The Landau Restaurant, London, UK
The Langham Hotel, London is home to the Landau Restaurant along with the Artesian Bar. The dramatic interior design combines modern orientalism with the romance of Victoriana. The interior and exterior entrance spaces are enhanced by a thoughtful and considered design, with lighting complementing and accentuating these features.
dpa’s challenge was to bring out the best in the interior features with lighting and integrate this seamlessly and as anonymously into the fabric of the interior.
Key interior elements are accent lit to provide drama to the spaces while soft washes of light gently bring the interior surfaces to life.
The external entrance is understated yet strong in character with shielded lighting to steps and planters, again, exposing the materials and surfaces, while a backlit traditional canopy formalises the entrance.
The maître d’ area is kept simple to provide focus through to the feature wine displays within the vaulted corridor, which is softly uplit to express the vaults.
The restaurant perimeter is accented with uplighting to windows and sheers to reduce the awareness of the busy street beyond as well as to respond to the feature interior elements. Contrast and theatre is achieved by only lighting interior elements of significant visual interest. Tables are spot lit to further provide both drama and intimacy. Art objects are illuminated to add interest to the perimeter views along with the feature banquette seating lights, which are designed by the interior designer. These are further complemented by feature interior designer selection chandeliers within a lit ceiling coffer. Simple, recessed trimless downlights are used sparingly to light artwork to the perimeter walls.
The service areas have also been given care and attention to the lighting, ensuring that the lighting to this area is controlled separately from the main restaurant lighting, so that this can be balanced appropriately through the day and night scenes to maintain a harmonious lighting level between the respective guest and staff areas.
In addition to the interior lighting, careful consideration was taken to select external lighting to the window reveals to complement the interior views out and to further reduce the awareness of the busy street beyond.
Lighting control was used as an essential tool to provide versatility for the hotel for various settings through the day and night and to allow mood and ambience to be achieved, which is particularly important for evening dining.
Client: Langham Hotels
Operator: Langham Hospitality Group
Project Manager: Fitzsimons
Architect: Formation Architects
Interior Designer: David Collins Studio (Artisian Bar and The Landau Restaurant)
M&E Consultant: Mitie Engineering