Nulty Bespoke is pleased to have completed a musically-inspired, creative lighting feature in the main reception of the new Hard Rock Hotel in London.
The project concept began with the idea of highlighting the humble drumstick which then developed into the construction and installation
of a show-stopping lighting installation above the curved reception desks of the Marble Arch-based hotel. The Nulty Bespoke team decided to hang 135 fibre optic cables from the ceiling and fix handmade ‘drumsticks’ (600mm long) to the end of each fibre. The drumsticks appear to have light emanating from their tip, suggesting the idea that music is escaping from the drum stick itself. Each of the cables is hung at different lengths (1m at the longest), giving the overall impression that the installation represents a large sound wave.
It took three weeks for a specialist wood turner, with over 45 years of specialist craftsmanship experience to hand make all the drumsticks, from maple. The sticks were constructed in halves, in order to drill a hole all the way through and then meticulously and seamlessly joined together and turned on a lathe, enabling the fibre optics to be inserted on site. ‘Marrying our design concept with the more traditional skills of the wood turner was incredibly exciting’ explains Céline Gehamy of Nulty Bespoke ‘we achieved a successful prototype and a final piece by challenging and learning from each other throughout the process.’
The lighting feature is one of the first things guests see upon entering the hotel and a curtain behind it provides the perfect, dramatic backdrop. A projector hidden within the ceiling transmits the light through the fibres to provide the cool white temperature of the light feature. A twinkling effect is achieved via the projector and the glow is emphasised by a small piece of frosted acrylic used at the tip of each drumstick.
Nulty Bespoke
The Tower Building
7th Floor, 11 York Road
London, SE1 7NX
+44 (0)20 74013635
[email protected]
