Shanta Lifestyle Experience Centre, Bangladesh
Shanta Lifestyle experience centre located in the iconic Shanta Forum at Tejgaon Link Road is a unique retail space in the bustling urban centrum of Dhaka. The retail experience offers a minimal, trendy, and sophisticated interior which is always transforming with time. Among the three levels, the 4th one located at the East tower of Forum displays the prestigious Italian Brands of Interior elements – Armani/Casa, Galbiati Arreda and Molteni&C. While the entire level of approx.10,000 SFT was going through a renovation it demanded a lighting experience which complements the beauty of quiet luxury. Moreover, the lighting was required to be dramatic, theatrical, flexible, and sustainable adding value to the already existing chic interior. The space is often transforming in nature as per change of the interior elements for retail necessity offering a varied palette of materials, textures, colours, shifting mood-boards. Therefore, the lighting design shadows the concept of interplay of contrast, evoking a dialogue between light and darkness.
The lighting plan follows the trail of prevailing interior layout, allowing necessary adjustments as per functionality and efficiency in architectural lighting predominantly guided by ambient luminescence, focal glow and play of brilliants. While entering the level finding any of the zones within an open layout, a visitor can sense the subtlety which triggers calm and silence as if light softly touches the elements whispering melody to the ears. The luminance at the eye level, while having a walk through is visually comforting, highlighting textures of paint or paintings on walls. The light beam softly falls on the vertical surfaces as the edges of the beam blends in gradient, avoiding hotspots; also the reflective elements have been considered not to cause accidental glare. Two major lighting parameters – beam angle and colour temperature have been scrutinized such as, mid optic (30°) for general illumination and adjustable beam angles (20° to 40°) for allowing flexibility, designed overall with warm 3000K CCT @ 90+ CRI.
Armani/Casa and Galbiati Arreda zones have been designed with different luminaires from NEKO and COLORS Lighting. Molteni&C zone was renovated with only track lights having replaceable GU10 lamps. The Armani/Casa zone has arrays of track lights with zoom able lenses for control of focus on displayed elements. The Galbiati Arreda zone being larger accommodates track lights, varied down lights, linear solutions with indirect lighting as well as sculptural neon glow tube in curvature. Several corners of this zone make visitors perceive how a narrow beam with soft glow can make an impact with the play of subtle contrast; also a few luminaires can be adequate for a big space allowing minimum or no glare. The minimal aesthetics of interior lighting in this project also raises awareness about beauty of an atmosphere where colours and textures of fabric or leather, shine of metal surfaces, transparency and translucency of glass elements all make patterns of light and shadow crafting elegance. The design supports sustainable consumption of light as per saving energy allowing sensor based lighting control synchronized with visitors’ movement.