The Radisson Resort in Orlando

Client: Radisson Hotels

Interiors designers: Aldo Riva, Paris

Lighting design: Lighting Design

International

Team: Sally Storey, John Dyke, Lucy Roberts

A recently opened resort in Orlando in the US, the interiors and lighting scheme for the restaurant areas combines a retro look with state-of-the-art lighting technology. ‘In conjunction with the interior designer we were trying to lend something of the feel of a 1950s American diner. For that effect, we used exposed baby-blue cold-cathode rings around the columns; in the coffers there is white and pink cold cathode,’ says John Dyke at Lighting Design International. General lighting was provided by diachronic downlights, and each booth has a small pendant light chosen by Aldo Riva over the table. Scene-setting controls for all the lighting are by Lutron.

The main lobby is lit by Edison Price darklight downlights, using the GE Quartzline 250 Watt 120 Volt PAR38 lamp. The Quartzline is a lamp for the US market which Lighting Design International has used for similar worldwide projects. ‘We used it because it offers good performance when used in high ceilings,’ says Dyke. ‘It also offers long life, dimmability and pleasing colour when dimmed.’ Floor-standing lamps are also used in the lobby seating area to lend a smaller vertical scale to the area. The stacked coffers each contain two runs of cold cathode, one white for daytime use and one midnight blue for evening use. The front of the reception is lit with linear cold cathode and over the desk a line of small diachronic downlights provide general and task lighting.

‘One of the major challenges we faced in the project was sourcing appropriate US light fixtures. Generally, fixtures [manufactured in the US] tend to be a lot larger than their European counterparts, and we went to great lengths to find fixtures as close as possible to European types. Similarly, the choice of lamps in the US is different from here. For this job we built up relationships with US cold cathode and fibre optic suppliers,’ says Dyke. n

see also “DW200011170052”