Royal Contract Lighting is pleased to be a part of RoyalSonesta Hotel Houston’s $25-million renovation, which is slated for completion
by the end of 2013. The hotel’s 485 guest rooms, 50,000 square feet of meeting
and event space, rooftop swimming pool, lobby, and food and beverage outlets
are all part of the project.
The award-winning Dallas-based design firm, Looney &Associates, was tasked to transform the building with an urban chic style
fueled by Houston's leadership position in energy, medicine and space
exploration. The resulting design scheme is a dynamic mix of Texas attitude,
international flair, and innovative technology.
The sculptural, star-like light fixtures designed by Looney
and Associates and crafted by Royal Contract Lighting, reflect the urban-chic concept
as well as a distinct shift in the style of hotel lighting toward
one-of-a-kind, show-stopping designs.
Each Sonesta fixture is composed of several overlapping curved
stainless steel “skeletons” finished in polished nickel. The frames are
outfitted with flexible arms and LED lights.
Mounted to each flexible arm is a
hand-formed, Venetian-style glass ribbon in a gold and champagne finish. Hundreds
of these S-shaped ribbons adorn each chandelier.
During installation, 4,000
glass elements were hand-mounted onto the flexible arms and individually
positioned, creating a series of light sculptures on the ceiling.
“The hotel’s interior design
will encourage our guests to look at Houston from a different point of view,”
says General Manager Monte Hansen. “Many aspects of the renovation, from the
sculptural light fixtures to the contemporary lobby and guest room art, reflect
the influence of science and technology [in Houston].”
