Unilumin and AIT bring transparent LED technology to the heart of the Les Roches Abu Dhabi campus, creating a new focal point without changing the character of the space.
In hospitality, the experience of a space matters. For Les Roches, that thinking extends to the environment in which its students learn.
Ranked No. 2 worldwide for Hospitality & Leisure Management in the QS World University Rankings 2026, Les Roches prepares students for careers across hospitality, luxury and the wider experience economy.
At its Abu Dhabi campus in the UAE, a multi-storey glass elevator façade sits at the centre of the main atrium. Les Roches wanted to make better use of this prominent architectural feature, turning it into a visual focal point while retaining the openness and natural light of the space.
Creating Impact Without Compromising the Architecture
The location presented an unusual challenge. A conventional LED display would have covered the glass and changed the appearance of the atrium.
The solution needed to deliver high-quality visual content while remaining transparent enough to preserve the original architecture. It also had to work across a tall vertical surface, with people viewing the content from the ground floor as well as different levels of the building.
“Our intention was to turn a static architectural feature of our central elevator glass façade into a visual centrepiece that reflects the standards of luxury hospitality. First impressions are important in our industry.
With the transparent LED display, hospitality content and abstract visuals can become part of the space without taking away from the openness of the atrium.”
Hugo Pereira
IT Director, Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches
Finding the Right Technology – Holographic Transparent Display
Les Roches worked with AIT, its technology integration partner, to identify a solution that could meet the requirements of the space.
AIT assessed the transparency, ambient lighting conditions, viewing angles and vertical scale of the installation before selecting Unilumin Udesign SV Pro.
“We have worked with Les Roches before, but this was a particularly interesting brief. There were several factors to consider, from transparency and ambient light to how the display would be viewed from different floors. After evaluating the available technologies, we selected Unilumin Udesign SV Pro as the right fit for the project.”
SAYED YAMMINE
General Manager, Advanced Integration Technologies
Designed for transparent architectural applications, Udesign SV Pro offers up to 92% visual transparency, allowing the glass façade to remain visible even after the display is installed. Its slim and lightweight construction (1.5mm thick and 5kg/㎡) and high brightness (5,000 nits) allow digital content to stand out in the atrium without making the installation feel like a conventional screen mounted onto the building. In this project, a 2 × 15.25 m Udesign SV Pro display was adopted, featuring a 3.9 mm pixel pitch and MIP technology, covering a total area of 30.5 sqm. Installed directly onto the glass elevator façade in the campus atrium, the display stretches vertically from floor to ceiling, creating a striking visual presence while preserving the transparency of the glass. The result is a towering digital canvas that brings dynamic content into the heart of the space, blending seamlessly with the surrounding architecture without overwhelming its openness.
The project also marks the first installation reference for Unilumin’s next-generation Udesign SV Pro MIP solution in the UAE. The technology has been developed with the requirements of permanent installations in mind, including visual performance, reliability, serviceability and energy efficiency.
Its viewing characteristics were particularly relevant at Les Roches. As the display extends vertically through the atrium, it can be experienced from several positions and floors rather than from one fixed viewing point.
“The brief from Les Roches and AIT was clear: the technology needed to make an impact without compromising the architecture. With Udesign SV Pro MIP, we delivered a solution that met this vision, preserving the transparency of the glass while introducing a striking new visual dimension to the space. As Unilumin’s first holographic transparent LED display project in the UAE, this installation marks an important milestone in bringing our next-generation MIP technology to the region, demonstrating its potential to transform architectural spaces through innovative display solutions.”
Unilumin Representative
Giving the Space a New Purpose
The installation has changed how Les Roches can use the elevator façade.
Instead of a permanent static treatment, the campus now has a digital surface that can be updated with hospitality imagery, Les Roches branding, abstract visuals, student achievements, event content and messaging for Open Days or other campus activities.
Its position in the central atrium also means the display is seen repeatedly as people move through the building.
Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, prospective students, families, industry partners and other visitors pass through the area each month, giving Les Roches a highly visible communication point within the campus. For prospective students and their families visiting Les Roches, the installation also forms part of their first impression of the campus.
“In hospitality, the environment plays an important role in shaping the overall experience. We wanted to bring that same thinking to our campus. The new installation has given an existing architectural feature a completely new purpose, while keeping the openness of the atrium intact. It also gives us the flexibility to change what we communicate and how we use the space throughout the year.”
Hugo Pereira
IT Director, Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches
A New Focal Point for the Campus
The collaboration between Les Roches, AIT and Unilumin has turned an existing architectural feature into a flexible communication and visual platform.
As the content changes, so does the character of the installation, while the original glass architecture remains visible.
For Les Roches, that balance between technology, design and experience was exactly what the project set out to achieve. A dynamic, engaging space where LED technology communicates seamlessly with the audience.
