| Signature elements
in the design of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino come directly
from the altar of rock ‘n roll. When the project’s
purchasing agent, Project Dynamics, needed huge ceiling-mounted
lights to look and function like actual Zildjian drum cymbals,
the craftsman at Brad Oldham Int’l, Inc. (BOI) rose
to the occasion.
The BOI team designed, built, and oversaw installation
of the 11 custom lights ranging in size from 6 to 10 feet
wide. Once shop drawings were approved, templates were created
to hand cut 1/8-inch cold-rolled steel in the necessary shapes.
Each piece was then hand formed, and a custom press was built
to create the center dome. Once shaped, the cymbal was welded
and polished into a fine, smooth finish. Each gigantic cymbal
light was further hand-grooved, followed by another hand polish
treatment, to simulate the spinning pattern of a drum cymbal.
With the fabrication complete, the 11 pieces
were hand plated in a shiny nickel and sealed with a clear-coated
custom bronze finish. BOI then hand stenciled the Zildjian
logo onto each light. The installation of the lights in the
8- to 9-foot tall ceilings of “The Joint” at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino went smoothly. BOI developed
a custom mounting system for the lights to enable each to
be leveled on site.
These 10 foot wide drum cymbals have been noticed
by musicians and fans alike. The large lights in the small
space tempt guests to reach up to tap on the cymbal. Since
the ribbon-cutting ceremony - attended by project dignitaries
and musician Carlos Santana - many top rock ‘n rolls
acts have played “The Joint.”
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