QELA Boutique, Doha

The lighting design at QELA, the first in a series of fashion boutiques planned by the Qatar Luxury Group, has been shortlisted for a 2014 Lighting Design Award.

The luxury fashion store is located on the Pearl, Qatar’s man-made luxury island, and offers finely crafted leather goods, shoes, jewellery and made-to-measure women’s couture. It is the launch pad for Qatar’s first homegrown global brand, which is characterised by classic lines and understated Arab influences.

The all-LED lighting by UK-based dpa Lighting Consultants uses state-of-the-art fixtures, that staff operate from the shop floor using a simple handheld remote control and a special iPad app created by Remote Controlled Lighting (RCL), called iDirect.

Combination of boutique and gallery

The QELA boutiques have been designed to reflect the open-mindedness of the brand, blending with the local culture in each country. The QELA space in Doha opened in September 2013 and is designed to offer a tranquil and relaxing cultural experience, both homely and intimate where guests can feel relaxed.

The boutique-cum-gallery is split across two levels connected by a sleek, freestanding staircase and topped by a domed ceiling whose design reflects the architecture of the region. With such high importance placed on the overall look and feel of the space, it was essential to have a lighting scheme that blended seamlessly into the architecture of the building and enabled staff to present luxury items in their ‘best light.’

LED sources light art and luxury goods from height

‘The boutique is on two floors each with ceilings at 3.8m but there is also a central atrium that is lit from the first floor ceiling, requiring a throw of nine or 10m into the centre floor area,’ said dpa’s Gary Campbell. ‘There are very few LED sources that can practically illuminate products from that height without looking ugly. But it also had to work from a lighting effect point view and the RCL fittings delivered what we need in terms of power intensity and the availability of narrow beams.’

The all-LED lighting by RCL includes 187 Director DR7 and 146 Director DR8 remote-controlled spotlights. Trimless Director DR7s provide much of the store’s general lighting; these are fully recessed fittings with a clever design that means no physical components protrude below the ceiling line. Elsewhere, the recently re-engineered and upgraded Director DR8 is used to spotlight many of the pieces on display. Luminaires are focused and adjusted using handheld remote controllers or RCL’s award-winning lighting control system, iDirect, which gives the store free rein for creative lighting effects, and in highlighting not only the designer clothes and luxury goods but also the works of art that adorn the boutique’s walls.

Brief was for state-of-the-art lighting

‘The client brief included a number of criteria including state-of-the art light equipment in terms of sources, flexibility attachments and lenses, control, flexibility, and energy efficiency,’ said Campbell. ‘QELA is part art gallery and part high-end fashion boutique. The gallery displays change every few weeks with new exhibitions and the merchandise displays also change from time to time. Therefore a lighting design was required that provided full flexibility and ease of use by the store manager, brand visual merchandising team and gallery curator.’

RCL’s patented ‘Select & Direct’ system allows the spotlights to be accurately controlled in both pan and tilt, enabling staff to accentuate items around the store. If merchandise is repositioned, the innovative system allows the lighting to be adjusted quickly and easily from floor level, ensuring objects are always presented at their best. iDirect provides similar functionality, with movement controlled with simple, intuitive gestures using the system’s innovative Gesture Pad. The iPad-based app also allows the lighting designers or end-user to set up or recall scenes easily.

Remote control keeps look fresh

‘QELA is a new brand at the top end of the market in competition with global luxury brands. Every part of the store had to be designed to the ultimate level. Having the remote control facility was “luxurious” but also practical, allowing the staff to maintain the appearance of the store and keep it looking fabulous,’ Campbell added. ‘LED was agreed by the team as the best light source. We were able to get the colour rendering and appearance that the client was happy with and the remote control facility meant that that they could change it from the ground without going up and down ladders. The user-friendly interface was a very important element to the client.’

QELA plans Paris boutique, also with RCL luminaires

Oliver John Palmer, chief executive of strategic design consultancy UXUS, said: ‘QELA was our first project in the Gulf region, which we consider to be one of the most dynamic hubs for retail design. The project was also unique in terms of starting our work at the very inception of the brand, allowing us to design the retail experience in close parallel with the creation of the first collections – which is extremely rare in the world of couture and luxury. This presented a chance to design a completely bespoke customer experience with a one-of-a-kind service model.’

With the successful launch of QELA in Doha, the Qatar Luxury Group now plans to expand the brand into Europe and has already announced Paris as the location of its second store. Set to open soon, the boutique is sure to impress and will feature additional remote controlled lighting supplied by RCL. 

RCL’s iDirect: proven award-winning technology

The annual Lighting Design Awards take place at the London Hilton, on March 24, 2014. The QELA lighting scheme will compete with projects in locations such as Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Seoul. In 2013, RCL won an award at the event with iDirect, which topped the Lighting Controls category. Judges described iDirect as a ‘great innovation that brings together knowledge and understanding, technology and creativity to solve a practical requirement.’

‘Remote Controlled Lighting is essential in areas where you need to set up or reposition the lighting while avoiding the risks and complications of bringing in ladders,’ said RCL sales director Spencer Baxter. ‘Applications range from hotel ballrooms to art fairs where staff need to alter the lighting without disturbing guests or working at height near precious objects. Pre-programming some lighting scenes is especially helpful in that respect.’

QELA is a completely new brand and concept which combines high end couture fashion with a flexible art gallery space. This isthe brand’s first flagship store. Architecturally the project is across two floors with a central atrium space and large domed ceiling. The overall FOH area is approx. 750sqm. There are a number of distinct spaces within the project: Ground floor art gallery space and merchandise display, first floor merchandise display including high end jewellery, VIP Salon, and fitting rooms. There are entrances on both floors. All finishes are extremely high quality and the colour palate is fairly contemporary.

For the FOH areas the brief was to design a lighting solution which provided a luxurious layered lighting appearance to accentuate finishes, architectural interiors and features, and displays. Merchandise was to stand out from the ambient effect with highly controlled accent lighting. This was all to be achieved with as up-to-date lighting technology as possible. The client is very forward thinking and was looking for innovation in all aspects of the design. Due to the nature of the project all lighting has to be very flexible, controllable, and high colour rendering. Luminaires were to be integrated where possible.

The important points to note for the lighting design are :

•All front of house lighting except the jewellery cases and decorative fittings are LED based and dimmable. This provides significant energy saving qualities to the scheme. BOH lighting is typically fluorescent based except at the thresholds.

•All ceiling luminaries for art and merchandise display are remote control from RCL, either track mounted or ceiling recessed.This gives the client operating team ease of adjustment for the changing displays and installations. For the ground floor art display these are controlled from the RCL ‘iDirect’ system via iPad. This applies to direction (pan and tilt) and light level to suit the art. Some scenes are also set.

•All other general, architectural, and retail display lighting is controlled through a Lutronscene set system with directional adjustment with iDirect. A number of scenes are programmed as required.

•Both the RCL iDirectcontrol system and the Lutronsystem are designed to communicate with each other for further flexibility.

RCL light sources are high power CREE modules to cater for the high ceilings. Various beam angles are utilised. Other LED light sources included the GE Punch modules for the same reasons. Elsewhere Xicato Artist modules are used for normal ceiling heights. General architectural lighting includes perimeter integrated covelighting to wash feature wall panels and curtains, and concealed uplighting to the feature dome ceiling in the atrium. For the jewellery display custom designed podiums and wall cases were developed. The glass podiums contained a very slim profileat the top, housing fibre-optic end fittings with 90 degree mirrors. For the wall units again top lighting and low level uplighting is provided by fibre-optics with linear LED towash the back panel. Light sources are 250 watts metal halide with white colour tuning and dimmer wheels. Typical illuminance values at the base surface are 12000 lux horizontal and 3500 lux vertical. Over the jewellery consultation desk is a separately controlled cool white spotlight to view silver and diamonds etc. Normally the general lighting is warm white.

The VIP salon is intended to have the ambience and intimacy of firelight . The ambient effect is low but the garments are stillwell lit with high colour rendering white light from the ceiling. In the fitting rooms, over the mirror and podium, is a backlit ceiling feature with dimmable and tunable white light. This allows the customer to view themselves in either simulated daylight ( cool ) or for an evening function or at home ( warm ). Additional narrow beam pinhole accent lights pick out fabric textures, and integrated mirror lighting provides a soft full height lighting to the front of the customer. This is supplemented with perimeter cove lighting to wash curtains and feature wall panels, and decorative feature lighting.

“Luxury, Culture and Design”

Qatar Luxury Group awarded UXUS the mission to develop a groundbreaking retail experience for its global luxury brand, Qela. The Qela luxury collection will include leather goods, fine jewelry and women’s fashion, designed and crafted in Qatar to the highest standards. The new store strikes a delicate balance between the brand’s cultural heritage and its progressive spirit, immersing customers into the world of art, culture and design. Following this concept, the boutique’s design blends the atmosphere of an intimate salon with the dynamism of a world-class art space: inviting clients to explore a continuously changing gallery of crafted luxury products and fine art.

Aesthetically, the Qela experience has its roots in travel and embodies its native country’s aesthetics of quiet, pure and natural landscapes. Undulating forms and flowing curves echo majestic Qatari vistas, punctuated with rich, luxurious materials and a palette of elegant desert tones to highlight the Qela collection. The unique use of textures and branded design elements conveys an atmosphere of understated elegance and comfort that is iconic to Qela. Bronze, solid walnut, travertine and distinctive nero d’avola stone slabs are softened by bespoke hand-knotted silk rugs and swathes of satin and linen curtains. Both traditional hand-carving and the use of state-ofthe- art manufacturing techniques on a vast scale add a subtle level of intricacy to the site’s generous volumes.

Celebrating the brand’s Arabic roots, the store features a signature Qela moucharabieh pattern created from distinct elements of the Qela logo. The pattern forms the façade and, through freestanding moucharabieh bronze screens inspired by abstract dhow sails, defines intimately curated spaces within the store. Breaking with traditional retail norms, product displays are focused on solid wood and stone plinths to create a more personal customer experience, and to help reserve walls for the hanging or projection of works of art. As customers move deeper into the store, the journey becomes more refined and personalized. Upstairs, haute-joaillerie is displayed in precision-engineered freestanding cylindrical vitrines that allow a full 360-degree view of the collection’s unique jewelry pieces. Above, the “celestial vault” of a wood cupola is also intricately carved with the moucharabieh pattern and its eight-pointed stars, providing a rich, almost infinite backdrop to the gallery space.

Around the upper floor, individualized services and made-to-measure couture collections immerse clients in a tailored shopping experience. At the heart of this personal experience, the cashmere-tented Private Salon draws inspiration from the hospitality symbolized by desert hearths and invites customers to enjoy a moment of calm. Arriving at the store, an imposing video display announces art shows within, replacing traditional window displays and setting the scene for a new paradigm in luxury retail. Throughout the store, cutting-edge low-energy lighting can be remotely positioned and dimmed to bring-out the inherent qualities in works of art and products alike. At the intersection of culture, fashion and design, Qela represents the 21st century definition of luxury as the ultimate blend of art, savoir-faire and innovation. The new retail experience embodies these brand qualities, taking customers on an aspirational journey that sets a new benchmark for the world of luxury.