| Its interiors are designed to evoke the swanky New York elegance of the 60’s. This, the latest Waldorf Astoria to open doors this summer, spans through the Podium floors, Level 17, Level 18, and 27th to 55th floors of DIFC's Burj Daman development. |
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| It is the first city hotel of the Waldorf chain and is a 275-room property that includes 201 rooms, 46 suites and 28 residential apartments. |
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What’s more is it brings two famous restaurants from the New York hotel, Bull and Bear and the renowned lounge Peacock Alley to Dubai.
While the lead interior design company is SSRS, Design firm LW handled the design for the two main dining and social venues. The 18th floor is the social hub of the hotel where the restaurants Pool and lounges are located.
Recreating the perfect vibe of the swishing 60s wasn’t only about getting the wood, floors and accessories to match. It also meant bathing them in the right light to create the relevant ambience. UK based lighting designer Elecktra, laid down the grid and the project was commissioned by LW Designs (Dubai). Main Contractor – ALEC Fitout, retained Creation for lighting while MEP contractor Zener Steward placed the Light controls order.
For lighting, the scope included the supply of light fixtures for Bull and Bear restaurant and the Pool Bar. “We were closely following up with ALEC and Zener on the project. Since Orluna was specified for the project, we stepped in as the brand's local distributors,” reveals Mr. Dharmendra Patel, MD.
The bar was set to achieve high quality ambient lighting for both the restaurants and pool areas. It took Orluna’s Recessed Mini Spotlights / Air Butterfly Surface Fitting and Surface Adjustable spot to achieve the desired look.
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| Since Mode Lighting Control System was on the specified list, Creation, as regional brand representatives were delegated the task of setting up controls on the FoH and BoH areas on the two Podium Floors, Level 17, Level 18, and typical floors. This is the social nerve centre of the property and includes restaurants, ballrooms, Lobbies, pool area, spa, etc. |
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A number of controls and brands were employed to ensure smooth functioning. These included Mode Lighting’s eDIN Dimming Modules and SetSquare Sensors, Artistic License’s Convertors, and Casambi’s Bluetooth/Wireless Dimmers.
The project took 2 years from start to finish and entailed adaptation to continuously changing concepts, wiring, locations, and light fixtures. This was made easy by the modular nature of the eDIN system used on the project.
Every job has its own unique challenges which call for unique solutions. At the Waldorf Astoria, contractors were finding the installation of the traditional wired system for the lift car tricky due to the location of panels and the overall cable lengths. For the lift cars, Creation implemented a Casambi based Bluetooth dimming solution which completely expelled additional wiring from panels to the lift car for control signals.
“It was our previous experience with the client's representative, the successful execution of work in other areas of the property, and our reputation for being control system specialists that ensured that we get the job,” says Mr. Patel.
However, every job always is mainly to find a balance between the requirement of MEP consultants, Lighting Designers, and the Contractors. And Creation has learnt to walk the thin line quite well.
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Lit Hotels
When thinking of lighting in a hotel, take into consideration the diversity of events that take place in a given space, be it a daytime conference or an evening wedding. Hotels now have a wide range of assorted facilities to manage: reception hall, restaurants, and corridors, hallways, guest rooms, and meeting spaces as well as service areas and recreation areas. It is critical to be able to adjust lighting, to change the colour of a space, and its ambiance from bright and lively to warm and inviting as some of these facilities operate 24/7.
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