Stylish and urbane, The Grill at the Montcalm Hotel on London’s Park Lane is synonymous with the concept of high-end dining.
But even in the most distinguished of venues, there is always space for improvement, so as part of a recent refurbishment the hotel operator commissioned a dramatic new lighting feature that is destined to make the restaurant even more attractive to its distinguished clientele.
The resulting project saw London based interior design specialists TONIK Associates produce concepts for the beautiful bespoke wave effect feature as a part of the total restaurant design.
TONIK commissioned Paul Nulty Lighting Design to add technical expertise to the design and develop a lighting sculpture that utilises 600 points of light yet uses only 600W of energy. “That’s just half of the energy it takes to boil a kettle,” marvels Nulty, whose involvement in the Montcalm project also included the review and finessing of existing lighting systems.
After a rigorous testing process, it became clear that the light sources needed to be compact, durable and – perhaps most importantly – energy-efficient. In the initial stages, fibre optic technology was considered, but ultimately the project’s eco-conscious emphasis prompted the selection of an LED-based solution. Paul Nulty Lighting Design recommended Iberian Lighting to select and produce the most appropriate luminaires.
Aided by the expertise of OSRAM LED specialist CLD Distribution, Iberian determined that OSRAM’s DRAGON-X DX01 W4F-830 1.2W LEDs would make an impressive impact. Using no fewer than 600 pcs of the DRAGON-X light sources – all supplied by OSRAM UK (via CLD Distribution) the LEDs would be used to generate a seductively shimmering effect.
“The DRAGONs are fitted to specially-made heat sinks and fitted into copper tubes with copper ball ends,” says Iberian Lighting’s Les Allitt, who highlights the “reliability” of the OSRAM fixtures.
Compact design and ready access to high quality product support were among the other primary advantages of specifying OSRAM. But arguably the significant benefit is the energy reduction.
TONIK, Nulty and Allitt report “brilliant” feedback from the client and customers to the new central lighting feature, which was completed during the first quarter of 2012.
“OSRAM’s DRAGON LEDs are renowned for their ability to help reduce the cost of elaborate lighting installations,” says Andy Gilks, National Account Manager Specialty Products – Display Optic at OSRAM.
“In the case of The Grill at Montcalm Hotel, they have allowed Tonik Associates, Paul Nulty Lighting Design and Iberian Lighting to deliver a design that is also highly visually arresting.
“Factor in the DRAGON’s compact dimensions and long-life expectancy, and it’s not surprising to see it being specified for an ever-increasing number of prestigious projects throughout the UK.”