131-151 Great Titchfield Street London W1W 5BB kate@kateandsam.co.uk +44 (0)20 7 993 2339 www.kateandsam.co.uk
Kate and Sam Lighting Designers is a small independent consultancy with a diverse design background focused on the creative approach to lighting. We work closely with project design teams to deliver the most innovative solutions possible. Our aim is to bring fresh ideas to each project, both large and small, ranging from enhancing space and form to unique lighting installations, while always keeping function and maintenance in mind. This approach has been very successful in our collaborations with many highly acclaimed architects, designers and directors.
The eye’s instinct is to follow light. Yet as the fourth dimension, light is intangible: neither tasted nor felt but sensed. While it interacts with us and with all materials around us, its ubiquity does not make it a simple medium to manipulate. Lighting design needs to understand a building’s purpose, history and users simultaneously and in full detail to do justice to any space. It is far more than mere dressing: lighting design is an emotional creative medium that requires a delicate balance to properly clothe every created environment. Over the years, we have worked with architects towards fully integrated lighting solutions that sculpt a space, highlight its features, like detailing, materiality or colour, or create a sense of circulation within a room. Our projects also use light as a medium to help articulate a building’s narrative. This abstract quality of light is often too little understood in a culture that is so very focused on products. Yet we believe that lighting products are only there to serve a more comprehensive vision about what a successfully lit project entails and requires. In addition to designing well-lit spaces that enhance their architecture, we are interested in how lighting can create the identity or brand of an institution or business. On these and other projects, we often transform stock products into something original. And on most of our projects we like to combine the latest lighting technologies with well-established ones. There is no one way to get to the right end result but we do insist that all of our designs, no matter how unusual, are easy to use and maintain and that they are future-proofed. This, to us, is an inherent -if too little appreciated- part of working towards a genuinely sustainable design.
St Paul’s
Waterloo
Cardiff
Manchester
Wahaca
We have produced lighting schemes for most Wahaca restaurants accross the UK, working with architects Softroom to create varying atmospheres that heavily reflect a mexican street food theme, Materials, textures and lighting are continually used to divide large spaces, while enforcing a lively environment and creating a unique visual impact. In Cardiff, soft rubber pendants subtly and gradually vary in colour to create a diverse, relaxing and uplifting space. These pendants and cables are then arranged with consideration given to the different levels, designed to appear more intense and immersive at a higher level.
Harrods
Harrods gave us the opportunity to use and display a range of lighting techniques to create the desired playful ambience. We endeavoured to engage with visitors’ imaginations, creating a space of excitement. We used a combination of texture, shadow and contrasts to create this environment, highlighting the multitude of colours and objects on display. We also used a variety of technologies to give us these contrasting but holistic results, ranging from high tech colour changing whites to hand made festoons.
Llanelly House
Wales’ finest Georgian house has been painstakingly restored for public use, incorporating retail, function rooms, exhibition space and a restaurant. Replicating a historic residential approach, we used darkness and contrast in the almost minimalistic lighting plan. The feature of our project is in the ‘grand room,’ showcasing a central chandelier and highlighting important works of art and architectural details, including the original comices. The combination of chandeliers and wall lights is again replicated in the restaurant. On this occasion, however, we worked with porcelain artist Anna Usborne, who created two contemporary pieces as chandeliers inspired by the famous pottery of Llanelli. This project was filmed as a BBC documentary fronted by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Scotch Whisky Experience
Within a ‘black box’ environment, lighting is fundamental in producing desired atmospheres and a seamless experience. In this case we worked on the Scotch Whisky experience ride, in which the visitor moves through a replica distillery as they witness the various stages of the whisky making process. To fulfil the requirements of completely differentiating the spaces, a series of contrasting lighting approaches were undertaken. Firstly, we created specially designed acrylic ‘droplets’ which cascaded and changed colour to represent water. Secondly, moving projections and RGB LED strings were positioned and programmed to give the impression of a stirring arm. Lastly, using backlit frosted acrylic globes that appeared to ‘pop,’ we carefully emulated the violent reaction of yeast during the fermentation process.
Trafalgar One
Trafalgar One is a bespoke development of four contemporary apartments by renowned London developer BMB. Created within the structure of the historic Canadian Pacific building on the south side of Trafalgar Square, the development offers uninterrupted views directly over Nelson’s column. The lighting design needed to therefore reflect the grandeur of the development, the only residential project with a Trafalgar Square address. The evenly lit space provides ambience and comfort throughout the apartments, creating homely and relaxing residences in the heart of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
Hyatt Le Campus
Hyatt Le Campus is an atmospheric meeting space located at Hyatt Regency Hotel at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris. The lighting enhances the overall design concept, aiming to evoke memories of schooling while attending to the needs of independent professionals. Each room in the design is conceived to have a slightly different atmosphere based on the various teaching spaces of a school. The main breakaway space features a simple lighting scheme to mimic a stereotypical canteen, while wall lights are used to emphasis a feature blackboard wall. Elsewhere, meeting rooms are decorated drawing inspiration from a science block, a headmaster’s office and a traditional classroom, where light and glass fittings vary from playful, colourful pendants to more traditional lighting where suited.
Hush Brasserie
Our task was to use lighting to complement and enhance the existing chic interior, allowing for a range of patrons throughout the day. Overall, our objective was to create a relaxed space that was also externally inviting. Using the precedent of contemporary open plan living, we divided the restaurant into several areas promoting familiarity and comfort. Therefore, the restaurant is lit into various areas as if they were, such as the dining room, sitting room and kitchen.
Inertia Tower
We joined forces with musician Matt Johnson (The The) and visual artist and film maker Johanna St Michaels to create The Inertia Variations – a new light and sound sculpture in Gothenburg. The focus of the first stage of the installation is a nine-metre high sculpture on the roof of Gothenburg’s Röda Sten Konsthall. Inspired by the Soviet-era Sukhov radio tower in Moscow, its mesh of illuminated strands is intended to evoke propaganda tools used by both dictators and revolutionaries. A subsequent stage will see the tower move inside the gallery, when the viewer will be encouraged to step inside and become immersed in an unsettling combination of narration, soundscapes and music. The ‘transmission’ of The Inertia Variations is the first instalment of an Anglo-Swedish collaboration that will move between Sweden, the UK and the USA.
Walled Garden
A magical walled garden set within a beautiful Wiltshire country estate, the project comprises lighting for a striking ornamental pool, specimen planting, architectural trees and sculptures strategically placed around the site. From the outset the brief was to design a robust, expandable, practical and energy efficient scheme that is easy to maintain as required. This has all been achieved by using good quality external luminaires, reducing the number of lighting channels required and opting for a lighting control system with no dimming with simple on/off switching.
Sweet History of York
The visitor centre aims to illustrate the history of York, highlighting the historical importance of the city’s sweet manufacturing history with a tour and coffee shop. The lighting helps to reveal this story by using several visual sensations throughout the tour to highlight key parts of the exhibition. A playful project, the coffee shop lighting uses references such as swirling chocolate and sweets to create a comfortable environment where patrons can taste the sweet history of York.
Alpenhoff Hotel
We have recently designed the lighting scheme for the refurbishment of a 40 bedroom Swiss ski resort chalet. This project was delivered on a very quick time frame, completing in just six months after the initial concept design phase.
Bonhams
The lighting scheme at Bonhams provides the auction house with a dominant external visual presence from Knightsbridge. The design helps to draw attention inside, where an airy, museum type atmosphere has been created; varying light levels allow people of all heights to view exhibited pieces, while changes in contrast and focus invite reading at certain points within the space. The ground floor reception space has been opened up to create a feeling of spaciousness, where indirect warm white lighting enhances the traditional interior.
Double Tree Hotel
A Landmark hotel, modernised and re-launched in June 2014 by Ireland’s leading minister, the Double Tree Hilton offers luxury accommodation in the heart of Dublin’s leafy south side. Our brief was to invigorate the hotel’s new interior with a specialist lighting scheme. Working with interior designers, Cunningham McLean (in the restaurant, lobby, main circulation spaces and external landscape), Ina Rinderknecht (in the business centre and conference spaces) and Raum Concept (in the bar), we took a leading role in developing the lighting feel for each of the spaces, designing and specifying key decorative lighting features. LED lighting was used across the scheme and whilst this obviously offers great energy and maintenance benefits, this was all achieved without any compromise to the warmth and welcoming ambience of the hotel.
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