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.’