Your Cart is Empty
The Rosseau, a JW Marriott Resort and Spa, first opened its doors in 2008 as a multi-purpose property, including a hotel, residential and retail component. Located in the heart of Muskoka’s Cottage Country, The Rosseau is Canada’s number one luxury resort and a top travel destination.
In early 2018, The Rosseau had reached its 10th year of operations and it was time for the resort to refresh and bring a more modern look to the property. VISO stepped in to partner with long-time collaborator, mackaywong, to design and fabricate a range of luxury custom lighting fixtures for the resort and spa. Feature pieces were designed for the common area such as the living room, Muskoka room, library, Lakes Lounge and lobby areas.
The Inspiration
The inspiration behind the renovation is two-fold: to showcase the lavishness of the JW Marriott brand while reflecting the Muskoka guest experience of a rich escape in nature, that includes shimmering lakes and wildlife. These inspirational elements are reflected in the lighting design through organic and natural shapes such as antlers, beehives, fireflies and abstract leaves that are playfully sculpted and artfully arranged. A touch of brass or reflective material was incorporated in the design of most of these light fixtures to showcase the JW Marriott brand experience and to create that ‘wow’ factor.
There was so much inspiration to draw from that it was challenging to narrow down what elements got included into the final design. The challenge was to ensure that the updated spaces incorporate organic elements and texture that continue to speak to the region and provide that ‘soul sanctuary’ experience in the heart of Ontario.
Project Challenges
A key consideration for this renovation was to ensure that the resort provided a memorable and elevated guest experience while maintaining the soulful, down to earth ‘Muskoka’ relationship. The team also wanted to uphold the hotel’s luxury image and provide a destination retreat for every season by contemporizing the interior design and strengthening the architectural language in the public spaces. It was important to create a fully immersive hotel experience from the moment guests enter the front doors and check-in, to the moment they are relaxing by the pool or fireplace in the lobby lounge. The ultimate goal was to entice guests to return time and time again and share their photos on social media.
The resort was to maintain full operation during the renovation process: VISO and the installation team took this into heavy consideration. The guest experience was a top priority for both the hotel management team and for the design and installation teams. To limit the amount of time the team needed to install the fixtures, detailed installation guides were created by VISO to improve the efficiency of the install and help limit the overall cost of the project.
Neda Misaghi, project designer at mackaywong describes her experience working with VISO:
“Mackaywong and VISO have a long history of collaborating successfully on many unique projects. We find that VISO is well-versed in translating design intent into a final product that is well engineered and often better than we could have dreamed it to be! The custom ceiling light fixtures in the JW Marriott The Rosseau’s public lobby spaces give a sense of scale and ‘wow’ factor and have helped to completely transform these spaces.”
Working closely with the JW Marriott management team, mackaywong and VISO were able to design and fabricate beautiful lighting fixtures for its common areas, a solution that delivers on the initial brief of an elevated guest experience and translating the natural beauty of ‘cottage country’ into the interior design of the hotel.
You can see more images from this project, visit our projects page here.
The Designs
Nest Chandelier
Custom chandelier with 172 fireflies surrounding metal “nest” structure with a hydrographic wood finish. The nest fixture is comprised of 15 rings, 7 of which are lit with 3000k LED tape and measures 271 1/8”/2633mm H x 58”/1473mm W x 57”/1448mm L.
Metalized 2D Pendant Chandelier
The area cluster above the lounge is comprised of 32 custom perforated 2D pendants in a brushed brass finish. The cluster is lit with 32 dimmable 2W 3200k LED. Each pendant is hung from a matte black canopy using gold fabric electrical cable. The cluster measures 51”/1295mm L x 109”/2762mm W x 151 ½”/3848mm H and weighs 150lbs.
Map of Muskoka Wall Sconce
The custom wall sconce fixture hangs in the Muskoka Room made of blank chintz shade with leather stitch details. The structure with a polished brass metal arm is attached to an acrylic wall plate finished with a marble pattern to match the décor of the hotel. The shade features a map of Muskoka Lake printed on the inside. The wall plate measurements are 74”/1880mm H x 16”/406mm W. The shade measurements are 24”/610mm H x 32”/813mm D.
Two-Toned Brass Wall Sconce
The custom wall sconces throughout the hallways of The Rosseau are a two-toned custom design with a brushed brass finish on the inside and a matte black finish on the outside. Each sconce is lit by a single 2W LED chip.
Custom Wave-Patterned Bar Installation
The bar lobby design contains 288 pendants hanging from a canopy with a matte black powder coated finish. Each pendant is attached to a polished brass stem with crystal at the end of the stem. The pendants are arranged in a wave pattern to create visual interest on the ceiling. The canopy measures at 181 ½”/4610mm x 181 ½”/4610mm. Each suspension measures 12 5/16”/313mm to 24”/610mm L (overall height). The crystal pendant is 10”/254mm H x 1 7/8”/48mm W.
