When it comes to interior design, few elements can impact a space like lighting. While colour is well-known to influence the way in which a space is perceived, lighting can be every bit as important when it comes to creating an atmosphere and a tone.
This is particularly evident in bars and restaurants, which rely on mood to help draw in clientele and boost business.
In Beirut’s Whisky Mist, located at the InterContinental Phoenicia hotel, designers embraced the impact lighting can have, using it to create a unique mood in the space.
By installing a custom-made LED ceiling lighting system replete with over 100 square metres of Chroma Q Colour Web 250 LED panels, 165 metres of RGB LED strip lighting and 90 metres of white LED strip lighting, A.C. Special Projects Ltd. Has helped create a truly impressive display. The lights are controlled by an integrated technology control system.
The lighting in Whisky Mist has been designed so that it can mimic a night sky, with distinct lighting features helping to direct clientele. Soft blue lights set the tone throughout much of the space, with white lights highlighting the location of entrances and amenities.
Because the lighting itself can change, so too can the function of the space. By simply altering the lighting through simple controls, Whisky Mist can serve as either a laid-back lounge-style facility or a hopping club. Because the walls have been designed to reflect the lighting in unique ways, changes to lighting change the atmosphere of the entire bar.
Furniture, too, has been specifically chosen to work with the lighting. Black leather booth couches meld seamlessly into the space, regardless of how the lights inform the space.
The end result demonstrates that, through simple lighting solutions, multi-functional spaces can be created without designers having to sink immense costs into a space or find ways to constantly redesign a facility. With simple changes to lighting, Whisky Mist is able to essentially serve various functions at different times in the same space.
Rather than dealing with limitations, the clever use of lighting has ensured increased flexibility in a space virtually at the push of a button.
