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celebratedliving.com
FALL 2012
dozensofhisrestaurantandnightclubprojects, in-
cluding thenewWParis-OpéraLounge, theWHotel’s
firstproject inFrance.RockwellGroupEurope,which
isbased inMadrid, led thedesignefforts for the
lounge.DiegoGronda, creativedirector forRGe, de-
scribes thevibrancyof thespace,whichhasbeencre-
atedbyanoversizedundulatingwallof light−“The
Spark,”as thedesignercalls it—weaving throughout
the lounge, illuminatingeveryroomwith“apattern
ofdots thatglowwithabstractpulsingcloudsof light.”
Soundsabitspacey, but theeffect issosubduedyou
hardlynoticeyourself seeminglyfloatingonair.On
theotherhand, atOZONE, designerMasamichiKata-
yamaofWonderwall’snewbar/loungeon the topfloor
ofTheRitz-Carlton inHongKong (considered the
highestbar in theworld), you literallyare towering
over thebright lightsof thebigcity.However,what
Katayamacallshis“edenicexperiment,” includinga
roomcovered inblack-facetedmarblefloors, cascad-
ingcrystal-dripchandeliers, andethereal-blue light-
ing, seems tosuggestadeep-seaadventurewithout
ever taking theplunge.
GeorgeYabuandGlennPushelbergofNewYork-
basedYabuPushelbergwent farabove theoceans
and focusedonstargazingwith theirreincarnationof
Chicago’s infamousPumpRoom insidehotelier Ian
Schrager’snewPublichotel.To take the iconic1938
clubroom—a favoriteamong theHollywoodset in
the1930sand1940s—safely into the21stcentury, the
designershiredMilan-basedDimoreStudio tocreate
500glowingcast-resinorbs lit fromwithin tocastan
intergalacticglowover theentireroom.Theeffect is
otherworldlywithoutever leaving theground.
“Agoodgimmickwill get people todine there
once, but it’snot going tobring themback,” says
SiobhanBarry, apartnerat iCravewhose inventive
Koi seafood restaurant hasbeenaBryantPark
staple inNewYork since 2005.AtKoi amassive
glass-fiber-reinforcedgypsumfishnet bouncingoff
the ceiling “isdesigned to catchdiners throughout
the roomyet createa certain intimacyat every
table,” saysBarry.
Bad-boydesignerPhilippeStarke’s influential
BlueDoorFish restaurant hasbeen renamed (to
Bianca) and transformed…well, sort of… in the
handsof designerSamRobin,whoopenedup the
spacewhile retaining the room’s iconicbillowy
whitedraperies.Afterall, thewind-swept curtain
effect has longbeena featureof theDelano
Dining under the giant fishnet at Koi
