Lighting can make or break a venue with patrons crowding towards them or indeed running from the changing fashions of too-intimate examples, strobing fantasias, coloured washes and the once ubiquitous fluorescent tubes of social clubs.

These days are well behind us with lighting now an integrated and considered element of design that is realised from conception to transform a space, welcome guests, entertain, and of course illuminate. Whether it be a style of lighting that sets a visual key, such as a Scandinavian icon, an opulent chandelier, sculptural form or design element that highlights key architectural or textural nuance, lighting has transitioned into a new era of hospitality with grace. 

Some of the very best are on show in this year’s extensive INDE.Awards shortlists, and we dive deeper into some examples here.

1. B3, China, by RooMoo Design Studio

Amplifying and expressing the magnificent sweeping curve of the B3 bistro, RooMoo Design Studio has set narrow channels of lighting within the shadow line of the primary indoor wall. Set within a shopping mall in Shenzhen, China, the small site needed a clever design solution to allow for a visual identity that would work throughout the phases of the day’s different seating arrangements.

2. Luma Restaurant and Bar, Adelaide by Hachem Architecture

Luma, related to ‘light’ in French, is the reimagined restaurant at central Adelaide’s boutique Art Nouveau hotel. Arguably the most visible part of The Playford hotel, the restaurant columns were wrapped and ribbed to complement the ceiling design while a sculptural chandelier draws on the ornamental motifs in The Playford’s logo to counterpoint to the rigid formation of the ceiling fenestration.

3. Laizhou Bar, China, by RooMoo Design Studio

The double-ring structure on the top of the indoor tasting and bar areas forms an infinite visual impression, echoing the distillery’s green and environmentally friendly whisky production methods. The dome structure formed by discarded wooden barrel pieces on the top surface highlights the particular function as the centre of the space. In addition, the lighting design (by WOY Lighting Design) of the marquee strengthens the unique flow of natural time extension at night.

4. InterContinental Hotel, Sydney, by Woods Bagot

The heart of the hotel, the Cortile, bathed in natural sunlight, is immersed in greenery referencing both the original outdoor space and its proximity to Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Here a contemporary bar is situated with furniture nestled amongst the botanics and historic arches, forming a welcome retreat to both locals and international guests to enjoy. Purposefully lit to create a sculptural presence within the Cortile, the bar coffer sits purposefully over the more subtle washed facing marble.

5. Taoxichuan Hotel, China by AIM Architecture with David Chipperfield Architects

Set in phase 2 of Taoxichuan, the art and tourism development in the heart of Jingdezhen, this project celebrates all things ceramic in a one-of-a-kind hotel. Like the long and fascinating life of porcelain, the project is conceptually framed as a journey toward the unknown, the unexpected, an urge to find the truth, and all the encounters in between. As such, lighting plays a vital role in expressing materiality, translucence, rhythm and textural nuance. Read the full story here.

We think you might also like this story about the shortlist of The Social Space category in the 2023 INDE.Awards.