For luxury hotels, standing out from the crowd makes the difference between a place to stay and a destination. This is why attention to detail in the specification is not just about the facilities on offer but also about the aesthetics of the environment, the ambience and the sense of quality in every detail.That is why when London’s ME for Melia Hotel required hotel light switches and plug sockets that perfectly co-ordinated with the beautifully designed interiors, they specified inconspicuous screwless flat plates from Wandsworth’s Infinity collection.
Hotel light switches to match a stunning interior
The ME for Melia Hotel, located in Covent Garden, was designed by world renowned architects, Norman Foster + Partners. The luxury five-star hotel boasts 157 individually designed rooms with floor to ceiling windows, including 16 suites, a fitness centre, meeting and conferencing facilities, two restaurants, a lounge and a rooftop bar.
The design vision of creating a hotel that exemplifies the ‘capital of cool’ is evident throughout, and the lighting installation, designed by M&E consultants BDSP and Spanish lighting specialist, Estel Engineering and Works Ltd, is no exception.
Designed to reflect the architectural style of the building and deliver the monochromatic interior design concept by playing with light and shade in different areas of the hotel, the lighting design is central to ME for Melia’s look and feel both inside and out. This attention to detail has been carried though to every aspect of the installation, including the wiring accessories.
The emphasis for the light switches at ME for Melia was on colour and shape. Wandsworth worked closely with both the design team and BDSP to deliver the requirement for plug sockets and switches that would be as inconspicuous as possible.
Co-ordinating light switches and sockets deliver the ultimate in style
All the plates used were from Wandsworth’s grid-mounted Infinity range; screwless fittings that fit flush to the wall and blend effortlessly into the background without any unsightly screws. As the walls are completely plain with such an unforgiving black and white colour scheme, the use of screwless fittings was essential to achieving the required understated look.
Superior switches combine with the efficiency of LED
In a five star hotel design by Norman Foster + Partners you would expect all elements of the specification to uphold the very highest standards of quality and aesthetics, but combining Wandsworth’s light switches with LED luminaires from Italian lighting specialist, iGuzinni in a single installation at the ME for Melia Hotel does much more than that. Here, aesthetics and design statements are balanced with energy efficiency thanks to the level of LED lighting used and the flexibility of a lighting control system that incorporates centralised BMS controls.
The ME for Melia Hotel’s splendour is evidence of an uncompromising desire for style throughout an interior, and Wandsworth were proud to deliver for such an inspiring hotel design. Furthermore, this project indicates the exceptional effort Wandsworth commit to ensuring light switches, plug sockets, or other wiring devices are perfect for the interior required.
