Get into the mood

As the sun goes down and the nighthawks flood out en-masse for staple Friday night cocktails, London’s Prima is rapidly transformed from formal restaurant into chic city bar. But with so many achingly trendy watering holes vying for attention these days, merely dimming the lights doesn’t quite cut it.

Into Lighting took on the challenge to dramatically change the ambience in the space from day to night. The day-time scene needed to be clean and fresh to accommodate lunch-time dining, whereas the night-time experience had to feel more club-like and intimate. With the latest in mood lighting, Into has achieved a series of fabulous effects that really make Prima stand out from the crowd.

In the main restaurant space, electrical contractor FM Electrical fitted a number of ceiling coffers, housing two different colours of cold cathode – an old gold and a luxurious deep red. During the day, the gold prevails, but through the course of the evening, the deep red slowly takes over to create a relaxing sunset effect.

The main perimeter of the space is illuminated using RGB LED downlights, which change from a light blue in the day, to a darker blue in the mid evening and then to a luxurious deep purple late at night.

The lighting is controlled via a Mode Evolution architectural dimming system. All LEDs are managed via Digital Multiplex (DMX) with a series of remote LED drivers connected using Cat 5 RJ 45 cables.

Within the lounge area, an elegant series of shimmer curtain details are again programmed to slowly change colour through the course of the day and evening. Several different scenes were programmed so the curtains could morph slowly or more rapidly, using a variety of shades. The space is also used as a screening room, so Into had to programme a scene which ensured the lighting did not affect the screen, but still created drama within the space.

The bars have a back-lit glass detail, which again uses two different colours of cold cathode to complement the ceiling coffers. Low voltage adjustable downlights provide the general illumination in both spaces and these are also dimmed to transform the ambience at different times of day.