The state-of-the-art Philips Dynalite lighting control system was installed at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, setting new standards in lighting ambience and functionality.

Burj Khalifa stands at over 828 metres, setting new records in terms of its structure and facilities. Opened in January 2010, the 160-floor mixed-use tower features residences, corporate suites and the world’s first Armani Hotel.

Having employed the latest advances in wind engineering, structural engineering, construction materials and technology during the development phase, the client required an advanced lighting control system that would match up to the practical and logistical demands of a project of this magnitude.

Key client requirements for the lighting control systems:  

  • Highly modular and distributed to accommodate all interior and exterior lighting 
  • Intelligent control to support sophisticated programming requirements 
  • Virtually invisible and easy for the end-user 
  • Accommodates potential changes in lighting design at the last minute 
The Philips Dynalite solution


One of the key challenges of the project was to house lighting controllers in a rack enclosure in a utilities cupboard.

Philips Dynalite designed an intelligent bespoke lighting control system that delivered the advanced functionality, flexibility and ambience necessary for a building of this magnitude and quality.

Each one of the hundreds of guestrooms, residences and offices housed within the Burj Khalifa contains a lighting control and automation system founded on the same basic architecture.

The intelligent design of the Philips Dynalite lighting control system delivers functional and responsive lighting that is largely invisible to the end-user in keeping with the building’s discreet luxury design.

The modular lighting control system seamlessly delivers innovative and clever interior and exterior lighting. 

Key features of the Philips Dynalite lighting control systems: 

  • Modular multipurpose controllers are fixed in a rack enclosure specially modified by Philips Dynalite to fit within a utilities cupboard 
  • Entire network is designed with appropriate levels of isolation right down to room level so that room operation is not impacted if the computer head-end goes down 
  • User-friendly system delivers the appropriate lighting scheme according to the time of day and the user’s location within a room at the press of a button on the interface panel 
  • Built-in intelligence allows the system to understand the user’s requirements and respond accordingly 
  • Every suite on every floor is linked to a central control room via 13 separate DyNet riser trunks 
  • Philips Dynalite EnvisionManager software acts as the system head-end in the control room, providing control, status and scheduling information 
  • Over 7,000 Philips Dynalite multipurpose controllers have been installed within the building, each one configured to a specific load schedule 
  • Uniquely modular controller design allows different output modules to be ‘plugged’ into the motherboard 
  • Over 14,000 Revolution operator interface panels installed throughout the tower with each suite containing up to 10 slimline fascia-matched panels 
  • In-built intelligence ensures the panels retain their programming when disconnected from the communications network