Project Focus
Creation’s Scope: Supply, Testing, and Commissioning of Lighting and Lighting Controls
Key Lighting brands: Enigma Lighting, Traxon, Leds C4, Artemide, Linea Light, LED Ray, Unilamp, and Catellani & Smith
Lighting Control : Helvar and Casambi
Clever lighting is undoubtedly integral to the successful makeover of the Millennium Airport Hotel, Dubai. The award winning property has completely transformed its entrance, restaurant and pool areas and its facelift is redesigned to keep it ahead in the game!
Leading lighting consultants Light.Func helped rebrand the property by giving the slick, swanky modern interiors more chutzpah through intuitive light design, while Creation undertook the supply, testing and commissioning of lights and lighting controls.
The Brief
In an interview Mrs. Sakina Dugawalla-Moeller, Founder and Design Director, Light.Func and UAE ambassador of Women in Lighting says “The client’s vision was to transform and upgrade the brand to give its core values a modern context and by listening closely, I think we were able to ensure all parties’ ideas and visions were successfully taken on board during our design process. Layering light through the elements that were going to be changed was important, but keeping those that were to be maintained was just as important.
“A full scale lighting intent which maximizes the transparency of the lobby and existing reflective flooring and a scheme that underlines the interior architecture now speaks for the Millennium brand that represents style, class and comfort.” |
|
The execution
“Outside we started with a bit of drama, contrast and a play of light. We then expanded on the transparency of the lobby by connecting the outside and inside visually. Glimmers of light were carefully worked on with David Ewing from LXA, to maximise the reflective nature of the materials used. Moving from the lobby to the restaurant corridor- a break out space from Jones (a franchise café) that spills out into the lobby- we tried to create a hospitality feel as one walks through the lobby whether to go outside, or take the elevator to the rooms.
“Functionality was very important, but we added aesthetics to it. Decorative lighting takes front-stage even as architectural lighting is used as a backdrop upon which it stands.
The glimmer magic was something we wanted to achieve throughout the project, and were very proud to be able to do it, with careful placement of light sources that do not clash with anything else. |
|
Criteria for selecting Light fixtures?
Glare control, that very warm hospitality feeling and being able to dim to 0% of course was most important! With regards to light fixture selection, we wanted to rely on brands we have seen in the past on our other projects that do not disappoint. They also had to be a tad affordable, since there were a few start-stop reasons to the project. We really needed to have a flexible system for controls, because we essentially had five different areas, however not all spaces were refurbished. This soft refurb meant that we had to work with existing conduits and loads – the latter were not so much a problem since we were using LED. Out with the old, in with the new!
The Hurdles
Absolutely! Dutco Interiors and Joinery were incredibly efficient, trying to ensure that patrons could still access most of the hotel spaces whilst the refurbishment took place. Honestly speaking though, nobody foresaw the COVID element, and it really did put a spanner in the works – but essentially not knowing that certain areas of the ceiling will be able to withstand new light fixtures was a fear we all went to bed with. Another thing that we could not do was introduce low level lighting, which is such an essential part of hospitality lighting design. We therefore had to find ways to re-emphasise that hospitality feel with the use of high-level lighting with carefully controlled optics and plays of intensity.
A good challenge was getting controls to areas that were not accessible, but Casambi was able to do that for us. The hanging of the 100 points of a chandelier visually took 7 hours, which was an amazing experience but quite frustrating. |
|
The sustainability angle
I think what was really shocking was how much drama 600 lumen fixtures were able to achieve! Working on hospitality, we don’t have to worry too much about sustainability; However good lighting designers preach “light where needed”, and we have been fortunate to be able to implement this “doctrine”. With the exception of the decorative fixtures which were essential to realise the ID and client’s vision, architectural lighting is concealed and minimised so that architectural lighting leaves an almost imperceptible carbon footprint!
Working with Team Creation
They did not disappoint. They are relentless in their knowledge, and I was especially grateful for their quick turnaround, when something had been missed at site. The testing and commissioning is still not over, of course, but so far it is pleasant. A big shout out for fixing the one rogue blue LED that came out of the 100 pc chandelier in record time! And of course the foresight to order extra lenses, in case some broke – all without any direction from the design team. Hard work pays off! |
|
|
Retrofit? LED’s are the way!
Although switching to LEDs can involve heavy initial investment, the ROI is considerable over a long time. Some LEDs don’t have quite the same effect of lighting that some incandescent and halogen lights have, you can overcome this by paying attention to the Color Rendering Index, or CRI, of the lights you are buying.
|
|
|
|
|
