dbell

Four Seasons Astir Palace, Greece

The Astir Palace hotel complex first opened in 1958 , running successfully as a city resort during the 1960s. Entering into its new design phase, the Astir’s renovation saw Lighting Design International (LDI) to complete the new exterior and interior lighting schemes for the two hotels, Arion and Nafsika. From design to construction, the project took three years to complete; LDI was brought on board in July 2016 and the resort re-opened in April 2019. 

Sandra Brookes, Senior Designer at LDI, sat down with arc to discuss the firm’s involvement in the renovation project: “LDI has an extensive hospitality and residential lighting portfolio. Therefore, understanding and achieving lighting design with the Four Seasons’ ethos of ‘a home away from home’ in mind was key for the success of the project. 

“LDI has worked with Four Seasons Hotels on numerous occasions and understands the group’s vision. The brief was to design a sophisticated lighting scheme with a residential feel and fortunately this is what LDI is known for.

“While the structural elements, outer shell and some of the exterior walls were retained, the building was completely renovated and LDI worked closely with the project management and design teams in order to create a high-end lighting scheme both for the interior and exterior areas at both hotels.” 

To realise the new lighting schemes for each hotel, the LDI team devised a mock-up room to test and present the new lighting solutions to the contractors and project team, in order to ensure the value and appreciation of specification was achieved. 

Fortunately for the lighting designers, the brief at the beginning of the project was maintained throughout the duration of the renovation. “It took a lot of lighting mock-ups and tests, hard work and many hours to get to the level of quality desired. What made this project special was that the two hotels were unique, yet had a distinct lighting ambience that unifies them,” explained Brookes. “Arion’s look is more sophisticated and aimed at couples and singles, while Nafsika is more relaxed and family orientated. The lighting helped to enhance each hotel’s distinct personality.”

Nestled within its own pine-clad peninsula, the resort overlooks Athens Riviera, offering the best of both worlds; a laid-back seaside escape and tranquil forest environment. The Arion hotel building is a boomerang-shape, offering views across both the sea and the pine forest. “Arion stands tall on top of the hill; its façade visible from a distance. It was therefore decided to emphasise its shape by introducing an array of narrow washes of light to its ceiling,” explained Brookes. “This was achieved using two separate details: miniature custom-built fixtures mounted at a high level on the balcony walls, softly up-lighting the soffits, while at each room level, similarly discreet, low-glare uplights integrated within the existing twinned columns create a visual rhythm, highlighting their metallic surface. Carefully implemented detailing allowed cabling from the new fixtures to be concealed within the columns that had to remain otherwise untouched.

“To increase Arion’s sense of perspective, LDI integrated a concealed flexible linear LED fixture within an existing marble niche wrapping around the entire building at first floor level. This creates a unifying line of light to Arion’s outer shell perimeter.”

When guests first arrive at Arion, they are welcomed with minimal aesthetics in the reception area. The team deliberately chose dimmed lighting levels to create a calm atmosphere in this space. In contrast, the lounge-lobby boasts a double-height, voluminous space with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the sea. A focal point in the space is a timber bar with marble countertop that is highlighted with pinhole downlights above it and concealed linear LED details integrated within its fabric. Decorative lighting adds distinguishing features to the space.

“We had the opportunity of having a new and more current lighting scheme and control system incorporated within the buildings, leaving minimal lighting aesthetic visible. Leaving the guests to enjoy the warm and inviting lighting ambience without knowing where the equipment is located,” added Brookes.

“LDI designed the lighting layouts with the existing structure in mind, but with the advantage that most of the equipment was concealed from view successfully by the new interiors. Bespoke tailored details were developed in conjunction with the interior designers and incorporated within furniture and the building envelope.” 

One of Arion’s special features is its spa. An arcade-like corridor, which is illuminated by daylight filtered through wooden ceiling slats and artificial lighting details, leads visitors to the treatment rooms. The lighting fixtures used for this purpose are provided in low-level concealed skirting details, creating a linearity effect. “Concealed feature backlighting to the strips themselves and ceiling recessed downlights with low-glare optics create pools of light along the main circulation axis,” elaborated Brookes.

Throughout the interior public spaces, including the restaurant and bedrooms and suites, fixtures from Reggiani dominated the lighting specified, with an array of mood adjustable fittings, along with fixtures from LED Linear used throughout. 

Secluded on its own beach, the Nafsika hotel stands proudly on the sprawling rocks leading to the water’s edge, with “an architectural language of strong vertical concrete walls. These rectilinear geometries were framed at the slab edge with a small marker of light and further highlight with a soft wash of light,” explained Brookes. 

“The intrinsic beauty of this façade highlights the visual journey, with its ever-changing lighting composition depending on the viewing angle, new perspectives are modelled with light from top to bottom across its length. It’s a façade that keeps the interest alive as in every corner there is a new panorama to be discovered; from the impactful first impression gathered at the top entrance with the pillar forest of light to the inviting ambience crafted with light in the social pool area at the bottom, the façade is ever present with its silent, soft, yet powerfully lit backdrop.” LightGraphix LD151 high-powered uplights were used to light the exterior columns situated at the entrance to Nafsika, with surface mounted LD10238 and LD10237 spotlights used to highlight other features. According to LightGraphix: “The linear-lensed LD38C wall washers installed were RAL colour matched to the façade so they blended seamlessly into the architecture. Miniature LD51 spotlights create a subtle wash up each of the balcony walls, and elsewhere LD64s, LD242As are being used extensively.

“As part of the lighting scheme, LDI wanted to create a wash of light on the balcony ceiling between the hotel rooms. Working closely with our specials department, they came up with the novel idea of orientating the LD47 wall light up, instead of down, and mounting it near the ceiling. However, since there was no recess depth, a new, custom surface-mounted version was developed.”

The interior lighting of Nafsika is dramatic and modern, mixing bold decorative gestures highlighting its “livelier atmosphere”. Turning the traditional hotel layout on its head, the Nafsika entrance lobby welcomes guests onto the top floor, offering stunning views over the Mediterranean Sea. Upon entering the lobby, guests are welcomed by a lit Antony Gormley sculpture with a backdrop that “resembles a forest of illuminated pillars.”

A distinctive lighting scheme guides visitor to descend from the top floor lobby to the swimming pool area below, via a series of interlaced, cohesively designed spaces. 

The Avra Lounge’s jewel-like pendants take centre-stage, as you enter the restaurant’s reception area, creating a bold visual impact on the dining space. LightGraphix and Orluna fixures were used for the F&B lighting, with Orluna mini recessed warm dim tilt lamps for the pizza counter. 

“Oversized bespoke decorative luminaires with integral spotlights help to retain a clean soffit and introduce drama,” elaborated Brookes. “The space presents floor to ceiling windows and seamless lighting integration with indoor/outdoor spaces was key. The warm welcoming atmosphere is provided mainly through decorative fittings and soft lighting integrated within the furniture and building fabric.” 

A sense of intrigue is achieved through the use of varied finishes and a nuanced lit canvas that combines light and dark. One of the design focal points in the interior is the marble slatted corridors. The beautifully selected marble slats are both front and backlit with a careful balance, creating an elegantly lit canvas. 

“Being a summer resort in Greece’s warm climate, both hotels public areas are closely linked to the outdoors. The newly lit façade provides a balanced and considered candlelit-inspired scene to the external presentation. The softly uplit features, such as columns and pilasters, combine with the warm glow achieved in the terraces, provides an inviting illuminated ambience with visually discreet luminaires. Again, Reggiani fixtures were used for the majority of fixtures, along with LED Linear throughout, LineaLight special mini step washers for the rooms and RCL’s DR7 recessed downlighter, for the ballroom.

“For both façades, a consistent use of fixtures with 2700K LED sources has been used throughout. Light fixtures and concealed lighting details have been painstakingly specified and designed to eliminate glare and views to sources as much as possible from all angles. All fixtures used externally have been specified with finishes that can withstand the harsh coastal environment,” explained Brookes. 

“For both interiors, low-glare and concealed architectural lighting discreetly illuminate the spaces throughout, while decorative fixtures provide warmth at a more domestic scale. The luminaires specified use either warm or tuneable white (2200K-2700K) LED sources. The all-day bar and restaurant spaces use tuneable white and warm-to-dim LED sources to complement the natural daylight cycle in these spaces. A Lutron lighting control system was used to allow the lit canvas to be adjusted using scene setting capabilities.” 

Overall, the two hotels present distinctly different design profiles, yet are intrinsically linked by a cohesive lighting scheme that draws on the outdoors and surrounding nature to create modern and stylish designs throughout. 

www.lightingdesigninternational.com

---

by dbell

RuMa Hotel & Residences, Malaysia

Opened in the winter of 2018, the RuMa Hotel and Residences is a 253-room development in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Located in the vibrant heart of the city’s Golden Triangle, the hotel features dramatic views of the iconic Petronas twin towers.

Designed by Malaysian architecture firm BEP Arkitek, with interior design from MQ Studio and lighting design from The Flaming Beacon, the hotel takes great inspiration from the country’s heritage, offering a contemporary interpretation of Malaysia’s colonial past, with an additional, more homely touch; the name of the hotel, RuMa, is itself derived from the Malay word for ‘home’. As such, the design and conceptual approach for the hotel was based around a home that captures, in spirit, the houses of a bygone era.

The Flaming Beacon was introduced to the project via the hotel operator, Shanghai-based Urban Resort Concepts (URC), whom the designers have a long-standing relationship with, having worked together on a number of projects throughout China. Andrew Jaques, Director of The Flaming Beacon, explained more about the design concept for The RuMa: “Like many of the URC projects we have previously worked on, the RuMa encouraged the design team to explore contextually relevant information and condense it into a contemporary narrative for the project.

“There wasn’t a specific lighting design brief per se; we were fortunate to have, on this project, an operator and client who understood how well-lit spaces can positively affect the experience of their guests. They also trusted the entire design team to work together to deliver a hotel that met this broad approach.

“As the design developed, there was an increasing focus on creating a strong domestic character – hence the hotel’s name, RuMa, literally translating as ‘home’. This brought into focus during the design development the material selection and detailing, which were intentionally humble and tactile.”

Alongside this strong domestic character, other sub-themes emerge and reveal themselves within the project, specifically referencing aspects of Malaysian culture and design. The interior design in particular took a strong inspiration from the country’s heritage.

Jaques continued: “The interior designer, Andy Hall from MQ Studio, had spent several months researching Malaysia’s history, including its colonial and mining past, as well as its disappearing architectural vernacular.

“Andy presented his overall design approach to us and from that moment we worked together to find ways to express his ideas through rigorous integration of lighting devices, often with a contemporary take. He was very receptive to our ideas, especially those which expanded on his concepts through the use of lighting techniques, and was willing to modify his interiors to accommodate many of these ideas.”

Indeed the close collaboration between The Flaming Beacon and MQ Studio is something that Jaques felt was very unique to this project, as “it’s not often you have the lead designer asking ‘will this work for the lighting?’ 

“It was refreshing to have a design collaborator so invested in maintaining the lighting design intention.”

Throughout the hotel, lighting is inseparable from the interior design and architecture, forming one unified design strategy. To create this unified feel, Jaques added that The Flaming Beacon “studied every interior and architectural material and element to establish their importance and light ability in the space to build up our lighting scenes”.

“Where customised decorative lighting objects were required to complement these scenes, we applied complementary material and finishes to these objects to connect them to the spaces,” he continued.

On an architectural level, The Flaming Beacon used lighting to best express the architectural concepts, whether this be through the layering and revelations of various screening lattices, or reinforcing the architect’s implied datum, drawn from colonial fenestration studies.

“At the front façade, we introduced an amber glass at the architectural datum, and persuaded Andy to change the density of the entry screen above this point to make a clearer distinction,” Jaques said. “When the floor grazer’s peak beam hits the amber glass, the backlit screen above the datum has a completely different character to that of the backlit screen below.

“Despite embracing the design concepts, our client wasn’t experienced with a project requiring this level of detail. To the client’s credit though, he never lost sight of the project vision and quality expectation and persevered.

“From the outset, there was pressure on the budget, and lighting equipment was not immune. One of the ways we overcame this was to strategically determine where to use dimmers.

“Main public spaces were fully dimmable, but exterior and guest rooms had limited dimming and some circulation spaces had none. This primary, secondary and tertiary approach continued with the LED quality specification, which ironically resolved itself due to improvements in quality and cost of LEDs by the time it came to placing orders.”

Ensuring that key areas had dimming was critical in being able to create the intimate, warm atmosphere across RuMa - one that plays on the contrasts between light and shadow and generates a welcoming ambiance for visitors.

“Consistent warm light that transitions from warm to even warmer late into the evening makes for a cosy environment, and playing with shadow and texture makes for subtle but interesting variations for guests to enjoy,” Jaques explained. “This was something we challenged ourselves to explore in the design and were fortunate to have design collaborators who shared this vision.

“We constantly questioned how we could express materials in unexpected and interesting ways. For example, the kelarai screens, more often seen in traditional Malay dwellings and used throughout the projects, were in the spa, woven in such a manner to enable shadow patterns to land on the floor almost by magic.

“Finding someone who could still weave the rattan in the traditional way was a challenge. An expert weaver was eventually located – she was 90-years-old and living in a small village outside of Penang – and we went about testing several weave designs until one was made that retained the intended pattern, but also enabled the shadowing on the floor.”

Outside of the use of lighting, the design team worked with the interior designer in the selection of materials that would enhance the warm environment; materials such as the copper ceiling, the timber and warm stone finishes, and the use of terracotta, all add to the creation of the desired ambiance.

“Unwanted reflections that would have been a distraction were carefully planned for,” Jaques added. “One of the few specular surfaces in the hotel, the copper-clad lobby ceiling, is only visible via indirect reflected light from adjacent surfaces.”

The Flaming Beacon used Vista’s flexible LED strips at various outputs, from 2400K to 3000K, in coves and joinery throughout, while Delta Light’s Halosun surface-mounted JAC spotlights are used in recessed ceiling slots in the meeting rooms and lobby. Guestrooms are illuminated via Lucent’s Prospec downlight and Soraa’s Vivid MR16 luminaires.

Outside, Lumascape’s LS2010 spike-mounted uplights provide a soft illumination on planters and trees, while Luci’s line-graze fittings wall wash behind screens on the façade, and ceiling slot grazers and the lobby vestibules.

These lighting elements are complemented by custom fittings, designed by The Flaming Beacon and manufactured by InnerSpace, that feature throughout the hotel. These fittings, Jaques said, “drew inspiration from the narratives relating to trading and mining, and put a twist on them to suit the contemporary nature of the project.”

He continued: “In the case of the guestroom lights, the approach was to create a series of lighting devices that appeared ‘machined and assembled’ in reference to the industrial aesthetic of the colonial period.

“Many of the bigger lighting gestures blur the boundary between what is an interior element and what is a lighting element. In the entry vestibule, is the curved terracotta half pipe idea a giant light fitting array, or simply LED strips built into the architecture? This ambiguity is exciting.”

The ambiguity that Jaques speaks of helps to create a sense of drama amid the warm, welcoming environment of the RuMa Hotel, and while it has been gaining plaudits since its opening in late 2018, many feel that the lighting has been integral to its popularity.

“The lighting is a key element in creating a certain vibe, which can directly influence a hotel’s success, especially a boutique hotel unashamedly announcing itself as being different to its competition,” he said.

“Carefully integrated lighting always aimed at making the interior of the architecture expressions appear as natural and interesting as possible, and the design of customised light fittings that follow a similar material palate and feel seamlessly part of the interior design, make for a series of spaces that feel elegant, cosy, welcoming, and well… homely.”

www.tfb.com.au

---

by dbell

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, USA

Focus Lighting, together with interior architects Rockwell Group, started work on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino back in 2015. A major renovation of the Florida-based property, which saw the addition of a large new hotel tower, an expansive outdoor area and extension of the retail promenade, the team also worked on an additional casino floor alongside the renovation of the existing casino, hotel lobby, other smaller circulation areas and amenity spaces.

There was a clear goal from the very beginning to elevate the Hard Rock brand the world has become familiar with – transforming it into more of a resort lifestyle brand, with a lot of design choices made to support this. Rockwell Group’s concept of ‘architecture is frozen music’ – a famous quote by Gothe, ties into the design of the space and connects to Hard Rock’s emphasis on the music industry. Images taken by small cameras inside musical instruments supported this idea and informed the architectural details, evoking a different musical instrument within each area. It is a much more thoughtful take on how music can inform an architectural space. 

Speaking with arc about the lighting design for this project, Christine Hope, Principal Lighting Designer at Focus Lighting, explains: “Through extensive coordination with the rest of the design team, lighting supports these shapes and forms with seamless architectural integrations and enhances the design concept through custom decorative applications. The result suggests the sophistication of a symphony of instruments, offering guests a new, refined take on the traditional Hard Rock brand.”

Above the lobby bar, the bottom curve of the hotel’s guitar tower peeks through the ceiling. Focus Lighting coordinated with Rockwell Group to create hidden pockets within the decorative trim pieces for a short piece of track and two Amerlux Hornet HP track heads to light the bar top and backbar.

Opposite the bar, layers of beaded string and chandeliers from Zaniboni evoke the delicate cadence of the symphony’s string section. Focus Lighting had each pendant custom-fabricated from a powder-coated tube, with a frosted inch-tall acrylic cylinder containing a 3w LED at the bottom. The lighting team worked with the manufacturer to select the pendants’ LED colour and found the perfect combination of filters to create warmth within each tube. The pendants were then fabricated with the outer rings at 5ft-tall and each concentric inner ring six-inches shorter, creating a rounded dome shape. 

A collection of trellises provide lighting for the casino’s gaming tables - their huge openings and colourful interior evoking the feel of a horn instrument. Linear LEDs integrated inside reveal pops of colour, creating a feeling of jazz syncopation, and a series of wide floodlights sprinkled between them add a playful dappling of light and shadow. Additionally, ball chandeliers within each trellis are integrated with a mix of internal glow points and adjustable 2700K narrow flood LED accents, each on separate circuits so the lighting team could aim accents specifically to get the ideal level and coverage for tables below.

The rhythmic placement of the hotel’s memorabilia cases evokes the keys of a piano. The cases are illuminated with alternating horizontally or vertically-mounted LED accents by Eklipse Lighting, giving each piece a unique, eye-catching look. A glow from linear Luminii Lighting LED fixtures at the top and bottom of memorabilia cases works to accentuate the warm wood finish of the wall behind them. 

Elsewhere in the hotel, a twinkling fibre-optic ceiling at the Centre Bar was inspired by the flashing cameras of fans at a live show. All of the illuminators are hidden within a ring above the bar, feeding out from a central point. Achieving their fibre-optic treatment in the Centre Bar’s complex curved ceiling required an incredible amount of coordination and detailing between the electrical contractor, lighting team and specialty fabricators. Focus Lighting mapped thousands of points in the ceiling and gave the electrical contractors a template to use for installation. 

“The scale of the project created some of the greatest obstacles; there were so many different components and teams working at once that it felt like we were building a small city. All the teams worked relentlessly to coordinate with each other and ensure we were all on the same page,” Hope explains.

“As well as this, there isn’t one straight wall in the entire building, everything is free flowing and curvy. This complex geometry was a driving force in deciding how lights were specified. For example, we used more than 20,000 feet of ceiling cove lighting throughout the lobby and casino spaces. This was challenging because we needed the majority of this to be comprised of 12-inch lenghts to make all the curves work, which resulted in more coordination and required a more careful installation.

“The use of warm-dim technology was also a big decision for us,” continued Hope. “It is an unusual choice in a casino, but it was the result of the amount of daylight in the casino’s adjacent spaces. The warm-dim LEDs ability to shift from being airy and crisp during the day to a warmer, more intimate setting during the evening helped create the sense of luxury we wanted the space to have.”

Another area of the Hard Rock hotel worth mentioning is The Oculus – an immersive arrival experience that weaves together music, video content, dynamic water features and light. Encompassing a 140-inch x 35-inch room, its design combines natural light with architectural and theatrical lighting from Acclaim, ETC, SSL, Lumenpulse, 5Ten, USAI, and Ketra. 

Coordination with water consultant WET Design allowed the lighting team to optimise the look of a central 10ft-diameter waterfall, which serves as a surface for light projection. The team tracked the waterfall’s choreography to ensure lighting was correctly timed and placed, suggesting a coat of mist to go around it - a dense curtain of particles that produces sharp, visible projections.

Focus Lighting was also tasked with choreographing sequences for the attraction’s eight daily shows. Eighteen layers of light with 4,600 points of control were designed into The Oculus, each controllable through a GrandMa console. The lighting team worked closely with Rockwell Group’s LAB and the programmers from Candela Controls to choose light colours that were in sync with music and multiple dynamic video and water elements for each four to six minute show.

“We wanted to make sure we balanced the architectural lighting with the natural daylight in the space,” said Hope. “You wake up in the morning with these pastel colours that remind you of a sunrise, then, throughout the afternoon, the feeling is more like a sunny day at the beach, with colours inspired by the ocean and sand. Towards the evening, it’s about being out on the town or at a club, so the colours become more saturated and the movement more dramatic to support that storyline. When a song ‘event’ happens, we made sure that it was a dramatic visual shift from the architectural setting. We picked colour palettes for each song that were complementary to the colours and themes of the content and song choices made by LAB, and corresponded in cadence and intensity to the time of day during which it was played; there were many factors to consider.”

Throughout the hotel and casino, there is a mix of integrated architectural lighting, display lighting and decorative elements, and while it was a challenge to merge everything together in order to create a unified, coherent lighting scheme, according to Hope it was always a big priority for everyone involved. “In the past, Hard Rock memorabilia cases were hung on the wall with not much thought given to their lighting,” she said. “At Hard Rock Hollywood, the warm glow that emits from behind cases where they meet the wall make them feel like part of the architecture.

The lighting design plays an important role in shaping the guest experience. As visitors move through the venue, they discover a combination of grand, exciting spaces with large architectural gestures and neatly integrated lighting, and more secluded areas where lighting provides a source of intimacy and comfort. Through careful integration and coordination, lighting successfully enhances the architectural language and functional use of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s new public spaces.

www.focuslighting.com

---

by dbell

Al Fattan Crystal Towers, UAE

Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach is one of the UAE’s most famous areas, and for good reason. With a number of high profile hotels and resorts, the area has become known for its grand, extravagant buildings. 

The latest addition to this increasing array of eye-catching destinations is the Al Fattan Crystal Towers, also known as Rixos Premium. Designed by Turkey’s Tabanlıoğlu Architects, the high-end 35-storey mixed-use twin towers comprise of retail areas, a hotel, luxury apartments and penthouses. 

Alongside the sand-coloured architecture of the surrounding beach hotels, the Al Fattan Crystal Towers’ sleek, angular glass façades bring a glamourous sheen to the Dubai skyline. The architectural idea behind the towers’ unique form was to “create a crystal feeling in front of the horizontal sand atmosphere”.

The lighting for this striking new development was designed by ZKLD, which developed schemes for the interiors, landscape, and the dramatic façade. Mustafa Akkaya, Design Director at ZKLD, explained the thought process behind the lighting design: “The project is in a region that culturally has major interest in grandness and splendour. From the beginning, this was well-known and obviously affected the lighting design decisions. However, we also knew that we must set a balanced design under this flamboyant appearance that welcomes people who stay or visit the hotel, and creates a cosy ambiances to make them feel at home. In contrast to this flashy envelope, interior areas and landscape lighting also followed these intentions.

“An established bond between dynamic stance and serene ambiance was most desired by ZKLD from the beginning of the design phase.”

Throughout the design process, ZKLD also established a bond with the architectural team, thanks to a “mutual exchange of ideas”, that Akkaya feels “helped to make the whole process as streamlined as possible.”

This was of particular use during the development of the façade lighting. Inspired by the refractions and reflections that light creates when passing through a crystal, ZKLD sought to highlight the triangular forms on the façade through lines of light. These lines make the building rise dynamically at the oceanside, in contrast to the surrounding buildings.

“Emphasising the crystal effect on the façade through lighting was one of the main challenges that we encountered, because the building is located in one of Dubai’s most famous areas, and can easily be seen from different angles throughout the city,” Akkaya explained. “Therefore, the gutter detail was designed by considering the lighting effect as seen from a distance. It took several mock-ups and collaboration with the architectural team to execute the necessary detail of the gutter to obtain the desired result.”

While the façade lighting creates a lasting impact from a distance, the designers also wished to bring this feeling into the interior areas as well, with traces of the fractal forms dotted throughout.

A shining example of this can be found in the Alley – the lobby area, which acts as a spectacular focal point for the interior design. “Because it was like a passage connecting the city to the beach, it was aimed at attracting people inwards. Considering this, we wanted to introduce a brilliant light effect on the ceiling to grab attention,” Akkaya said.

“Guided by the crystal form, triangular shaped surfaces are created under the skylights, and are illuminated in a way that creates a magnificence and brilliant effect in the area.”

Through the use of Traxon’s DMX-controlled PXL Board LED fixtures, a play of light, colour and motion has been created, bringing a modern touch and an “attractive soul” to the vast lobby space that, according to Akkaya, “welcomes not only the people who stay at the hotel, but also visitors from the outside”.

Lighting has been seamlessly integrated into the architectural fabric of the project throughout its many different spaces, creating a smooth atmospheric flow as visitors transition both between the exterior and interior spaces, and once inside from one area to another. “By using the geometry supported by the lighting effect in interior spaces, we have created a uniform identity in all spaces, even though these spaces have different functions,” Akkaya continued. “Of course, the lighting levels and distributions have been considered according to their functions.”

Such examples of this can be found with the recurring motif of continuous lines of light, echoing the eye-catching effect of the façade lighting, through the use of Ilmas’ Estro Comfort and Osram’s Linearlight Flex fixtures. These lines of light are complemented by recessed up- and down-lighting from Flos, Erco and Endo.

Despite its grand, exuberant appearance, one of the key facets of ZKLD’s design approach was “interlocking the soul of both dynamism and calmness in one structure”, while creating a design that is holistic in its appearance.

To do this, Akkaya explained that the design team “intended to establish a bond between dynamic stance and serene ambiance”, with light being used to highlight the architectural form of the towers, while creating an atmospheric flow between spaces.

Although the architecture of the Crystal Towers is striking in and of itself, the lighting design from ZKLD is a major contributor in its success, highlighting the impressive structures and drawing visitors in.

“With the help of the glittering lighting design, Crystal Towers has become a stomping ground not only for tourists but also for city dwellers,” Akkaya said.

“Most importantly, it has become an iconic sculptural crystal, that has brought another identity and another level of prestige to its surroundings.”

www.zkldstudio.com

---

by dbell

nHow London, UK

With each of its six establishments across Europe, nHow Hotels has created a bright, colourful and creative destination for guests, mixing fun, vibrant interior design with a cool, modern feel.

The latest addition to this portfolio is nHow London, which opened in January of this year. The hotel is situated inbetween Hoxton and Shoreditch – in the creative heart of the city. Playing on its geography, the hotel describes itself as “a space where tradition and innovation collide. Located in a district marked by an industrial past and technological future [the hotel] soaks up those contrasts and plays with them in an unconventional and disruptive way”.

The hotel, which houses 190 rooms, alongside a restaurant, bar, meeting spaces, lounges, and a gym, was designed by interior design studio Project Orange, in collaboration with lighting design from  Elektra Lighting.

Magdalena Gomez, Design Director at Elektra, explained how the studio got involved in the project: “We were approached by the project managers, JLL, as we were recommended by Project Orange, having worked with them previously on a couple of other hotel projects; it has always been a great collaborative work with really satisfying outcomes.”

Elektra and Project Orange worked together to develop a scheme that would enhance all the different areas of the hotel at different times of the day. “You can say that this was a wholesome design between the interior design and lighting,” Gomez added.

As with the other hotels in nHow’s portfolio, each boasting their own unique character, the new London branch is a hyper-stylised, visually stimulating destination. Gomez explained further how Elektra used lighting to complement such a striking interior design: “It’s a very lively and fun space. The lighting concept was envisioned to highlight and be a part of this fun and colourful experience.

“You can see this in the lift lobby. Here, we worked together with the interior designers to use their proposed fittings and transform them into a light art piece. As they take over the whole ceiling space, it feels like they are suspended in the nothingness, leaving the feeling that the ceiling above the pendant is very deep. 

“The fittings then change colour at different times of the day, with different colours every day of the week. This gives the guests different impressions and different experiences whenever they arrive.

“We also had a lot of fun highlighting the sculptures, graffiti, etc throughout the hotel. There are so many details, we just needed to be careful to select some and not overdo everything.”

Central among these myriad features was the introduction of a number of light-art pieces from the nearby Jealous Gallery. “Some of the artwork was conceived from the beginning of the project,” Gomez explained. “On these pieces, we made allocations and designed the lighting to work around them.

“There were a couple of last minute additions and changes, as is usually the case on every project, but the flexible lighting system we planned for allowed us to adapt to these additional pieces.”

By taking this flexible approach, Elektra was able to cater the lighting scheme to any number of changes that were implemented along the design process, from technical amendments, to different design choices and even adjustments to the budget.

Gomez continued: “Our original design brief didn’t change, but there are always some changes that we need to adapt the design to; for instance, the main brand colour changed from red to green, and with this obviously the interior colour scheme was changed. As the lighting is closely linked to the interiors, we had to make changes in order to have the best result.

“Elsewhere, part of our initial brief was working with exposed services on all ceilings, including the guestroom corridors. From our proposals, we looked into convenient ways to make the lighting system flexible in order to work around all possible obstacles we might encounter.

“We worked together with the wider design team to coordinate Reflected Ceiling Plans for all services and lighting. There is always so much happening on the ceilings and it all needs to be considered in detail. Our solution for the public areas was to locate areas for air vents, ducts, sensors, etc, and work the lighting tracks and decorative pendants around these items.”

In some cases, Elektra requested that the services be moved to allow the lighting to be above key locations. In the guestroom corridors, a suspended, slatted ceiling was installed to conceal the services from direct view; here, Elektra worked with the interior designers to select the right spacing between slats that would help them locate surface mounted spotlights, while making them less obvious, with the aim to create a theatrical effect for guests.

Despite the high number of changes over the course of the project, Gomez said that one of the most challenging aspects came with the budget. “We had to keep a very close eye on what is expected and how we could deliver what was expected within the expected budget,” she said.

“This meant that we selected some luminaires, and later on we had to replace them to fit the solution but with a smaller price tag. On this subject, we’re very careful to always specify good quality products – we always do thorough testing of solutions and luminaires - but without accruing high costs.”

Throughout its multiple spaces, the hotel features a combination of both architectural and decorative lighting, with custom-made pieces from Northern Lights and pendants from Gubi complementing lighting from Linea Light, LED Flex, LightGraphix and Precision, among others. 

This blend of architectural fixtures with more decorative pieces came as part of the ongoing collaboration between Elektra and the interior designers in creating a unified, coherent lighting scheme. “The architectural lighting always falls in our scope of work, and the decorative elements are on the interior designers,” Gomez explained. “We normally work together with the interior designers to see their intent for the FF&E lighting. We select the right lamps to do the right job, and to work properly with the lighting control system.”

The overall impact of the lighting scheme complements the hotel’s playful interior design, with its “mix of vibrant colours, dark corners and dramatic effects”, to create a strong, lasting impression on guests. 

And while the nHow features a number of unique ‘Instagrammable’ spaces, Gomez feels that designing inspiring spaces that create lasting impressions is more important than social media ‘likes’.

“I think one of the most important parts of the design process is travelling, getting familiar with different brands, and enjoying what you do,” she said.

“These days we are trying harder to create innovative spaces and trying to cope with the high demand for ‘insta-moments’. But more than just designing for a nice picture, we prefer to design for people, and to make lasting memories.”

www.elektralighting.co.uk

---

by dbell