Wildwood Restaurant
(UK) - Leading Italian light brand Artemide has lit the banquettes of Hampshire’s Port Solent waterside restaurant, Wildwood, with Tolomeo Mega Wall; a versatile wall-mounted product.
Providing movement in all directions, the smooth and precise spring balanced cantilever adjustment is a signature characteristic of the lamp, carefully calibrated for maximum functionality and flexibility.
Tolomeo is one of Artemide’s signature designs by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina, and is synonymous with the ‘Made in Italy’ label – a seamless fit for a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine.
The quality of the cast and polished aluminum is second to none; the construction offers robustness and reliability. A suitable choice for a restaurant environment, the Tolomeo Mega Wall is available with dimmer switch and customers can select their desired shade to diffuse or direct the light, adding to the ambience - from parchment to grey or black satin.
The Secrets of Dining with Light
British lighting expert Andrew Orange has seen the world in lights, developing an enthusiasm for illuminating interiors. darc discovers what he thinks the secrets are to creating that perfect dining ambience.
There are many styles of dining that broadly fit into two categories – those where the restaurateur wants you to linger, presumably to buy that extra bottle of wine, and the type that wants you to refuel quickly and leave satisfied. In other words, the interior feel ranges from the ambient through to functional, the convivial through to the routine.
Lighting is the key factor in creating these settings across all restaurant interior design. Next to the menu, the lighting defines the customer experience and frames the concept of the establishment, with a hundred subtle differences to decipher, from silver service to a relaxed bistro or champagne bar to corner café.
THE SCIENCE OF AMBIENCE
A candle-lit glow is the very epitome of the fine dining setting. Have you ever wondered why a warm glow is so desirable and seems to create an atmosphere somewhere between convivial and romantic? A low, warm light tends to be favourable lighting for a lot of people in terms of enriching skin colour, and according to neuro-psychologists, there is a scientific link to why skin colour increases perceived attractiveness. It seems people with well-oxygenated blood appear to be more physically fit and represent a good match. A pallid skin has the opposite effect and indicates a weak immune system and hence a bad potential mate. These traits are so powerful that they override other customary signals.
A warm white light is about 1800K and when a room is bathed in this colour temperature, the romanticising effect is self-evident. Maybe the colour of a flame is hard wired into our primitive minds. Certainly, the welcome of a roaring fire is a natural reaction on a chilly day - it is the origin of the word ‘foyer’ in theatre receptions for instance. Whatever the reason for the connection between light and romanticism, it is evident that a warm convivial ambience is highly desirable for fine dining restaurants. Of course, candles on each table offer a simple effect but they are becoming less practical in these health and safety conscious times. LED lamps have benefitted us all with a choice of light temperatures to suit every atmosphere. Recent developments in filament lights have also provided solid-state light sources that look identical to the globes and candle lamps we know well and are best suited to decorative fixtures. So a tone of light can be specified to match the exact concept of the interior. A clever choice of shade material is an alternative way of creating a candle-lit glow.
I have seen an excellent use of porcelain and textile shade to create a reddish hue on tables, wall lights and chandeliers. Amid the ambience, it is important to remember to draw the eye through the flattening effect of a single tone of colour. Choose a focal point for a dining space. Often this is delivered by a physical feature within the room, or a statement light – such as a chandelier as a centre-piece.
THE FUNCTIONAL AESTHETIC
Increasingly restaurants are becoming one space in a growing trend to make the kitchen and ‘the-pass’ visible to the diner. In new builds, this is the default with refurbishments increasingly featuring a view through to the chef. This underlines the real challenge of lighting a restaurant – the conflict between functional and the ambient. In these multi-functional spaces, lighting needs to be flexible to cater for various activities. It is here that in many ways the designer faces their greatest challenge.
Essentially, each lit area or ‘scene’ needs to be planned out meticulously. Smart controls offer a flexible dimension allowing controllability at the touch of a button from different locations, with all budgets including a recommended, if not essential, simple dimming system. Given the variety of scenes, different types of lighting are needed within each space of the restaurant. Full brightness is needed for task activities such as food preparation, while daylight is more inline with the restaurant necessity of relaxation combined with decent downward lumen level to view food. The main purpose of this layered lighting scheme is to create a sociable ambient experience that illuminates the interior and its features. As the mood and natural light changes throughout the day, the evening service needs to intensify the ambience by decreasing the lumen outputs and relying upon chosen pockets of light to create an environment diners want to linger in.
Building layers is the key here, so elements of the lighting scheme can be adapted to suit the scene. Position a decorative lamp as a strong focal point over the table to delineate the space. Support the pendant light with downlights over the table surface to provide task lighting. Glass pendants or chandeliers often do not provide much light; supplementary lighting will give them sparkle and bring them to life.
Further to this, illuminating perimeter walls and surfaces provides a background ambient light to support the tabletop lighting and creates interest. Wash walls with light, use picture lights and wall lights, and light shelving in cabinets. From the outset in the planning stage, ensure the provision of separate lighting circuits to modulate scenes. Another key tip is to illuminate curtains – they look sorry for themselves at night when unlit! On a dimmable circuit, a colour washed curtain can appear like a tapestry, reflecting colour back into the space and providing another aspect of interest. Lighting the outside also creates a scene through a window at night to provide interest and to extend the space into the garden, while breaking up the black coldness of a darkened windowpane.
The conflict between the eye line of the diners and the functional lights required by the catering staff is a key consideration. Be careful to specify downlights with good anti-glare characteristics – many feature a light source that is positioned far back into the body of the light. Similarly use ‘snoots’ and louvred shutters on spotlights to direct the light in a single direction and avoid spilling the light into diner’s eyes. To avoid human level lighting altogether, add some up lighters, either on the wall or from the floor to freshen the ceiling and bounce diffused light, which acts as a good background illumination.
Don’t forget, table and counter top lights are a great addition and an easy way to provide a middle layer of light especially flexible when wired into their own 5amp circuit. I love designing restaurant lighting schemes – matching the interior designer’s vision is a real challenge, but the growing number of options in this LED era provides endless possibilities. The simple trick whether you are designing a functional or ambient experience is to avoid conflict and build flexibility into the space.
www.orangelighting.co.uk
Pic courtesy of Chris Orange Photography
Chelsom Lighting LED Dock Combination
LED Dock Combination by Chelsom is a slender hotel guest room or ship cabin wall light ideal for the bedside with main room illumination from within the fabric shade.
A warm white LED reading light is housed within a cylindrical head that swivels 90 degrees and ‘docks’ into a semi recessed backplate. The innovative wall light also features a USB charging port which remains powered even when the lights are switched off.
LED Dock Combination is available in two standard finishes including Polished Chrome and an industrially inspired Black Bronze finish seen as pictured.
Ink Lighting Nebula
Ink Lighting's Nebula kinetic chandeliers, evocative of distant celestial bodies and, in their spiralling motion, of the DNA helix, offer a uniquely interactive experience. Controlled via a proprietary smartphone app through which luminosity, speed and pattern of rotation can be adjusted, Ink's lights aim to hypnotise and inspire wonder. Designed by Ivan Black in three shapes: Orb, Ellipse and Ellipsoid. Limited edition and bespoke versions available to commission.
ItalianCreationGroup acquires FontanaArte
(Italy) - ItalianCreationGroup launches capital increase and acquires FontanaArte.
The Milan-based company, which owns various Italian luxury brands, has made two new acquisitions – Italian design firm FontanaArte and bathroom furniture company Toscoquattro – and has also launched a capital increase to fuel further growth.
Stefano Core, CEO and co-founder of ItalianCreationGroup said the moves conclude the first phase of its strategy to acquire high-end companies that best represent the “Made in Italy” label. ItalianCreationGroup was founded in 2013 by Mr. Core together with Giovanni Perissinotto, a former chief executive of Italy’s Generali insurance group who now serves as chairman of ItalianCreationGroup.
“I’m proud of the fact that FontanaArte and Toscoquattro are now part of ItalianCreationGroup,” said Core. “This concludes our first round of acquisitions, which has been made possible thanks to the capital introduced by two new shareholders who have joined the board of directors, the entrepreneurs Giorgio Rossi Cairo and Lauro Buoro."
FontanaArte has always stood out in the field of lighting and design thanks to its unique ability to combine beauty with functionality. The greatest masters of Italian and international design have collaborated with FontanaArte over the years, including Gio Ponti – one of the company’s founders and its first artistic director – as well as Gae Aulenti, Max Ingrand, Livio and Piero Castiglioni, Vico Magistretti, Shigeru Ban, Renzo Piano, and many more.
The second phase of growth will focus on developing the group’s distribution capacity, with ItalianCreationGroup’s management team seeking partnerships in order to integrate its operations into global retail distribution channels. This phase will allow the group to flourish as a provider of contract furniture, offering a complete range of high-end products for the hospitality industry, residential interiors and yachting.
Cini&Nils Acqua Lamp receives Codega accolade
(Italy) - Cini&Nils receives ‘Special Mention’ for Acqua lamp at fourth Codega Prize.
The Codega Prize is an international recognition of LED solutions and lighting design excellences. The award ceremony - attended by over 110 people from the academic and professional world - took place on October 7, in the wonderful setting of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.
The special mention for the category 'LED Solutions' was assigned to the Acqua lamp with the following motivation: “Lightness and elegance make this design product a special piece of furniture. With different configurations, it is a versatile and functional solution, based on a masterly use of LEDs.”
Lee Broom opens in NYC
(USA) - Award-winning British furniture and lighting designer Lee Broom opens first permanent New York showroom.
Located at 34 Greene Street in SoHo, New York having teamed up with CITE Furniture Showroom, the move follows the success of his four-week pop-up New York store ‘Broome Off Broome’ earlier this year.
Broom’s first permanent own branded showroom outside of London, the new 800sqft Manhattan space is positioned just a block down from the location of the Spring 2016 pop-up store. Inter-connected to CITE, SoHo stalwarts for almost 30 years, in the ornate cast iron front building known to locals as the 'Queen of Greene', the new showroom is also in close proximity to design brands Artemide, Kartell and Boffi.
The new interior has been designed by Broom to reflect the gallery style of his Shoreditch London flagship Electra House and features floor to ceiling pleated drapes in signature Lee Broom grey as a backdrop to accentuate the colours and materials of the collective pieces. Edited in to vignettes which showcase Broom’s original use of brass, marble, crystal and colour, products are displayed on sculptural plinths clad in grey carpet.
The new showroom space carries the full collection of UL-listed lighting, furniture and accessories, including classics such as the Crystal Bulb, Hanging Hoop Chair and Tube Light, along with more recent additions including the award-winning Crescent Light, Mini Crescent and Optical collections.
Of the launch Lee Broom says: “Our business in the US has grown incredibly quickly over recent years. New York has welcomed us with open arms and our 'Broom Off Broome' pop-up earlier this year was so successful we knew instantly that this was the right moment for us to open a permanent showroom here in New York.”
The opening of the Lee Broom New York showroom comes ahead of further US expansion with plans to open 400sqft of dedicated showroom space in Los Angeles before the end of 2016. Opening within the new downtown LA outpost of pop culture home store A+R and located in the new commercial development ROW DTLA on the edge of the Arts District, the bi-coastal showroom expansion is set to firmly cement the Lee Broom brand in North America.
Luctra enhances Arcadeon guest experience
(Germany) - Luctra has enhanced the guest experience at The Arcadeon Hotel in Hagen, Germany by supplying a range of its human centric lamps.
For a selection of its rooms, the hotel has chosen the Luctra Radial Table Pro lamp, which has been proven to boost wellbeing and productivity by harnessing the biological effect of light.
The classic conference and seminar hotel, which specialises in small and large conferences, congresses and business events, has developed over the last ten years into a hotel that meets all the requirements for a successful meeting venue and also offers its guests an excellent experience in terms of food and comfort.
“We want to offer our guests the best foundation for a successful and enjoyable stay," said manager Jörg Bachmann. "Of course, that also includes the lighting. I’ve put a lot of thought into the topic of lighting. I was excited about the Luctra technology from the start because it is well-developed and intuitive to use."
Using the Luctra fixtures as part of the new 'transforming rooms' at the hotel, they function both as workplace lighting for the meeting table and as reading lamps for the overnight guests. The timeless design can be integrated into any interior.
The Table Pro is the premium table lamp within the Luctra range, combining the latest LED technology with award-winning design and biological light effect. Manufactured from the highest grade of aluminium and steel, it is available in three contemporary finishes of aluminium, black or white, ensuring coordination with a multitude of interiors which is complemented by the geometric or rounded lamp head design.
Asif Khan opens 100% Design 2016
(UK) - Asif Khan will open 100% Design 2016 in wide-ranging talks programme alongside Ron Arad, Assemble co-founder Paloma Strelitz and Afroditi Krassa.
Focussing on quality and depth, the talks present agenda setting keynotes from thought leaders in the industry, as well as panel discussions exploring trends in contemporary practice and the future of design.
There will be a unique opportunity to engage with the Design Museum’s programme ahead of its opening in Kensington on 24 November. ‘Designer, Maker, User’ presents the three distinct yet overlapping roles, which create every product in the world as explored in the Design Museum’s new permanent collection.
- The design team behind the new Design Museum, Jan Hobel of John Pawson Architects and Allies and Morrison’s Simon Fraser share their experiences designing a new cultural institution for the 21st century.
- Research partners WGSN, The Future Laboratory and Steelcase present and discuss the findings at daily trend reports, focussing on interior, retail and office design respectively.
- Mikael Ydholm of Ikea, Shumi Bose, curator of the British Pavilion at the current Venice Architecture Biennale, and Justin McGuirk, Design Museum Chief Curator, predict what the homes of the future might look like, and discuss the wider societal implications of the changing domestic landscape.
- Jeremy Myerson explores the role of design in social, demographic and technological change in ‘Putting human experience at the centre of design’. Also interested in the capacity of design to transform our experiences is ‘The new office experience’; this panel discussion with Daniel Gava, Director of Arper UK, Mark Catchlove, Director of Herman Miller’s Knowledge and Insight Group and Tom Lloyd of PearsonLloyd, and chaired by Oli Stratford, Editor of Disegno, explores how designers are responding to the demand for more flexible, smarter working experiences through innovations such as co-working spaces, digital nomads and hot-desking.
- Confronting one of the biggest issues facing the industry at this year’s London Design Festival, ‘Design and Brexit’ looks at the implications of the UK’s departure from the European Union for a historically international and outward looking industry. What can we expect, how can the European design community protect its culture, and how can we provide leadership and hope?
Topics and talks announced for Restaurant Design Show
(UK) - First ever Restaurant Design Show to open in just six weeks time at ExCeL London.
Free to attend, visitors will have the opportunity to experience 50 different educational seminars, over 120 inspirational suppliers, as well as the newest trends, ideas, and advice. The speakers attending the show feature award winning interior designers, architects, and hospitality professionals.
There are three different theatres available, split into three different categories: Firstly, there’s the Project Planning Theatre, which will play host to seminars that cover a wide range of subjects, including how you can make your interior superior, and upcoming trends in restaurant design.
Secondly, the Design Inspiration Theatre will include seminars covering subjects such as creating an atmosphere to remember, top 10 tips to making your customers come back for more, and five tips for a low-cost makeover.
Finally, the Interior Architects Theatre will host some of the hottest topics over the show’s two days, including on creating a fabulous fast food restaurant, and how you can get the wow factor with your commercial interior design.
www.restaurantdesignshow.co.uk
La Traviata auctioned off in New York
(USA) - Slamp headed to New York for the Watermill Center’s annual art auction on July 30 with La Traviata.
Robert Wilson's La Traviata for Slamp was first unveiled at the Hotel Wallpaper during Salone del Mobile 2016 in Milan, and the 'Art of the Treasure Hunt' itinerary through Chianti’s wineries in June.
Slamp and Wilson’s journey began not even a year ago; the artistic chemistry was immediate, and the result, only months later, was a double unveiling of this evocative light sculpture, which brought the Slamp creative team to Long Island, where they choreographed an installation of eight prototypes, to be sold by world-renowned auctioneer, Simon de Pury.
All sales benefited the centre’s continuing mission to provide students support and guidance towards a bright future in the arts. After a prolific career in theatre and mixed media, Wilson continued his love of performance by opening the Watermill Center, a haven where young artists can take part in national, international and summer programs, as well as artistin-residence opportunities. Promoting young, creative talent is at the very heart of Slamp’s culture, as well as the company’s success.
ToLEDo Retro wins Which? 'Best Buy' rating
(UK) - Sylvania has been recognised by consumer champion Which? and achieved a ‘Best Buy’ rating for its innovative ToLEDo Retro A60 dimmable 5.5W lamp.
The lamp replicates the look and feel of traditional incandescent and halogen lights, whilst offering the same sparkling lit effect. It also provides end-users with energy savings and a lamp that lasts up to fifteen times longer than the traditional incandescent lamp.
Which? summed up the lamp in its verdict remarking that “this filament LED has an old-fashioned look but is bright and energy efficient.” The team at Which? tested a range of lamps from various manufacturers including two from the Sylvania ToLEDo Retro range. As well as the 5.5W version, Which? also examined the 7.5W model and commented that this lamp was the brightest lamp they had tested.
“We are thrilled to received a Best Buy accolade from Which?,” said Anuj Vasu, Senior Product Manager for Feilo Sylvania. “This is testament to the strength of our research and development programme which has ensured we have designed an LED filament lamp that truly replicates the form and lit effect of a traditional incandescent lamp. It is great to be recognised by such a well-known and trusted industry body and it validates the hard work that has gone into creating the ToLEDo Retro lamp range.”
The ToLEDo Retro range includes 76 models with 32 dimmable and 44 non-dimmable; the largest selection available on the market. Available in GLS, Candle, Ball, ST64 and Globe shapes, the ToLEDo Retro lamps now offer a comprehensive range of colour temperatures – MagmaGlow (1,700K), Candlelight (2,200K and 2,400K) and Homelight (2,700K) – to create the perfect setting in any environment.
The lamps utilise innovative Filament Chip Technology (FCT) that ensures a 300° omni-directional light distribution that is similar to incandescent and provides a sparkling lit effect. FCT also guarantees a cooler burning temperature compared to standard LED lamps and excellent heat dissipation. The combination of a high performance FCT, linear LED filament construction and premium gas-fill creates a truly ground-breaking lamp with up to 116lm/W for dimmable 134lm/W for non-dimmable types.
With dimmable and non-dimmable options as standard, the ToLEDo Retro is the first of its type to achieve up to A++ Energy ratings. The entire range also delivers best-in-class lumen efficacy to help reduce CO2 emissions. Customers can benefit from a payback period of less than one year with up to 92% reductions in energy consumption, making the ToLEDo Retro ideal in both style and performance. The dimmable models have also been extensively tested to ensure they can be dimmed smoothly from 100% to 10%.
