Kila La Kheri!
Kila La Kheri means 'Good luck' in Swahili and is fast becoming our motto for the outgoing year!
Zanzibar
A chance meeting on a flight to Berlin led to our involvement in an exciting project on the legendary island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. An international team of architects, furniture makers, Africa lovers and sustainable tourism experts were putting together plans for a luxury hotel on the Island of Spices.
Lighting Concept
After getting involved in the project in the early planning phase, helping with furniture design, Kirigram was awarded the contract for the entire lighting concept, both inside and out. Designing with light is a subtle and challenging task, requiring both technical knowledge and a good understanding of human perception. Light defines the atmosphere, transforms the space and above all appeals to our senses and emotions.
Next time you visit your favourite restaurant or bar, take note of how many light sources are used to illuminate the space. Count the many layers of light, such as ambient or focal, that overlap and combine. Observe the surfaces that reflect or absorb the light, contributing to the overall effect.
Scope
When we started on the lighting concept the project seemed enormous and although we knew we were up to the challenge, at times the scope of the project was quite daunting. The concept was to focus on how light can emphasis the architecture and enhance the well-being of future guests.
We were to provide solutions for eleven different environments, such as the spa, dining areas and residential units, including the outside areas.
Approach
Starting with the smallest unit and taking a step-by-step approach, in each space we first decided which feature we wanted to highlight and then worked backwards from there, thus breaking the project down into manageable pieces.
The concept has priority, the lamp is merely the tool for implementing this concept. We developed the lighting concept, taking into account the local conditions, i.e.the short twilight followed by absolute darkness. The compound of villas is embedded in various layers of light, fading out towards the beach and concentrating in an illuminated belt of public buildings on the landside.
Specification
In hospitality lighting it’s important to strike a balance between established off-the-shelf products and bespoke statement pieces.
Providing lighting for diverse ambiances and different usage types, a vast amount of light sources needed to be researched and specified. We handpicked a selection from industry suppliers and designed bespoke light installations where appropriate. We provided complete electrical plans for the builders on-site and used Dialux software for visual presentations with the customer.
About the Hotel
The hotel is situated on the east coast of Zanzibar and, once open, will be a great place to relax all your senses after an adventurous safari experience. It's due to open mid 2019. We'll post pictures once it's up and running!
Luminaires
Above are examples of some of the wall lights chosen by Kirigram and specified for this project.
From left to right:
- ‘Flindt’ — Louis Poulsen, designed by Christian Flindt
- ‘Palma' — Vibia, designed by Antoni Arola
- ‘Empatia’ — Artemide, designed by Carlotta De Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianelo
- ‘Camouflage' — Flos, designed by Piero Lissoni.