The Connaught Bar, Connaught Hotel, London

The Connaught in London is one of the city’s ‘elder statesman’ hotels and is a favourite for many for its discreet location and very high quality service. The hotel underwent a complete refurbishment in phases in the early 2000’s and Gary Campbell, London partner at dpa was commissioned to provide lighting design services to the ground floor public areas. One of these areas is the Connaught Bar, previously the famous old ‘American Bar’. David Collins Studio was commissioned to develop a unique luxurious interior design. The interior lighting has a high degree of decorative luminaires, pendants and wall lights, and these are complemented with very discreet downlighting to provide accent. Fibre-optics are integrated into the wine display cases.

Client and Operator: Maybourne Hotel Group
Project Manager: Rainey and Best
Architect: Blair Associates Architects
Interior Designers: David Collins, India Madhavi & Sills Huniford Associates
M&E Consultant: Lehding Services Design

 

 

Le Royal Meridien Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE

The combination of carefully integrated lighting equipment within the interior fabric and the use of decorative human-scale lighting elements such as table lamps and floor-standing lamps have resulted in a visually stimulating hotel interior. The balance between varying lighting techniques in terms of their detailing and the intensity of light being emitted from them was a pre-requisite in the early stages of the lighting design process.

The resultant effect is one of a harmonious lit environment in which the interior architecture is sympathetically expressed with artificial light.

Client: Abu Dhabi Royal Family
Operator: Le Royal Méridien
Project Manager: Tailored Business Solutions
Architect: LW Design Group
Interior Designer: LW Design Group
M&E Consultant: WME Consultants

Park Hyatt Maldives, Hadahaa

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is situated on a pristine island of the Maldives, 400 kilometres south of Malé, the capital of the Maldives. 

The luxury resort is home to two restaurants, a poolside bar, the unique ‘upside down’ Dhoni Lounge, 50 luxuriously appointed water, pool and land villas, two large fresh water swimming pools, a Maldivian-inspired Vidhun Spa, and a five-star PADI dive centre. All facilities are maintaining environmental sensitivity, nestled within the natural vegetation, and most of them only a few steps away from the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

By specifying low-level, low-glare lighting fixtures for the landscape lighting design, our aim was to retain a dark-sky friendly environment, where guests can enjoy the sunset and starry sky from the beach or from within the privacy of their own villa at night. 

By introducing energy efficient standard products, built into simple ‘custom / locally made’ housings, the external landscape lighting scheme complements the overall environmental sensitive philosophy of the Park Hyatt Hadahaa.

For the refurbishment of the Restaurants and Spa Facilities, we have worked closely with the Interior Designers (HBA) to fully integrate the lighting fixtures within the overall design, to highlight the specific location characteristics and to provide warm and welcoming atmospheres for the guests at night.

Client: Driftwood Maldives Pvt. Ltd
Operator: Hyatt International
Architect: Wilmotte
Interior Designer: HBA

Saadiyat Beach Club, Saadiyat Island,
Abu Dhabi, UAE

dpa Dubai were the appointed Lighting Consultants for the Saadiyat Beach Club the first beach club on the island of Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi. The Beach Club was designed to celebrate fine living, culture, well-being and health in a uniquely Arabian way.

LWD Architects created a contemporary and elegant building that aligns more with European styles than the traditional Arabic structures often found in the UAE. The Club offers its members and day guests access to world-class internal and external facilities such as a spa, gym and exterior pool with 8 pool cabanas, making it one of the select premium brand communities in the region. Le Deck is the Beach Club’s signature fine dining restaurant offering à la carte lunches and evening meals in a relaxed setting. The Sea Lounge is a permanent outdoor venue with DJ facilities, an open lounge deck, and a connection to an impressive lawn that can be used to host events.

dpa worked closely with LWD Interiors to create lighting schemes that enhance the soft colour tones and textures of the interior spaces. Special attention was made to control the lighting between interior and exterior spaces so as to provide guests with excellent sea view vistas from interior spaces and subtly illuminate the landscape and gardens. We were also aware of the lighting in transitional zones, namely the main reception area, which for 6 months of the year will be semi-enclosed, allowing ease of movement from the interior to the exterior, thus the lighting should not be too contrasting, but ambient and sympathetic to the guest’s experience.

The exterior lighting to the front of the building seeks to emphasise the structural elements of the architecture and cut-off luminaires mounted on low-lighting columns to minimise light pollution. The beachside lighting focuses on the main central swimming pool and the cabana area, with discreet wall-recessed luminaires providing pathway lighting for nighttime orientation. Particular sensitivity was shown to placing light sources close to the beach due to the migratory habits of the indigenous marine life.

Client:  TDIC
Interior Designer & Architect: LW Design Group
Photography:  LW Design Group

 

Media One, Dubai, UAE

Working in conjunction with LW Design on the interior spaces dpa have produced lighting responses to each area within this important and significant project.

The client wanted a contemporary business hotel with an appropriate feel for its location in the centre of Media City. The hotel and office were aimed to appeal to media executives that wanted an environment that reflects their own lifestyle i.e. state of the art facilities set within visually stimulating contemporary interiors.

The public areas flow seamlessly from one space to another, but each having its own character. The lighting was designed to carefully integrate with the interior spaces and enhance the visual experience. The hotel public areas have colour change backlit walls, stunning decorative lights and punches of illumination to create theatre and drama. There is a visual connection at ground level between the inside and outside, and many of the public spaces enjoy excellent daylight. The lighting of each space is linked to a computer controlled dimming / scene set system that automatically adjusts the light to suit the time of day, thus making the operation simple. The control system also minimises wasted energy use, which is of course an important issue for all projects whilst balancing maintainability and visual impact.

The contemporary language of the project is taken through into the guest rooms with glass walls to bathrooms and floating panels emphasised by light, soft indirect light to the shelving units, integrated lighting to the wardrobes and function decorative lighting to attend the guests’ needs.

The final result of the project is the creation of a fresh contemporary hotel and office that has its own distinctive character where light and interiors seamlessly integrate to produce visually stimulating experiences in every area of this complex.

Client: Media One Dubai
Interior Designer: LW Design Group

Mandarin Oriental, Prague, Czech Republic

The majority of the photography for this project is courtesy of:
Mandarin Oriental / George Apostolidis

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is located within the Mala Strana historic quarter of Bohemian Prague. The project consisted of the refurbishment of a disused baroque style building, which started life as a monastery before ending life as a print works for the local government.

As lighting consultants, we worked closely with the Interior Designer and the National Heritage Authority (NPU) to ensure a design which, whilst sympathetic to the architecture of the building, responded to the needs of the hotel’s guests and operator.

NPU placed stringent requirements on the locations and appearance of luminaires within the historic areas of the hotel, which resulted in the bespoke design of three different luminaires.

Within the restaurant it was only permitted to mount luminaires on the wall; a luminaire was therefore designed that had three individually controllable light sources, providing a low level wash of light to the floor, and an uplight component revealing the structure of the low vaulted ceiling whilst also providing ambient light to the space and a decorative element for visual interest.

In the Monastery Lounge and Ballroom, the solution was to create a luminaire of stone appearance, concealing three different light sources all individually controllable. A general ambient illumination was therefore achieved, whilst revealing the columns and vault with a concealed up and downlight. Luminaires were also concealed in the reconstructed column cornices providing additional uplight to the vaulted ceiling. Within the Ballroom, a number of chandeliers, constructed from local Bohemian crystal, were hung from the central point of each vault.

Scene setting of the lighting is utilised to lower energy usage and to set the mood of each individual space appropriate to the time of day or function. One area where the controls were especially important was the bar whose focal point is a backlit glass bottle display. The colour of the lighting has been carefully chosen to suit the mood and time of day, varying from a bright invigorating sky blue in the morning through to a deep saturated red for late night drinking.

Client: Finartis Financial SA
Operator: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Project Manager: Bovis Lend Lease
Interior Design: Sporer Plus
Concept Interior Design: KCA International
Spa Interior Design: Deckelmann Wellness
Photography: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

 

Mandarin Oriental, Paris, France

Photography Courtesy of:
Mandarin Oriental / George Apostolidis

Situated at the heart of Paris’s fashionable Rue St Honoré, the Mandarin Hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the elegant Tuileries gardens with the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay. Originally a government ministry building built in the classical vernacular and carefully restored by Wilmotte architects, the interior design was shared between SM Design and Jouin Manku agency. SM Design, a Paris-based agency designed the Lobby, Spa and Guest suites. With Jouin Manku an internationally acclaimed agency, also Paris based taking on Camilia the All Day Dining restaurant, Bar 8 the Hotel Bar and the Sur le Mesure Gourmet restaurant.

dpa Lighting design were responsible for the lighting design of all front-of-house areas, the courtyard, guest suites and the façade. Working closely with all 3 different designers Wilmotte, Jouin Manku and SM Design, dpa had to address all the different design styles whilst maintaining a coherent lighting strategy throughout the hotel, to allow a natural flow between the more traditional Paris apartment aesthetic of SM Design and the innovative and contemporary spaces of Jouin Manku. The AJM spaces required an exacting attention to detail with great care taken to conceal and integrate the lighting to the sculptural interiors. Where used, even the downlights were concealed in a custom plaster cone to hide the luminaire from view and a custom snoot arrangement was used to ensure there was no visible brightness on the ceiling, further concealing the location of the light source.

Client and Operator: Mandarin Oriental Hotels
Project Manager: ACPH
Architect: Wilmotte
Interior Designer: SM Design and Jouin Manku Agency
Landscape Designer: Agence Neveux-Rouyer
M&E Consultant: Coteba

Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Capital Gate is an iconic 35-storey gravity defying tower, featuring the 5-star hotel Hyatt Capital Gate. The visually stunning tower has been built using some of the world’s most advanced construction techniques and leans an astonishing 18-degrees westward. In June 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Capital Gate as the “World’s furthest leaning man-made tower.”

dpa were commissioned to design the lighting for both the interior public areas of the Hotel & Tower, and the exterior façade and landscaping.

The Façade is a self-supporting, highly engineered, diagrid structure. The challenge of showcasing this unique form at night, whilst adhering to the restraints of not penetrating the ‘skin’ of the building or having lighting equipment visible from inside and out, was met by a novel, integrated and flexible approach to the lighting design. Approximately 700 colour change LED ‘pixels’ have been specially integrated directly behind the outer glass surface to create a dynamic shroud of lighting that continually emulates and exaggerates the form and appearance of the tower. The tower is visually linked to the exhibition centre by highlighting the ‘splash’ edge and emphasising its sweep over the grandstand.

Client – Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Architect – RMJM
Interior Designer -RPW

 

 

Mandarin Oriental, Geneva, Switzerland

The majority of the photography for this project is courtesy of:
Mandarin Oriental / George Apostolidis

The Hotel du Rhône is located on the banks of the River Rhône in the centre of Geneva.

Originally designed by the noted Swiss architect Marc-Joseph Saugey, the hotel’s ground floor public spaces underwent a major refurbishment in 2007/08, shortly after the hotel was acquired by the Mandarin Oriental Group.

dpa lighting consultants were responsible for the lighting within the public spaces, including the entrance lobby, reception, lounge bar and two restaurants: “Le Sud”, an all-day brasserie with a menu by the French chef Paul Bocuse, and “Rasoi”, an Indian Restaurant run by acclaimed Indian chef Vineet Bhatia

dpa worked closely with the interior designer, Tihany Design, to create different identities for each of the areas whilst maintaining visual cohesion between the discrete spaces. Where possible, luminaires were concealed from direct view, allowing the rich materials and finishes specified by the interior designer to be revealed, whilst minimising the potential visual distraction from the lighting equipment itself.

A particular challenge of this project was meeting the strict energy usage requirements laid out by the local government. This was achieved through the careful selection of appropriate luminaires and high efficacy light sources and the use of a micro-processor based lighting control system. The control system allowed the mood of each individual area to be determined according to the uses of the space and the time of day.

Operator: Mandarin Oriental
Interior Designer: Tihany Design

Le Richemond Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland

Le Richemond Hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva has undergone a major refurbishment completed in the Autumn of 2007. dpa were responsible for the lighting design in relation to the key front of house areas, which included the main lobby/reception, bar, restaurant, meeting rooms, banquet hall, conference centre, and spa. It was important for the lighting design to fully consider the colourful material pallette together with associated textures proposed by interior designer John Stefanidis. The lighting application emphasises the interior design to the full and the result is an impressive lit interior portraying the quality of this prestigious hotel. The use of traditional styled light fixtures and minimalistic architectural lighting combine effectively. The spa area, in contrast, introduces coloured lit elements which inject a sense of drama and theatre, particularly with reference to the backlit bamboo clad walls, the contoured ceiling design, and mosaic floor treatments.

Client: Rocco Forte Hotels
Interior Designers: John Stefanidis
Photography: dpa lighting consultants

JW Marriott Hotel, Absheron, Baku, Azerbaijan

Situated on the site of the old Absheron hotel, the new JW Marriott Absheron is located next to the vibrant Baku Boulevard along the city’s waterfront, with the fashionable new developments of Port Baku residences and the Park Bulvar shopping mall in close proximity.

dpa Dubai were appointed as the specialist lighting consultants for the internal Public Areas and dpa London for the external Façade and Landscape. The interior designer for the project was the internationally renowned WA International Interiors, dpa Dubai worked closely with their Design Director Claire Craig to develop the lighting for the internal Public Areas. Our concept focused on concealing indirect light sources within ceilings, walls and furniture details to reduce any visual ‘clutter’ so as not to detract from the interiors. Large decorative glass chandeliers were selected from a specialist manufacturer and dpa were responsible for providing illumination to each chandelier within the reception and pre-function areas.

Located on the 21st floor is the indoor swimming pool, a double height volume with panoramic views of Baku city and the newly constructed Flame Towers. The brief for the lighting was to create drama and contrast, whilst not disrupting the night time views of the city. We developed an LED cove light which uses a DMX protocol to create a simple dual tone colour cycle with extended fade times for lighting scenes during the day and night time. Internal back lit fret work panels, provide an ambient back drop for guests admiring the views whilst relaxing by the pool bar in the evening. The internal lighting effect in the Pool ceiling adds to the exterior lighting scheme and draws attention of the public from Baku Boulevard at night time.

Client: Pasha Group
Operator: JW Marriott
Project Manager: MACE
Architect: Reardon Smith
Interior Designer: WA International Interiors
Landscape Designer: Scape
M&E Consultant: Strabag

 

JW Marriott Hotel, Ankara, Turkey

The JW Marriott chain has recently expanded it’s portfolio with the opening of a new outlet in Ankara, Turkey, providing the capital with a smart and sophisticated business hotel.

The Hotel has been designed by the New York office of RMJM Architects and the interiors by the UK based Frank Solano Associates.

dpa lighting consultants were commissioned to design the lighting for all the interiors, including the Guest Bedrooms and Suites, a Jazz Bar, Night Club, Speciality Restaurant, an extensive Spa and the impressive Atrium Lobby which is bathed in daylight during the day and is then transformed into a dramatic and stunning space at night, the lighting of which provided the dpa Team with unique challenges.

dpa were also asked to design the lighting for the landscaped areas, including an impressive Wedding Terrace, a Pool Terrace and an intimate Roof Terrace with breathtaking views over Ankara.

The lighting of the entrance and exterior façade of the hotel was the most demanding aspect of the project for dpa.

The vertical characteristics of the building’s architecture were enhanced and emphasised with pencil beams of warm white light from custom designed uplights concealed in the tops of the stone fins. This subtle lighting effect contrasts with several feature slots within the facades being uplit with coloured light. This use of coloured light is repeated on a smaller scale on the shorter stone fins above the entrance canopy.

The Istanbul EDITION, Turkey

The Istanbul EDITION is part of a new hotel concept born from a collaboration between Ian Schrager and Bill Marriott of Marriott International.

dpa lighting consultants were asked by the owner to work with the unique team of designers and visionaries on all aspects of the hotel from the 3 level basement ESPA spa designed by HBA London, to the public areas and guest suites created by New York based interior designers Gabellini Sheppard. dpa also worked closely with Tumay Architecture to create a dynamic lighting system to the façade and general light to the base of the building.

With Ian Schrager Company directing the team, a truly unique quality and mix of design, experience and hospitality has been achieved.

The Istanbul EDITION has 13 floors with a panoramic Penthouse Suite. Amongst the public areas are contemporary interiors with tones of traditional Ottoman style throughout. This includes walls, ceilings and floors lined with mosaic tile, exotic woods, bronze, gold and white gold leaf reminiscent of Ottoman style in all of its splendour.

Turkey, as in most of mainland Europe, the UK and Ireland have been consumed by rising energy costs as well as the ethical concerns we all face for the conservation of natural resources. dpa lighting consultants are extremely conscientious in the approach to lighting design and energy conservation on all projects whether designing an inspiring masterplan in Abu Dhabi or the sensitivity of a spa resort in Killarney.

Lighting has played a significant role in the success of the overall quality, style and ambience to the interior spaces with lighting carefully integrated into the building fabric to express the materiality, space, volume, texture and tone as well as bring out the natural colour pallet which is of rich natural hues. dpa’s challenge was to develop an inspiring and appropriate lighting design for both interior and exterior areas as well as provide an extremely energy efficient lighting scheme.

The lights for the exterior of the building utilize LED “Pixels” over the façade, which are programmed to provide abstract and sophisticated motif designs. Colour is used sparingly to the crown of the building, and concealed linear lighting helps to accent the layers of balconies at ground and first floors, which wrap around the core of the public areas.

The lighting to the entry and lobby (images 1 & 2) enhances the various layers of materials and accentuates the contrasting textures and colours. A comfortable volume is achieved by allowing areas of relative darkness to recede back and provide brighter areas of interest.

Through to the Gold Bar (images 2 & 3) the careful detailing of concealed and appropriate lighting continues with material accent and a careful balance of light. A continuity of this is seen in the mezzanine Drawing Room (image 4) where simple accent to the tables and concealed linear lighting are used sparingly in areas where activity is present and key materials/elements benefit from lighting accent.

As with all areas, layers of lighting are used from low level to ceiling to provide visual interest and balance, which can also be seen in the Guest Suites (images 5,6 & 7).

The Guestrooms follow a similar and sympathetic design approach with careful detailing and integration into the interior fabric (images 5 & 6).

The lighting design for ESPA continues with a sympathetic and appropriate response to accentuate and complement the interesting 3 levels of Spa interior spaces (image 8).

Energy efficient lighting has been utilised throughout the scheme. In particular, linear LED, low voltage cold cathode, low wattage IRC lamping, fluorescent and metal halide light sources have been used.

Finally, an architectural lighting control system seamlessly provides the functionality of scene setting throughout the day and night on both an aesthetic level as well as further reducing power consumption.

Owner: Palmali Group
Operator: EDITION Hotels
Architect: Tumay Architecture
Interior Design (Public Areas and Guest Suites): Gabellini Sheppard
Interior Design (Spa): The Gallery HBA
Spa Operator: ESPA

 

Hyatt Regency, Johannesburg, South Africa

The Hyatt Regency Johannesburg underwent a major refurbishment in 2013. Nick Human of LLP Interior Design Studio in Johannesburg, and old friend of dpa’s asked us to help him with the lighting of this very important hotel. The scope of work included the external lighting to the front of the building and canopy, the Lobby, Lobby Lounge, oneNINEone Restaurant, The Terrance – Cigar and Wine Courtyard, various function rooms and the main Ballroom, together with the public circulation, so a major project.

The Lobby space has new feature chandeliers and a number of architectural lighting components to show off the refreshed spaces and materials, providing a dramatic introduction to the Hotel. The Lobby Lounge is an open connection between the Lobby and the external Courtyard beyond. There is a series of low level decorative lights, striking edge lit glass panels, a dramatically lit wine wall and architectural lighting components to highlight features, tables etc. as appropriate. The space enjoys excellent daylight when available and becomes an more intimate place to relax at night. The Garden Courtyard is a haven within the city. The planting and trees are exposed with light grazing across trunks into the canopy, underwater lighting, festoon lights, gently lit paths and careful consideration to every component within the space.

The oneNINEone Restaurant with the new communal table and hanging pendant feature is also well day-lit with a strong visual connection to the Garden. The lighting provides drama on the table and exposes the brick walls, artwork, and other displays throughout the space. Freestanding floor lamps have been introduced to provide a human scale more intimate element and a dimming control system ensures the most appropriate atmosphere day and night. The Show Kitchen as always in such eateries is the stage with the activity of the chefs the theatre, various lighting components enforce this.

The various Ballrooms have been redesigned with new decorative lighting features in some, a floating raft and new lit display table in another, combined with recessed architectural lighting to highlight tables and fabrics. Again, all the lighting is controlled with a scene set dimming system for ease of use and to activate the most appropriate lighting for the particular event and time of day. 

Interior Design: LLP Design
Landscape Design: Landmark Studios

Hilton Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland

The Hilton Glasgow Hotel has undergone a refurbishment of its ground floor public areas including reception, double height lobby lounge, lobby bar and two interjoining restaurants.

dpa worked closely with interior designers Central Design Studios to refresh a tired interior space from the early 90’s. The interiors have been transformed with quality materials, sophisticated detailing and carefully integrated lighting to enhance the spaces both during the day and at night.

The refurbishment posed a particularly difficult challenge on a limited budget, so dpa worked with Hilton’s engineering team to retain and upgrade the old lighting control system so that funds could be used for quality new lighting.

Client: Hilton International
Interior Designer: Central Design Studio
Project Manager: Hilton International
Photography: Courtesy of James Balston

Four Seasons Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh is an established property that has undergone a major refurbishment which includes re-presenting the main Entrance Lobby and Tea Lounge whilst restaurants have also been reinvented with striking new interiors.

The main Lobby is a large space with dramatic and powerful vistas. The importance of water in the region has been recognised with the inclusion of a large vertical water feature and sculpture, carefully lit from below with light integrated into the structure and from higher level with concealed projectors on the opposite side of the space. The structure at high level is exposed with appropriately positioned light sources grazing light across the complex surfaces. At low level vertical slatted screens have been introduced to break up the space and with light placed between each fin at low level their form is further expressed and enjoyed.

Features in the space are highlighted with light and the dramatic art installation behind the reception desk is illuminated to expose its 3 dimensional qualities and forms. This has a floating line to the top and adjustable wall washes providing direct light onto the feature. The reception desk has light floating it under the counter and at skirting level.

Elements Restaurant at The Four Seasons Riyadh offers a variety of cuisines throughout the day and night. Unlike most All-Day Eateries, this facility provides the highest quality of food in luxurious and visually stimulating surroundings.

The lighting has been carefully conceived as part of the overall design philosophy with the show kitchens and displays having a dramatic and theatrical quality. The lighting consists of a combination of elements, from integrated light within counters at low level, integrated light within high level canopies and cornices, to highlighting of displays and tables with narrow beam spotlights and a variety of decorative luminaires.

All the lighting is connected to a computer controlled pre-set scene setting system that has been carefully organised to provide the perfect atmosphere at each moment of the day and night.

Four Seasons Hotel, Park Lane, London, UK

The Four Seasons Hotel located on London’s Park Lane has recently undergone a multimillion pound redevelopment . The hotel, which originally opened in 1970, was Four Seasons Hotels’ first hotel in Europe. The refurbishment consisted of restructuring the public spaces, reconfiguring the guest rooms and suites, plus the addition of an extra floor atop of the original building housing the hotel’s spa.

dpa was appointed as lighting consultants for all public, front of house and external areas, including the entrance lobby and reception, restaurant, bar, tea lounge, ballroom, meeting rooms, guest lounge, gym, spa, façade lighting, porte cochere, and garden. We were also responsible for designing the lighting in all guestrooms and suites, of which there were 12 different guestroom types and 11 different suite designs.

dpa worked closely with the project team, which included the client Pierre-Yves Rochon (interior designer) and ReardonSmith Architects (lead architect), to produce lighting solutions, in terms of both aesthetic appearance and functional operation, suitable for the many different spaces within the hotel.

A fully automated lighting control system is utilised in the public areas to select the most appropriate lighting scene dependent on both the time of day and time of year.

Within the function rooms the lighting controls fully integrate with the audio visual systems allowing both projectors, blinds, audio and lighting to be controlled seamlessly as one at the touch of a button. The system even allows for users to copy and modify lighting scenes for future recall.

The guestroom and suite lighting all link with the hotel’s guestroom management, key card and booking systems, automatically selecting the correct lighting configuration dependent on whether guests or staff are entering the room and switching off the lighting when the room is vacant.

Through the use of lighting controls and the integration of these with the other hotel systems, many savings are made through the reduction of energy use and the benefit of extended life of tungsten lamps, reducing the maintenance required for these sources.

Client: Pedra Developments
Operator: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts
Project Manager: BSPM
Architect/Lead Designer: Rearden Smith Architects
Spa Architect: Eric Parry Architects
Interior Designer (Public Spaces and Guest Rooms): Pierre Yves Rochon
Interior Designer (Ownership Facilities): Decovar
MEP Services Engineer: IDA Associates
Landscape Architect: Macgregor Smith
Planning Consultant: DP9

 

The Europe Hotel & Resort, Killarney, Ireland

This large resort hotel is in a beautiful setting next to a lake in County Kerry, Ireland. dpa were asked to be involved with its refurbishment in collaboration with interior designers Hirsch Bedner Associates.

The Hotel presents an air of luxury, with the modern innovation of the crystal-themed bar in contrast to the traditional feel of the wood-and-leather Library, while the focus of most rooms is the views toward the lake via a high degree of transparency.

Lighting was used in all areas to enhance these objectives, working around the limitations of the existing structure of the building.

Client: The Europe Hotel & Resort, Killarney
Interior Design: The Gallery HBA
Architect: Gottstein Architects

Embassy Dubai, UAE

The acclaimed Embassy Dubai is the latest edition of the legendary London Venue that has rapidly become one of the most chic hotspots in town. Situated on three floors at the top of the new Grosvenor House Hotel Tower 2, the venue dubbed as a supper and members club, has spectacular 360º views of the Dubai Marina and Arabian Gulf and is a regular haunt of celebrities and the Dubai elite.

In collaboration with renowned interior designers, LW Design Group, dpa helped to create a lighting design befitting of the club’s clientele and pedigree. From the glitter and sparkle of artwork display cases to the intimate and stylish private rooms, the rich variety of materials and finishes are accentuated with light to reinforce the luxurious and fashionable interiors. Upon arrival in the exclusive elevator, the journey of light and texture is followed through to every space and detail, with deliberate varying atmospheres and ambience for the dining, dancing, social and private areas. The lighting techniques used are designed not to overpower the interiors in their own right, but to provide contrast and excitement in an environment where you want to be in and be seen.

Client: Grosvenor House Dubai
Interior Designer: LW Design Group

Waldorf Astoria, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam is a collection of six very fine historical buildings dating from 17th and 18th Century in the most wonderful part of Amsterdam. DvM b.v., the owners of the property, orchestrated a most sensitive refurbishment. GA Design International produced the interiors of this very special property. Amsterdam elegance and understated quality resonate throughout the project. The lighting design echoes this simplicity visually but uses the latest technology to achieve appropriately scaled architectural luminaires and energy-saving sources where appropriate. The historic building fabric starts in the Entrance Lobby, where features have been discreetly highlighted to expose their beauty. The adjacent Grand Staircase provides an incredible vertical connection to the Upper Levels, and again lighting has been discreetly integrated to expose the depth of the decorative surfaces that surround the space.

Throughout the project respect for the historic fabric has been sensitively merged with contemporary elements, and again the lighting emphasises this approach. To save energy and create the appropriate atmosphere at varying times of the day and night, all the lighting is linked to a computer-controlled scene set system that provides simple, instinctive, one touch actions to create a different mood, whilst public areas change automatically by time clock.

We are very proud to have been part of a large team working with an excellent owner DvM b.v. and Hilton, together with the rest of the professional group that delivered this project.

Owner: DvM b.v.
Operator: Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Architect: OeverZaaijer
Interior Design: GA Design