Raaya by Atmosphere is a private island retreat in The Maldives, where the design aesthetic is shaped by its paradise location. The resort is defined by expansive spaces that preserve the views out across the island, while an earthy material palette blurs the lines between the interiors and the landscape. Nulty’s lighting scheme response is equally considered and light was embedded into the architecture to preserve the aesthetic. The lighting design also plays a key role in bringing warmth, cohesiveness and permeability to the resort.
The symbiotic relationship between light and architecture is seen in the main lobby, where lines of light highlight a dramatic architectural ceiling. This subtle effect has maximum impact, producing a run of warmth along the wood that draws the eye to the depth of the grain. As the ceiling dominates the space, the rest of the lighting design is purposefully decorative or directional – an illuminated bird provides a whimsical reference to the island and an illuminated step becomes an ethereal wayfinding cue.
An open kitchen takes centre stage in the Raaya Life Food Gallery and is framed by an elegant, slatted wood ceiling. Linear profiles were recessed in the cane surfaces surrounding the kitchen to filter light through the material and enhance its textured surface. Integrated joinery lighting highlights the chef stations and is supplemented by a layer of light around the periphery, formed by projectors hidden in the slats of the ceiling. The full composition of light comes alive after dark, when rustic pendants and table lamps bring a human-scale dimension to the lighting.
The lighting design is disciplined in the Ampersand Sunset Bar to prioritise the sight lines onto the beach. Minimalist spotlights direct ambient light onto the tables and lines of light run along the joinery and bar counter to form an atmospheric glow. On the opposite side of the bar, where black architectural pillars demarcate the exterior and interior seating areas, miniaturised light sources concealed in the niches at the top and bottom of each pillar, provide ambient light for the sundowner moment.
