Prize(s) Winners in Bar and Restaurant Lighting Design / Hospitality Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company Dot Dash
Lead Designers Brian Cheap
Other Designer's names Chen Chen
Architecture Company ORA
Client Hai Hospitality
Photo Credits Eric Staudenmaier
Completion Date January 2024
Project Location West Hollywood, CA
Entry DescriptionUchi West Hollywood explores the intersection of Los Angeles and Japanese design sensibilities to create a multi-sensory dining experience. The lighting design was inspired by elements of a Japanese dry garden where daylight plays across patterns of raked gravel creating highlights and shadows, accentuating the pattern and curves. A wood spine, composed of large live-edge wood slabs sourced from reclaimed LA street trees, organizes the restaurant into distinct dining zones. Individual point sources with an adjustable beam are concealed between each wood slab, grazing them to highlight the texture and material. Lighting is integral at the Spine to create visual hierarchy and weave spaces together, creating a sense of movement and depth in the architecture. Inspired by a Zen garden, the terraced vertical wood Planes run along the Spine and unfold throughout the space. Continuous cove lighting illuminates only the inside face of the Plane to highlight the timber’s natural character and create a juxtaposition of light and shadow. Simple alabaster lanterns situated in the plantings subtly highlight the greenery and wood screen without gratuitous ornamentation. An illuminated glass chandelier near the entry was designed as an abstract ikebana evoking cherry blossoms on a branch. Each petal is uniquely handblown creating a magical element celebrating the ancient ideal of wabi-sabi.
Sustainability ApproachThe sustainability approach to this project includes using daylight sensors to auto-dim the fixtures along with using highly efficient luminaires. In the evening, the fixtures will dim down to preserve energy with the added bonus of low level ambient light for the restaurant.
