Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf opened in April 2019.
We created a dramatic lobby chandelier for the hotel, which consist of over 2,000 hand blown glass spheres. Each hand blown glass balls are individually programmed to change color and intensity.
The outcome of the chandelier is awe-inspiring in size and design.
Chandelier Design Layout and Concept
As part of Stanford Hotels Corporation, I was also involved in coordination and collaboration with the project team.
The hotel's emphasis is to provide a unique guest experience.
We want the guest to be greeted by a stunning, dramatic statement piece when they enter the hotel. We want to use the latest LED technology and we want to play with shape to create something that would be instagram-worthy.
It was a long 5-6 month process in the background study/ research and design development phase. We worked with architects to determine the maximum weight capacity and structure needed to support a chandelier. From there, we worked with the lighting manufacturer on the materials needed that would best fit the project.
The lobby has a pop ceiling - overall floor to ceiling height of 16'-0". We have an idea of of a suspended chandelier containing multiple spheres, each containing a LED chip so we can create a light show.
We studied varies type of spheres in varies sizes (3", 4", and 5") and materials (glass and acrylic) to see how the finishes looks under LED lights.
For the chandelier layout, I want to maximum the view point so I went with a wave pattern to create a dramatic look and it create movement feel. Each ball will be hung at a a calculated precise elevation to create a seamless wave.
We setup a prototype of a fully functioning section of the chandelier. The intent of the mock up is to convey color changing scenes and to have a trial run of all the mechanic needed for production and to review the hand-glass balls with the latest LED chip.
After reviewing the mock up, we made revisions to improve the look and functionality of the chandelier. We want no exposed hardware, anchor points hidden by magnetic covers and we made sure the assembly can easily be taken apart for future maintenance.
There was meticulous preparation in the completion of the chandelier. We spent roughly 2 years developing and coordinating with our project team, architects, engineers, sprinkler contractors and chandelier manufacturer.
We had various discussion with the team regarding safety, assembly and future maintenance.
Overall the results was well worth the wait.
Each glass crystal sphere:
• Capable of over 16.2 million colors
• Has unique "digital address" as identification
• Easy detachable for maintenance
The chandelier can be programmed to any special lighting effects for events and occasions, making this a one of a kind design and an 'instagram-worthy'.
