River of Light

By Ray Molony

The River Restaurant in the iconic Savoy Hotel in London has been transformed with lighting to match its upmarket Art Deco aesthetic.

Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

The former Kaspar’s dining location in the Savoy Hotel in London has been reinvented as the River Restaurant, with Gordon Ramsay brought in to oversee the menu. The Art Deco dining room offers guests stunning views over the Thames and specialises in seafood for its all-day dining menu.

The concept by interior designer Russell Sage Studio was inspired by the restaurant’s riverside location and the hotel’s Art Deco heritage.

The lighting design brief was to help create a calm, relaxed, loungey space, sitting comfortably within the context of this glamorous hotel. Victoria Jerram Lighting Design used its knowledge and experience of designing luxury spaces, meeting the brief by incorporating soft, indirect light to create a warm, welcoming ambience throughout the space.

A key constraint on the project was the limited budget which prohibited architectural and fixed joinery changes and necessitated the re-use of the existing lighting control system.

The large, river-facing windows and the doors to the day-lit Thames Foyer atrium provide an abundance of cool, natural light for daytime dining and the lighting design responded to this with the use of warm dimming technology. Dimming the lights as evening service commences automatically warms the ambient colour temperature to achieve an intimate night-time dining experience.

Warm dimming technology was used extensively for a coherent feel, from the ceiling coffers and window coves to the bespoke ceiling and entrance column lights.

Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

The close collaboration with Simon Day of Nocture Workshop on the bespoke decorative lighting continued with Victoria Jerram specifying opal glass and extra warm white lamps for the chandelier above the bar, and the bar table lamps, to ensure that the feature lighting cast a soft, warm glow, creating a glare free focal point for the space.

Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

Courtesy of Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

A touch of sparkle was added as a contrast to the dominant soft ambient lighting through the addition of miniature spotlights focused on the artwork and the planting.

The use of highly polished and mirrored finishes also has the effect of further animating the space.

The end result is a glamorous, stylish dining space befitting an iconic location such as The Savoy. The restaurant achieves the aesthetic of bringing to life the bygone luxury of art deco-inspired ocean liners, while the lighting design achieves a calm, elegant atmosphere that will enchant diners and create a truly unforgettable experience. ■

PROJECT CREDITS

Project: The River Restaurant, The Savoy

Location: London, UK

Client: Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

Lighting Design: Victoria Jerram Limited

Interior Designer: Russell Sage Studio

Lighting Schedule: IBL, Lucent Lighting, Light Graphix, Light Ideas, Nocturne Workshop