1,200m of LED, immersive lighting, and bold design across the city’s largest rooftop venue
Gravity Max, Liverpool ONE
Here, we explore how we created a fully bespoke, high-impact lighting design for Gravity Max at Liverpool ONE — transforming a former Debenhams unit into a multi-attraction experience centre and the city’s largest rooftop bar.
With over 1,200m of LED tape, custom fixtures, and a simple-to-use control system, this project shows how lighting can define the energy and atmosphere of an entire venue.
About Gravity Max
Gravity Max is the evolution of competitive socialising — combining immersive entertainment, experiential food and drink, and interactive attractions under one roof. Located in Liverpool ONE, the new site includes batting cages, bowling, mini golf, shuffleboard, multiple bars, performance areas, and a large rooftop terrace.
The vision for this site was clear: create an energetic, future-forward space where every square metre feels connected, vibrant, and brand-consistent. MSL were brought in on recommendation, tasked with delivering a full-featured lighting solution that would match the scale of the space and make a visual impact at every turn.
The Project
For this project, we were given a blank canvas — and an exciting brief: design a lighting system that brought visual energy to each attraction while maintaining a seamless, unified feel across the venue. This wasn’t about isolated lighting zones. It was about building a sensory experience that connected:
- Shuffleboard and batting cages (with playful pixel lighting)
- A 12-lane bowling alley (featuring subtle, ambient illumination)
- An 18-hole mini golf course (with dynamic ceiling-mounted moving batons)
- Three bars, including Liverpool’s largest rooftop bar
- Two performance spaces with full stage lighting packages
- Corporate access corridors and feature walls
We designed a scheme that blended high-brightness RGBW LED tape, custom fixtures, and programmable pixel lighting — all controlled via an intuitive iPad interface.
The Challenges
The sheer size and layout of the space that Gravity Liverpool would occupy presented a set of challenges not often found in an sound and lighting project. The venue occupies a massive footprint inside a repurposed Debenhams store — meaning long cable runs, diverse ceiling heights, and a need for carefully distributed control.
To manage this effectively, we built and pre-configured driver racks in our UK workshop, installing them at strategic points throughout the site. This decentralised approach allowed us to keep the infrastructure neat, efficient, and scalable.
The Solution
MSL designed and delivered a complete lighting system covering every part of the venue, with custom branding capabilities and flexible control.
Lighting Equipment
- 1,200m+ of high-brightness RGBW LED tape
- 120+ custom 270-degree RGBW LED tubes
- 64x RGBW LED wash lights (Abstract AVR Ltd)
- 40+ CHAUVET Professional moving heads
- High-powered Abstract AVR battens (for large ceiling void and feature wall art)
- CHAUVET Rogue moving heads and Colorado Zoom washes (for stage lighting)
- Custom pixel lighting for DJ booths and corridors
- Custom-projected Gravity Max logos throughout the space
Control System
- MADRIX software for pixel mapping
- ChamSys control for live lighting fixture control
- ON-LX software for user interface design
- Custom wireless iPad GUI:
- One-touch venue open/close
- Custom colour control for zones (ideal for corporate branding)
Training, Support, and Ease of Use
We designed the system to be powerful behind the scenes, but simple on the surface. Through the iPad interface, staff can launch preset lighting states, change colour themes, or customise areas like the VIP bar or corporate corridors.
For example, when a corporate client books space at the venue, the corridor lighting can be changed to match their brand colours on arrival — creating an immersive, tailored first impression.
Training was delivered on-site, with supporting documentation. We continue to offer support as needed, but the system is designed to empower the on-site team to own the space.
Why Middlesex Sound & Lighting?
This project came to us through recommendation — a previous lighting contractor for the architectural elements suggested MSL as the specialists for high-end LED and effects lighting.
We offered Gravity a turnkey service: creative design, detailed pre-build, supply and installation, branded projection content, and a user-friendly control system tailored to the unique demands of the venue. The result is a consistent, branded, immersive space that adapts to mood, moment, and guest.
Customer Satisfaction
“This project was about more than just lighting — it was about creating a sensory journey. Gravity Max needed to feel connected, dynamic, and alive at every moment. Our goal was to design a system that was technically powerful, visually impactful, and simple for the client to use. The result is a space that constantly evolves — and one we’re proud to have brought to life.
We were incredibly pleased with how MSL approached the project — from concept to completion, their team were professional, collaborative, and genuinely invested in delivering something exceptional. Their attention to detail, creative input, and ability to overcome complex site challenges were key to the success of this venue. We wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again.”
– Michael Harrison – Gravity Active Entertainment CGO & Co-Founder
