Zephyr

large-scale chandelier installation

2017

Inspired by the natural beauty of the coastline at St. Andrew’s Bay in Scotland »Zephyr« is a breathtaking 60-meter installation spanning the atrium of the 5-star Fairmont Hotel. Composed of over 20.000 steel-coated disks and installed on the ceiling with 280 cables the chandelier is the largest of its kind.

With the invitation to create a more intimate atmosphere, George Singer Chandeliers decided to transfer elements of the surrounding beauty by St. Andrew’s Bay to the atrium of the Fairmont Hotel. Hence, the chandelier installation is a reflection of the raw nature at the coast with its crashing waves, stunning cloud formations and rough cliffs. In collaboration with the team at George Singer chandeliers, the form and composition were designed by using an intelligent custom-software that was developed by onformative. By utilizing fluid dynamics, forms like ocean waves and wind were simulated and transferred to the installation. The bespoke tool enabled them to navigate through the composition and refine the disk layouts into the desired granularity.

Mounted under the majestic ceiling of the atrium, the installation reflects the sunlight falling through the glass during the day in an ever changing play of light. At night it is illuminated in stunning colours.

credits

Client: Fairmont Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland
Collaboration with: George Singer
Creative Direction: Cedric Kiefer
Development: Mick van Olst, João da Fonseca

awards

darc award, 2017
International Design & Architecture Awards, 2017