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Custom Glass Chandelier Collaboration
For this custom glass chandelier,VISO worked with the design team at Streetsense to design-engineer and manufacture the lighting piece for the luxurious Ritz-Carlton San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Our Strategic Partner
Streetsense is an experience-focused strategy and design collective that specializes in architecture, interior design, planning, brokerage, and brand marketing.
VISO design studio collaborated with Jason Maringola, Design Director Interior Architecture Studio. The design intention was to design-engineer two show-stopper custom glass chandeliers. We caught up with Jason to discuss project goals, design challenges and how it all came to life.
Project Goals
The main goal of The Ritz-Carlton San Juan was to create a modern and elegant space that was reflective of the luxury property’s surrounding landscape. The team wanted to bring the stunning natural habitat surrounding the hotel indoors. The design of the space is a fresh take on what elevated design travellers and guests expect from a luxury hotel.
The same intention is evident in its decorative lighting. The goal was to further introduce elements from the natural habitat around the hotel, and specifically, the ocean.
Design Inspiration
Like the interior of the lobby, the design inspiration for the two custom glass chandeliers was the ocean at the hotel property. When speaking about the inspiration for the custom glass chandeliers, Jason said:
” While we were on site, we spent a lot of time studying the hotel’s coral reef and the aquatic life within it. The reef is inhabited by schools of fish and once we saw the sunlight hit them, we knew we had to bring that visual to life”.
The hotel lobby is flooded with natural light. Jason and the Streetsense design team envisioned a setting where guests felt like they were underwater, with the custom glass chandelier being the focal point.
Design/Fabrication Challenge and Solution
Working collaboratively with VISO Design Studio, two large custom glass chandeliers were designed and manufactured to create the illusion that a school of fish was swimming upwards towards the ceiling.
The two chandeliers are different in size and scope. One is oval, while the other is circular. The oval custom glass chandelier suspends at the front entry of the hotel. It is one of the first experiences upon entry. It measures 96 inches by 136 inches and features a 5 foot drop space. It features 100 individual abstract glass fish (80 lamped, 20 unlamped) and is lit by energy-efficient G4 LED lamps.
The circular custom glass chandelier can be found in the main bar and seating area. It features 150 abstract glass fish (120 lamped, 30 unlamped) and is also lit by G4 LED lamps. To create the illusion that the school of fish was being hit by a ray of light, amber tones were used that fade from gold to clear.
The static nature of the chandeliers presented a design-engineering challenge. VISO’s Design Studio performed copious research on the behaviour of fish swimming patterns and school behaviour in an attempt to achieve a sense of movement and energy throughout the design, and fulfill design intent. Some of the R&D performed at our production facility in Toronto, was how to design the glass drops to look like fish and yet be functionally sound when suspended. VISO Design Studio calculated air flow and a precise account for movement so that the glass fish drops do not brake.
A design/engineering decision was made to remove the tail of the fish in order to achieve both design intent and sound functionality. What is more, the suspension and placement of each individual glass fish was precisely measured and calculated to allow a buffer for movement. Two wire suspensions serve a dual purpose: to keep the elongated glass pointing in one direction, and to utilize the back wire as a tilt line.
When speaking about the custom glass chandeliers and his experience working with VISO, Jason said:
“It was very easy to work with VISO – they didn’t just go in and create what we said we wanted, we collaborated to make sure it was the right design for the space. From developing the right scale and proportion of the chandelier’s pieces, to selecting the right color of materials to create the a sunkissed look, the VISO team kept us involved with the design process every step of the way. Throughout the process, they provided us with beautiful sampling that made both us, and even more importantly, the client excited. They were very transparent with us about what would truly work in the space. The VISO team was able to take my vision and make it even better than what I had dreamt of and we’re thrilled with the finished piece.”
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