Lighting also becomes successful as art when there is a sense of awe and delight. Unconventional materials and shapes, unexpected locations, and the wonder of scale can all be employed to great effect; encouraging people to stop and engage, without drowning out the rest of the experience.
Finally, helping people feel physically and emotionally better through proper lighting design is vital. Typically, this includes finding ways to cast a warm glow while also allowing the light to be soft and welcoming. Proper lighting also helps define a space for guests, crafting their journey and creating a sense of place and grounding.
For example, at Nan Bei, a contemporary Chinese restaurant on the 19th floor of the Rosewood hotel in Bangkok with a beautiful, monolithic bar crafted from Portoro Gold marble with satin brass trim detailing, we employed ephemeral lighting design in a dramatic installation to greet guests as they arrive. This installation is an abstraction of a piece of the narrative we were using as inspiration for the interior design as a whole, which was based on the Chinese legend of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd. As legend has it, the Weaver Girl, who resided in heaven, came down to earth and fell in love with the Cowherd. However, their love was forbidden, and they were only allowed to meet once a year by crossing the night sky over a bridge of magpies.
In the grand open atrium, as a whimsical illustration of this meeting, we crafted over 800 hand-folded ‘magpies’ out of thin brass metal mesh. These were then hung to create a subtle, arching bridge form. Thousands of warm, glittering LED lights were then installed seven metres high to fill out the space, in essence creating an ethereal night sky. The reflective glass of the surrounding corridors reflects the glowing installation beautifully, creating a magical sense of never-ending expanse. To frame the artwork, we created a modern moon-gate screen, within which we installed a curving upholstered bench. Interactivity is also quite important to us, and with the addition of the bench, curious guests can sit and become part of the piece itself. The resulting effect has become one of the most photographed areas of the restaurant and is now a signature element of the space and the brand.
create mystery, incite delight
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a deeper connection and sense of meaning
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wonder of scale
No. 48
QT G&T
THE ROOFTOP AT QT, QT MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
INGREDIENTS
2 slices of cucumber
45 ml (1½ fl oz) Tanqueray gin
15 ml (½ fl oz) St-Germain liqueur
15 ml (½ fl oz) freshly squeezed lime juice
15 ml (½ fl oz) simple syrup
tonic water, to top up
METHOD
Muddle the cucumber in the bottom of a highball glass. Add the gin, St-Germain, lime juice and syrup, then add ice and top up with tonic water, stirring it into the drink with a bar spoon.
Melbourne’s bar scene is ruled by rooftops. Every night, locals head outdoors and on high, carousing with their crew as the city opens up wide below them. It doesn’t take much for a rooftop bar to sing; the constant crowds, who hop from venue to venue, are testament to the popularity of guzzling atop a building. Every once in a while, though, you stumble upon a bar that doesn’t just rest on its handsome views, and instead brings panache to what often feels ordinary. QT Melbourne’s indoor-outdoor The Rooftop at QT is one of them. As part of the quirky, art- and design-centric QT Hotels & Resorts portfolio, QT Melbourne values aesthetics and the rooftop – one of the hugest layouts in the city – follows suit. The bar, wrapped in glistening green brick-style tiles and harmonised with lots of hanging plants, is a beauty. Nestle up against pillows at one of the candle-lit tables and order fish tacos with a Vanilla Passionfruit Pisco Sour or the ‘Bullet Train to Spain’ (Bulleit bourbon, Pedro Ximénez sherry, orgeat, lemon and kaffir lime leaves). Even though DJs only make appearances for special events, there is the energy of a pulsating party up here on weekends. Luckily, it never sacrifices cheer.
No. 49
The Remedy
PAPER DAISY AT HALCYON HOUSE, CABARITA BEACH, AUSTRALIA
INGREDIENTS
4 mixed seasonal berries, plus extra to garnish
60 ml (2 fl oz) dry gin (the bar uses Brookie’s Byron, distilled in Byron Bay and made with Australian botanicals)
20 ml (⅔ fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 ml (⅔ fl oz) Mixed Berry Shrub*
plain kombucha, to top up
fresh mint sprig, to garnish
*For the Mixed Berry Shrub (makes 700 ml/24 fl oz):
100 g (3½ oz) blueberries
100 g (3½ oz) blackberries
100 g (3½ oz) raspberries
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) white sugar
500 ml (17 fl oz) apple cider vinegar
METHOD
For the Mixed Berry Shrub, muddle the berries in a 1 litre (34 fl oz) jar. Add the sugar and vinegar, cover and let it sit for 1 week. Strain into a clean bottle or jar. It will keep for 3 months.
To make the cocktail, softly muddle the berries in the bottom of a Boston glass, just enough to burst open the fruit. Add a little crushed ice, along with the gin, lemon juice and shrub and stir. Top with kombucha and garnish with more crushed ice, a mint sprig and berries.
Cabarita Beach, some 90 minutes south of Brisbane, epitomises the concept of holiday. There is no choice but to chill out here on the east coast
