This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
DECORATIVE & DESIGN / PROJECT


107


Xavier Fulbright, Associate Director at AECOM, explains the lighting scheme at the new Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Guildford.


EDWARDIAN CLASSICS Photography: Marcus Peel


An antique chandelier, sourced by Rabih Hage, forms the centrepiece of the dining room. Bird Lamp pendants, designed by Patrice Gruffaz for Lieux, hang along the back wall.


The lighting design studio of AECOM was appointed to collaborate with internation- ally acclaimed designer and architect Rabih Hage to devise the lighting for the public areas of the new Radisson Edwardian in Guildford. The hotel is Guildford’s first new hotel in twenty-years and sits adjacent to the new G Live performing arts venue, establishing a new destination for leisure, conferencing and entertainment. The public areas include the hotel reception, lounge, restaurant, bistro, conference areas, VIP areas and terrace.


The hotel interior design pays homage and intellectually connects with the entertain- ment centre next door with a ‘performance’ theme. Rabih explains, “It’s a luxurious, grown-up take on Alice in Wonderland”, cel-


ebrating the fact that the town was author Lewis Carroll’s birthplace. AECOM’s brief was to design a lighting scheme to realise the theatrical vision, yet ensure the project achieved budget and strict sustainability targets. Our appoint- ment came about after a client change of direction to reflect their partnership with G Live’s venue. As our involvement came rather late on in the construction pro- gramme, the team had to design within an established budget and energy targets for a more standard hotel interior. The lighting approach treated the public spaces as a series of stage sets. There are fittings such as theatrical spotlights and trusses that serve to provide obvious gestures for the experience, while decora-


tive light fittings are seen as stage ‘props’, selected for their thought provoking and eye-catching qualities. All lighting treat- ments had to belong in the context of a theatre’s backstage or set scenery; there- fore, ambient functional lighting is carefully concealed into the fabric of the ceiling and walls or hidden behind feature voiles and drapes. And, it was decided to limit the use of downlights and other architectural light fittings that may look out of place. It was important for the decorative light fittings to be distinctive and unique to help the interior scheme convey the Alice in Wonderland fantasy. Unusual and extraor- dinary light fittings sketched up in design sessions were sourced and realised through Rabih’s extensive network of artists,


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164