you own or manage a hotel, office tower, or any large building with exterior lighting, this is a practical look at what a big-project lighting partner should deliver.

Watch the finished facade

Here is the Lorenzo Hotel lighting after the project, running its color scenes across the facade.

The challenge: a landmark facade that has to perform every night

The Lorenzo's signature look is a series of tall vertical light lines running up the building, with the hotel name glowing near the top. Lighting like this is made of long runs of addressable LED, each controlled by data signals. That gives a stunning result, but it also means there are many points where things can go wrong:

• Connections at height are exposed to Texas heat, storms, and moisture, and a single failed joint can darken a whole section.
• Data signals must travel long distances cleanly. Poor cabling or missing termination causes flicker, wrong colors, or lines that fall out of sync.
• Power for the facade needs to be controllable and resettable without sending a technician up the building every time.
• Access is the hardest part: the work sits high above a busy street, on a hotel that stays open.

The goal was simple to say and hard to do: get every line of light working, make the system far easier to control and maintain, and do it safely with minimal disruption to guests.

What we did: the project, step by step

1. High-point access and connection repairs

Our project team combined two access methods. Articulating boom lifts reaching 135 to 150 feet handled the areas that could be reached from the ground. For the highest and hardest spots, a two-person rope-access (rappel) crew worked at nine separate high-point locations on the facade. At each point, the crew made new connections, then soldered and sealed them so they can stand up to Dallas weather for the long term, rather than relying on push-fit joints that loosen over time.

2. A new networked control system

We installed eight Ethernet-to-DMX gateways. These devices take lighting commands sent over a standard computer network and convert them into DMX, the industry-standard control language for architectural and entertainment lighting. Using a network backbone means the facade can be controlled centrally, with clean, reliable data delivered to each section of the building.

The data runs use IP-rated (outdoor) Cat5e cable, built for exposure to the elements. Every DMX line was finished with 120-ohm terminating resistors, a small detail that prevents signal reflections, one of the most common causes of flicker and color errors on long runs.

3. Remote power control

We added four TCP/IP-controlled circuit breakers. In plain terms, the facade's power circuits can now be switched and reset over the network. If a section ever needs a restart, it can be done remotely instead of sending a crew to the electrical room or up a lift.

4. Addressing, programming, and commissioning

With the hardware in place, the team used a dedicated DMX writer to set addresses on the lighting controllers, so every section responds to the right commands. We then tested the full system and ran the color scenes you can see in the video.

Why networked DMX control matters for hotels

Many older facade systems run from a single standalone controller tucked away in a closet. They work until they don't, and when something fails, finding the problem can take days. A networked system changes the way owners and engineers live with their lighting:

• Central control: scenes, colors, and schedules are managed from one place instead of multiple boxes around the building.
• Faster troubleshooting: each gateway serves a defined section, so a problem can be isolated quickly.
• Remote resets: network-controlled breakers mean many issues can be solved without a site visit.
• Room to grow: new lighting zones, signage, or event scenes can be added to the network later.
• Brand moments: hotels can run team colors, holiday themes, or event looks on a schedule, turning the building into a marketing channel.

For a broader view of design choices, see our guides on choosing lighting for architectural spaces and the top trends in architectural lighting for modern buildings.

Facade lighting options for large buildings

Most large projects combine several of these. The key is designing them as one system, on one control network, so the building behaves as a single canvas. Our commercial lighting services team designs, supplies, installs, and maintains all of these approaches.

Working at height: boom lifts vs rope access

On a high-rise, how you reach the lights often decides the cost, the schedule, and the disruption to the property. On the Lorenzo, we used both methods, because each one solves a different problem.

Choosing the right mix is part of planning any facade project. It keeps crews safe, keeps the hotel operating, and avoids paying for equipment that sits idle.

Keeping facade lighting reliable for years

The Lorenzo project shows the details that separate a facade that lasts from one that keeps failing:

1. Seal every outdoor connection. Soldered, heat-shrunk, and sealed joints resist moisture far better than loose connectors.
2. Use outdoor-rated cable. IP-rated data cable holds up to UV, heat, and rain.
3. Terminate data lines. Correct termination prevents flicker and color errors on long DMX runs.
4. Split the building into zones. Multiple gateways mean one fault does not take down the whole facade.
5. Plan for remote control. Network-controlled power saves service calls.
6. Schedule regular checks. An annual inspection catches small problems before they become dark sections. Our lighting performance audit is a good starting point.

What hotel owners should plan for before a facade project

Every building is different, so we prepare project-specific proposals rather than price lists. The main factors that shape scope and budget are:

• Building height and access: lifts, rope access, permits, and any street or sidewalk closures.
• Repair, upgrade, or new install: fixing an existing system can be far more economical than starting over.
• Control requirements: simple scheduling, zone control, or full scene and event programming.
• Number of zones and runs: more sections mean more gateways, cable, and commissioning time.
• Timing: work around occupancy, events, and weather.
• Ongoing service: a maintenance plan keeps the facade performing and protects your investment.

How a big lighting project runs, start to finish

Hotel owners often ask what working with a lighting contractor on a large building actually looks like. The Lorenzo followed the same path we use on every major project:

Site review and diagnosis

We start by walking the building, day and night, to see which sections are working, which are not, and why. On a facade, that means checking power, data, and physical connections, and noting where access will be difficult. Night surveys matter: many problems only show up when the lights are running.

Scope and access plan

Next comes a written scope that lists every location to be serviced, the equipment needed, and how crews will reach each area. On the Lorenzo, that plan identified nine high-point locations for the rope-access crew and the areas the boom lifts could cover. A clear scope lets the owner see exactly what is being done before any work begins.

Equipment and materials

Control hardware, outdoor-rated cable, terminating resistors, heat-shrink and sealing materials, and access equipment are all lined up before crews mobilize. Having everything on hand keeps time on site, and time on lifts, as short as possible.

On-site execution

Crews work section by section, repairing connections, installing gateways, and running cable. Each section is tested as it is finished, so issues are caught while the equipment is still in position.

Programming and handover

Finally, the system is addressed, programmed, and commissioned as a whole. The owner's team gets working scenes and a control setup they can manage going forward, with WDM Lighting available for ongoing service.

The same process applies whether the building is a hotel, an office tower, an arena, a theater marquee, or a mixed-use development. Big projects succeed on planning, and on having one accountable team from the first site visit to the final scene.

Why hotels and developers choose WDM Lighting

WDM Lighting is based at 150 Express Street in Dallas. Our strength on projects like the Lorenzo is that one team handles the whole job:

• Design and engineering of lighting and control systems for large buildings
• Supply from our own catalog of LED, control, and fiber optic lighting products, including illuminators
• Installation and high-point access, including lifts and rope-access crews
• Programming and commissioning of DMX and networked control
• Service and maintenance after the project is complete

The Lorenzo joins other Dallas projects in our portfolio, including the Mosaic Dallas and the Davis Building. Browse more on our projects page or learn about WDM Lighting.

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