The Royal Penthouse Suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel located in the heart of Geneva is the epitome of luxury living. J Lee Rofkind turned to Light Directions to help bring to life the vision she had for the project.

Entrusted with the design of the Royal Penthouse Suite for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, world-renowned interior designer J Lee Rofkind turned to Light Directions to help bring to life her vision of “Luxurious Modern European Living.”

Located on the 7th floor and accessible by a private lift, the Royal Penthouse accommodates up to six guests and features three elegant bedrooms, modern bathrooms, a large entertainment area and a kitchen. It also boasts a generous roof terrace overlooking the scenic snow-capped mountains, Rhône River, and the charming Old Town.

J Lee’s brief to Light Directions was straightforward says Gerard, the Principal Designer and Partner. “Keep it fresh, keep it simple and make it timeless.” With this in mind, Light Directions set about their task.

Light Directions first had to establish the standards and guidelines to follow. After a few discussions with J Lee and Jean-Pierre Gameiro (Project Leader for the Mandarin Oriental, Geneva), it was decided that the team would follow Mandarin Oriental’s guidelines on light levels and adopt Swiss Minergie’s standard of energy requirements.

There were several focal points to consider in the living area from a lighting perspective. The dining table was adorned with a contemporary chandelier, while the living area and fireplace were strategically lit with table lamps and free-standing lamps to create a cozy ambience. In addition to the decorative elements, architectural lighting was thoughtfully executed with low-glare down-lights from the iGuzzini Laser range and linear lighting by LED Linear for the coves and curtain pelmets. The use of delineation and highlight in the lighting design was distinct. Adjustable recessed down-lights with a Swiss-produced Zanetti control system were used to draw attention to the decorative artwork, screens, and horizontal surfaces. The control system features six different lighting modes which include “hero scenes” that comprise features that can be set in relative to the time of day and/or function.

The entertainment area has a unique semi-circular vista that faces out to the terrace and its grandeur can be witnessed at night when the curtain pelmet lighting dims to a low-romantic level akin to candlelight. Low-glare down-lights reduce visible reflection in the windows, thus, allowing guests to have clear unrestricted views when looking out.

Guests may enjoy a scrumptious meal with an awe-inspiring view at the rooftop terrace where LED decorative lanterns and genuine tea-lights on the tables help enhance the atmosphere. Exterior power sockets are strategically placed around the terrace perimeter to facilitate additional lighting for large outdoor functions.

Each bedroom comes with a private balcony for guests to indulge in the morning sunlight. The glass doors let in an abundance of light thus, it was best to keep the lighting simple and clean using only cove lighting and down-lighting to craft the ambience.

The bathroom lighting follows the same principles of delineation and highlight but with an additional integrated mirror vanity lighting. This method of integration was chosen over having a separate wall sconce to maintain the architectural purity of the mirror panel. The master bathroom is further embellished with a contemporary chandelier and decorative wall sconces to provide additional vertical illumination.

Photo Credits: Mandarin Oriental Geneva

Project: Mandarin Oriental – Royal Penthouse
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Design Studio: HBA
Website: hba.com

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