Ohla Boutique Hotels , Barcelona , Spain , 2016
Photo © Álvaro Valdecantos role in this . Secondly , it is very important to study the materials and the finishing chosen for the interior design , and the interior decoration elements which have been chosen to exhibit the products that are on sale . In a lighting design project dedicated to retail merchandising , we usually work with three levels of lighting : ambient lighting which is the basic background element , lighting to highlight the product , and “ corporate ” lighting , that characterizes the brand , that creates the atmosphere that differentiates a showroom or a shop from the others . Without having to describe trivial aspects such as the chromatic quality of the light sources , what is really important for ambient lighting is the colour temperature that is closely tied to the image and the message that the client wants to convey . Every brand works with different contrasts and different levels of lighting and luminance . Then there are the lighting units and how these are integrated in the space . Are they visible ? Decorative ? Hidden ? Easily recognizable ? Completely integrated ? All these elements are always tailored in order to reach a single result . There is no recipe for a good lighting project . The profession of the lighting designer can be compared to that of a tailor who makes custom fit clothing .
Do you collaborate with architects and interior designers from the very first stages , or do you intervene at a later time ? We believe that it is very important to work in close collaboration with the architects and other consultants during all the phases of a project , starting from the concept design to the final testing phase . This collaboration process that develops during all the design and construction phases enables us to create new ways of perceiving and experimenting architectural and urban spaces . If we are an active part of a project team from the very first phases , the lighting design project can be of
a high quality , and will bear in mind aspects such as energy saving , interaction with natural light and integration of the light units in the architecture . However we are not always called to participate in the project design from the very first phases . At times we are called to intervene in the advanced phases of the project .
How does the approach to work differ in these two cases ? Intervening in an advanced phase of a project can be limiting , but it can also be stimulating . You need to find alternative solutions . It is like working on a building of historical interest : creating an attractive functional and appropriate light distribution , taking into account the limits related to the architectural structure , installation , lighting power and electric power distribution , is a challenge .
Among your more recent projects , there is the Loewe flagship store in Madrid . How did you work for this space , and what particular attention is required when lighting a fashion showroom ? The client gave us a precise brief : the atmosphere they wanted was like in Julianne Moore ’ s home in Tom Ford ’ s movie , A Single Man . They wanted a refined , welcoming space , a high-class domestic interior , without many contrasts , and a very open feeling of light , with delicate accents on objects and works of art . In fact , the Loewe flagship store in Madrid is not only a store , it is also an art gallery . An exhibition of products with precisely planned positions , where we were able to show everything in the greatest splendour , where the spaces were characterized by diffused light that created an open spacious atmosphere , with very subtle accents on the works of art and highlighting the items on sale . Here too there are the three levels of lighting that we mentioned before .
What are the best ways to highlight the colours , the texture and materials of the exhibited products ? Here too there is no precise recipe . It depends on the client ’ s requirements . Some large scale consumer brands , for example , tend to heavily saturate light so that the colours stand out and the poor quality of the materials which have been utilized is not so visible . Certainly , in general , it is fundamental to use lighting units with sources that have an excellent quality of light and an excellent chromatic yield .
Does every single category of goods require a specific study ? Every brand decides to illuminate the items it sells according to its own company image . Every project deserves a specific study , and inspiration may come from any source . In the project for the Roca Gallery in Barcelona , for example , we based everything on the importance that the ancient Romans gave to water – sources of water were brought to the city by means of aqueducts and impurities were taken away from the city by means of sewers . For a company that produces bathroom fixtures we thought of using water as the basic element of communication . Water is not physically present , but a play of light on the façade makes it appear like magic . A totally different inspiration marked the lighting design of the showroom for Lagares , another company producing bathroom fixtures . In this case , the nature of the space , a large doubleheight open space in cement , and the type of display , where the elements were suspended and floated in space , made us think of a Japanese zen garden in which a rock is surrounded by a green area and immersed in a neutral space with concentric lines . In the case of the showroom for Lagares , the bathroom fixtures are the rock , and with the light and shadow they cast on the ground , they create a zen garden .
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