Munich, December 2021
The branch located in the prime city centre of Stuttgart delights with South Pacific charm. The hip new restaurant Malo invites its guests to enjoy an excursion into the jungle – a lush plant world commingled with high-quality design that vibrantly emerges through a harmonious lighting concept from Occhio.
As members of the well-known fixtures family, Matthias and Lorenz Grohe saw design as a top priority for their project. The newly constructed building housing their project boasted several hundred square metres of space which offered ample expanse for inventive ideas to unfold, including dividing the interior into attractive zones sharing a common theme: an irresistible botanical flair.
The Stuttgart-based architectural firm Lee + Mir, a creative studio that had previously focused primarily on design work for luxury private villas, was commissioned to carry out the concept. “We took on the project with the aim of transforming a large, empty hall into islands of well-being that would exude a feeling of comfort,” says architect Marc Mir, who led the project. “We wanted guests to feel cosy and safe – never lost – and Occhio’s lighting solutions for each area played a key role in achieving this. Intriguing interior designs give people an opportunity to constantly discover something new because they can’t take in everything at once. They’re always uncovering new aspects and angles as they move through the space.”
Everything in the restaurant is exceptional: from the plants to the real wood flooring and stone trim to the velvet and leather of the furnishings. Occhio’s role in the project: use light to create the crowning touches for the jungle landscape to reach its full botanical brilliance. Copious Occhio lui pico spotlights were located according to the table positions, thereby highlighting the seating groups and establishing zones within the room. The ceiling spotlight can be both dimmed and pivoted as well as precisely adjusted to a change in table position, since it comes equipped with the appropriate zoom lens.
Occhio has illuminated the ceilings and walls with spotlights from the io verticale series, fashioning imaginary niches that also add more warmth to the room. The upward and downward lighting creates an unobtrusive patterning of the vertical surfaces that don’t feature plants. For another area, the lighting design turned to the slim Mito alto side to establish gentle transitions between the entrance area and the restaurant and provide uniform illumination for the planted walls and a certain contour to zones that would otherwise blend into one another. Mito raggio in the high-quality phantom finish was positioned in the reception area, immediately giving visitors an idea of the exclusive concept.
Intimate relaxation in the lounge: The sensual Mito sospeso plays an important part in producing the laissez-faire ambiance of the lounge, simultaneously illuminating the tables and the premium glass panels adorned with photo prints above. Here, the planting is a little more restrained, making the carefully orchestrated play of light, also with io verticale on the wall, all the more effective.
The lighting concept was well planned down to the last detail. Even those corners not intended for the broader public benefit from the brilliance and exclusive quality of the Occhio luminaires. In particular, the integrated Instagram nook complete with a swing chair basks in the light of lui pico, while in the restrooms the exclusive Mito sfera with integrated mirror gives visitors a chance for a final look before taking the perfect photo. As plants are watered automatically, the window niches feature the Occhio floor luminaire Sito basso, a waterproof model for outdoor use that provides the ideal shine for a perfect setting.
The matt black finish was chosen for all of the Occhio luminaires. The finish perfectly complements the green of the plants while their neutral appearance lets the luminaires blend smoothly into the overall picture without calling attention to themselves. With this project, Occhio once again demonstrates the versatility and adaptability of its sophisticated portfolio that illuminates hospitality projects with as much sophistication as the most exclusive living spaces.
