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Aria Retreat & Spa

Overlooking Lake Lugano and only 14 kilometres from Bellagio, the Aria Retreat & Spa represents the excellence of five-star superior hospitality as integrated into the landscape.

The new resort, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is set in a 14,000-square-metre subtropical park with five restaurants and five swimming pools, tennis courts, a fitness centre, a private beach, a 1,500-square-metre wellness centre with swimming pools, a spa, a lounge-bar area and 15 exclusive suites, each with a terrace overlooking the lake. The objective? To offer guests a unique customer experience, allowing them to lose all sense of time.

The architectural design, by the Milan-based R4M Engineering, saw lighting play a major role from the outset. Indeed, upon precise instructions from the owner, the concepts of freedom, light and air formed the basis for the development of the entire complex, which required state-of-the-art lighting to connect the various spaces whilst highlighting the resort as a new landmark on the lake.The lighting project was entrusted to Light+Arch Consultancy, with Architect and Lighting Designer Giorgio Colombo at the helm, having worked with the owner from the outset to create a charming and striking atmosphere. And the result is clearly visible today. Exclusive and elegant spaces interpret a new concept of luxury, furnished with elements of design and works of art, skilfully blended with customised lighting fixtures designed specifically for the project to welcome guests and make them feel truly pampered.

Many of the lighting solutions adopted by Lighting Designer Giorgio Colombo were sourced from Linea Light Group’s professional, decorative and Stilnovo catalogues. Starting with the external façade, Xenia Blade with elliptical optics is the luminaire installed and operated in Dali mode, with the aim of providing a fixed layer of lighting able to become a real feature on the lake, without disturbing the guests inside the loggias and suites. Xenia RGB, Beret and Rubber 3D Pixel were then chosen for the lighting design of the connecting tunnel leading from the hotel to the park. A true opus characterised by light. This 50-metre tunnel is entirely underground – running within the mountain itself – designed as a unique experiential environment that, from the moment of entry, leads guests to lose all sense of space and time. This element is completely bathed in light, where the illumination creates sensations, emotions and perceptions through a painstaking study of its movement within and through the saturation of colour. On the ground, the Beret 2700K step markers in the micro version create the feeling of a forest with fireflies accompanying each step of the way. To further distinguish the environment are two levels of lighting: the first on the upper level with asymmetrical optics that work via reflection and on the lower level along the ground, around the perimeter to visually expand the tunnel to further emphasise the way. All lighting is controlled via the DMX 512 system programmed with several fluid scenarios to allow for truly smooth transitions. Finally, the lighting within the tunnel is activated by several sensors positioned at the entrances so that those entering are immediately immersed in the lighting scenery. In addition, on the outside of the tunnel are other Beret step markers anticipating the entrance.

Moving on to the resort’s interior, the idea behind the overall design was to create warm, welcoming and very luxurious spaces. Hence why both pendant and recessed Tour Cells, operated with a Dali system, were chosen. The suspension lights, in particular, can be found in various installations throughout the living areas of the suites (a very evocative cascade was used in the penthouse), bearing a gold finish and customised colour temperature of 2700K. The recessed version, rather, was preferred in areas with low ceilings where, thanks to the dark light optics, it created an ornamented ceiling whilst enhancing the furnishings below.

Also in the suites, pairs of Vos recessed spotlights with a black finish, 3000K colour temperature and CRI 92 were installed to provide more neutral lighting in order to further emphasise the decorative (warmer) aspect. In addition, Vos downlights combine high visual comfort with high performance, all with a truly discreet aesthetic impact. To finish are La Mariée suspension lamps by Stilnovo in the three versions of gold, copper and smoky grey adorning a selection of living areas.

To illuminate the internal staircases connecting the suites to the common areas of the resort, Box_W2 Gold double emission lamps with a gold finish and a colour temperature of 2700 K were chosen, being in line with the entire project. Then, along the corridors and passageways, are the Warp downlights and Rubber 3D Pixel LED strips.

A great deal of attention was also paid to the outdoor lighting project, which saw the use of various luminaires, including the Blum bollard, installed on the outer rim of the pool to create a naturalistic feature that could be perceived poolside.

The aim was to have a point of light perfectly integrated into the greenery, just like a flower. In the outdoor gardens of the ground-floor suites, the recessed Orma was utilised to illuminate the plants and shrubbery, with the Lino stake then adding a touch of elegance to these very minimalist green spaces. Finally, Pistillo bollards were used as step markers.

Credits:

Architectural design: R4M Engineering

Lighting design: Architect Giorgio Colombo, Light+Arch Consultancy

Construction: Quadrio Gaetano Costruzioni S.p.a.

Contract & Custom Lighting: Bespoke Lighting Solutions

Products: Xenia Blade, Xenia RGB, Berett, Tour Cell Gold, Warp, Box_w2 Gold, Quantum, Giotto, Anton, Blum, Loro, Joe, Vos nero, Rubber 3D Pixel, Orma, Lino, Pistillo, TU_V, La Mariée

Photo: Andrea Martiradonna

Year: 2021

Aria Retreat & Spa

Details

  • 22018 Cima, Province of Como, Italy
  • Linea Light Group