• Ricardo Lighting display magnificence in Silverbox Ballroom

    23 September 2011

    With over 30 years of experience, Ricardo Lighting has played a crucial role in turning developer’s visions into reality. As a leading player in the production and supply of architectural and decorative lighting in various sectors, Ricardo Lighting has consistently delivered by showing the highest level of professionalism and technical know-how. 

    Their clients include prestigious hotels and restaurants around the world, such as Upper House Hong Kong, City of Dreams in Macau and The Peninsula Shanghai and Crown Casino and Villas in Melbourne. At Hotel Icon, Ricardo Lighting is responsible for creating and installing the most important lighting systems, including the highly imaginative and complicated contemporary chandelier in Silverbox Ballroom.

     The visually striking chandelier is designed by Jane Arnett, a senior associate at CL3 Architects Ltd. Jane wanted to re-invent the traditional chandelier by injecting ultra-modern elements into the design, which echoes with the overall theme of the hotel design that is a contemporary take on the traditional, with an emphasis on Hong Kong designers and artists. 

    “It is more of a contemporary ceiling ‘art installation’ than a typical ballroom chandelier, using suspended crystal rods with the lighting being installed in the ceiling above,” she said. 

     The spectacular chandelier, which consists of three-dimensional, interlocking triangular sections of clear crystal rods of varying lengths arranged in a seemingly random pattern, resembles a sparkling yet spiky carpet on the ceiling. When illuminated, the chandelier is a sight to behold when LED and halogen lamps allow the ceiling to become almost any colour required to suit different functions. It can be done within an instant if necessary, thanks to the state-of-the-art lighting and dimming system.

     When it’s turned off, the chandelier’s silver glitter complements the mirror panels of the walls of the same colour, (hence the “silverbox” theme). With a capacity of about 480 guests, the ballroom makes for a stylish and magnificent setting for all types of events ranging from wedding banquets and fashion shows to academic meetings and business conferences. 

    The chandelier presented an enormous technical challenge to Ricardo Lighting, who came up with creative solutions to execute the highly complex design.  Special care and precise fittings were needed to make sure the chandelier was made inclusive of the mirror stainless steel ceiling panels above, and they were co-ordinated to allow for the lighting and fire sprinkler systems. The ceiling above the lit glass is made up of mirrored stainless steel to effectively double the visual volume of the suspended glass.  The lighting, a mixture of coloured LED and white lights, gives an infinite range of colour and tone.

    The vast size of the chandelier also required special solutions. Besides the unusually high ceilings, the firing and the different individual lengths and angles of the individual glass rods was the most challenging aspect for Ricardo’s installation team. 

    Safety is also an issue not to be taken lightly. About 60 per cent of the glass area had to be reserved to meet the regulations that allow for the sprinkler heads to be installed above the glass, rather than below. This arrangement entailed many set-ups and calculations by Ricardo Lighting to ensure that the desired results would be achieved without falling short of the safety requirements. 

    Apart from the ballroom, Ricardo Lighting and CL3 also created lighting systems for other parts of the hotel that blend perfectly well with the hotel’s design philosophy that maximises the use of natural daylight and spectacular views. From the suspended, spiral staircase with lit glass treads and the internally lit large sculptural seating pieces, to the subtly lit lift lobbies and the dimly lit vertical elongated white lights in the clean-lined guestrooms, the lighting design at Hotel Icon is strikingly modern and minimalistic.

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