Location
Melbourne, Australia
Date
2016
Clients
Seventh Wave
QIC
Architects
ACME
Universal Design Studio
Softroom Architects
Buchan Group
Landscape
GROSS MAX
With full completion in 2016, the high-profile retail and leisure development of Eastland is the product of intense collaboration between London-based emergent designers and Melbourne executive teams. A visionary proposal for the 21st century, the development creates an extensive public realm and Town Square flanked by a substantial extension to the 1960s shopping centre, a new community library, and an innovative facade redressing an expansive multi-storey car park. Each of five retail districts within the remodelled mall has been carefully designed to offer visitors a unique shopping atmosphere and experiences. Fully integrated lighting highlights each of the distinct design districts with details to emphasise materials and architectural form. Through lighting, Eastland extends its placemaking and influence into the evening and early night, creating a unique destination for Ringwood, Victoria and the Greater Melbourne area.
Awards
2019 Prix Versailles – Best Shopping Mall Exterior in South Asia and the Pacific
2017 World Architecture Festival – Shortlisted
2017 Victoria Architecture Awards – Public Building of the Year – Shortlisted
2017 Lighting Design Awards – Retail Project of the Year – Shortlisted
Photography
Stephanie Rooney
Location
Phuket, Thailand
Floral designer
PHKA
Architects for Central Phuket complex
Studio DS
A49
As part of the masterplanned Central Phuket lifestyle complex, the nature-themed Central Floresta mall features dramatic planted ceilings, led by floral designer PHKA and lit by SEAM. Throughout these eye-catching installations, all natural elements are high-quality replicas, to preserve and showcase Thailand’s ecological offering for visitors.
At the entrance to the first-floor luxury brand zone, white Phalaenopsis orchids hang within a grid of bronze aluminium bars, with matching metal pendants that diffuse downwards through the translucent petals to dapple the floral pattern in silhouette across the chevron-tiled floor. On the level-two lobby above – leading to lots of trendy outlets – some white coral-like structures nestle between acrylic rods and glowing tubes, to draw visitors visually through the space.
The assorted, suspended steel and rattan boxes on level three reference Phuket’s local basket craft, hovering within a dense tropical forest that’s permeated with Pink Bougainvillea. Here, simple pendants focus attention on the flowers and foliage, announcing the seating area underneath. Nearby at the level-three lift lobby, more tropical foliage hangs between curved polycarbonate curtains, with perimeter cove lighting to create a cloud-like effect. Here, discreet downlights additionally bridge from the day-lit perimeter circulation into the artificially lit interior concourse.
In each instance, SEAM’s lighting highlights the forms and textures of these varied natural elements, inviting visitors to explore deeper into this new commercial complex.
Photography
Courtesy of PHKA
Location
Canberra, Australia
Date
2017
Clients
QIC
Seventh Wave
Architects
Universal Design Studio
Mather Architects
Team
S4B
BLOC
The design scheme includes restoring and redeveloping the historic 1963 centre, housing both Ainslie and Monaro Malls, with a new masterplan and newly designed facades, interiors and exterior spaces. The lighting was carefully designed and integrated within both new and existing architectural elements celebrating the new modernist design by Universal Design Studio.
Harking back to 1950s and ‘60s lighting influences of simple yet bold shapes, the lighting language of illumination, hidden luminaires within architectural details, and use of metal finishes threaded together three main designed environments, connecting Ainslie Mall, Monaro Mall and the flagship Beauty Precinct as a new and innovative shopping experience in the city of Canberra.
Awards
2018 AIA (Australia) Awards – The W Hayward Morris Award for Interior Architecture
2018 AIA (Australia) Awards – The Robert Foster Award for Light in Architecture
2018 AIA (Australia) Awards – The J S Murdoch Award for Heritage
2018 AIA (Australia) Awards – Commendation for Small Project Architecture
2018 AIA (Australia) Awards – Award for Commercial Architecture
Photography
Diana Snape
Tom Ross
Location
Phuket, Thailand
Floral designer
PHKA
Architects for Central Phuket complex
Studio DS
A49
As part of the masterplanned Central Phuket lifestyle complex, the nature-themed Central Floresta mall features dramatic planted ceilings, led by floral designer PHKA and lit by SEAM. Throughout these eye-catching installations, all natural elements are high-quality replicas, to preserve and showcase Thailand’s ecological offering for visitors.
At the entrance to the first-floor luxury brand zone, white Phalaenopsis orchids hang within a grid of bronze aluminium bars, with matching metal pendants that diffuse downwards through the translucent petals to dapple the floral pattern in silhouette across the chevron-tiled floor. On the level-two lobby above – leading to lots of trendy outlets – some white coral-like structures nestle between acrylic rods and glowing tubes, to draw visitors visually through the space.
The assorted, suspended steel and rattan boxes on level three reference Phuket’s local basket craft, hovering within a dense tropical forest that’s permeated with Pink Bougainvillea. Here, simple pendants focus attention on the flowers and foliage, announcing the seating area underneath. Nearby at the level-three lift lobby, more tropical foliage hangs between curved polycarbonate curtains, with perimeter cove lighting to create a cloud-like effect. Here, discreet downlights additionally bridge from the day-lit perimeter circulation into the artificially lit interior concourse.
In each instance, SEAM’s lighting highlights the forms and textures of these varied natural elements, inviting visitors to explore deeper into this new commercial complex.
Photography
Courtesy of PHKA
Location
Paris, France
Status
Design – commenced 2016
Client
Galeries Lafayette
Architects
AL_A
Patriarche
Team
Theatre Projects
SEAM is working together with AL_A and a team of design consultants on the transformation of the flagship Galeries Lafayette department store, located on the Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.
Images
AL_A
Location
Chester, UK
Status
Ongoing – commenced 2016
Client
Cheshire West & Chester Council
Architect
ACME
Landscape
Vogt Landscape Architects
Access
David Bonnett Associates
As part of Chester's £300m investment into the city centre revitalisation, SEAM is providing lighting design services for ACME's ambitious vision for a vibrant retail-led mixed-use development. Planning was awarded in September 2016. Working together with multiple architects and separate design teams, SEAM has provided lighting design services that work to create cohesiveness across the site while featuring the unique characteristics of the various architectural designs. The first phase of works comprises a new cinema and theatre district.
Images
ACME
Location
Phuket, Thailand
Floral designer
PHKA
Architects for Central Phuket complex
Studio DS
A49
As part of the masterplanned Central Phuket lifestyle complex, the nature-themed Central Floresta mall features dramatic planted ceilings, led by floral designer PHKA and lit by SEAM. Throughout these eye-catching installations, all natural elements are high-quality replicas, to preserve and showcase Thailand’s ecological offering for visitors.
At the entrance to the first-floor luxury brand zone, white Phalaenopsis orchids hang within a grid of bronze aluminium bars, with matching metal pendants that diffuse downwards through the translucent petals to dapple the floral pattern in silhouette across the chevron-tiled floor. On the level-two lobby above – leading to lots of trendy outlets – some white coral-like structures nestle between acrylic rods and glowing tubes, to draw visitors visually through the space.
The assorted, suspended steel and rattan boxes on level three reference Phuket’s local basket craft, hovering within a dense tropical forest that’s permeated with Pink Bougainvillea. Here, simple pendants focus attention on the flowers and foliage, announcing the seating area underneath. Nearby at the level-three lift lobby, more tropical foliage hangs between curved polycarbonate curtains, with perimeter cove lighting to create a cloud-like effect. Here, discreet downlights additionally bridge from the day-lit perimeter circulation into the artificially lit interior concourse.
In each instance, SEAM’s lighting highlights the forms and textures of these varied natural elements, inviting visitors to explore deeper into this new commercial complex.
Photography
Courtesy of PHKA
Location
Sydney, Australia
Status
Ongoing – commenced 2017
Client
QIC
Seventh Wave
Architects
UNStudio
Universal Design Studio
Buchan Group
Executive lighting partner
PointOfView
Just outside of Sydney, SEAM is collaborating with the award-winning architectural practices UN Studio and Universal Design Studio on a long-awaited expansion to the Castle Towers Mall. This massive urban-renewal development remodels the existing retail centre in concert with extensive new leisure and retail-led development zones to create a stunning new destination for Castle Hill.
With the aspiration of creating a unique world-class destination, the designers challenge the standard retail typology of inside malls and have created a dynamic spatial arrangement where interior and exterior environments flow seamlessly together.
The development comprises four zones that are continuously connected across multiple levels linking new and existing areas spanning a site more than half a kilometre in length. Visitors can wander distinct design districts detailed with unique architectural character. Zone 1 brings the existing mall into the 21st century with extensive refurbishment and modernisation. The bright and ambient atmosphere of Zone 2 is created around a central multi-storey atria that is filled with natural and artificial light. Central Mall provides a strategic multi-level link from Zone 2 to the streets of Zone 3 through a contemporary space reminiscent of Scandinavian modernism. With the bustle of the city as design inspiration, Zone 3 showcases shop fronts designed as facades and malls as streets; materials and detailing provide a consistent impression of being outdoors. The lighting designs adopt this expressive urban aesthetic proposing robust exposed fittings with authentic metal finishes.
The different atria are each designed with theatrical lighting infrastructures to host performances, while outdoor dining is set within extensively landscaped areas designed as night gardens. Spanning 180m from east to west, visitors move through the East Village’s vertical facades and green walls to the cascade of horizontal terraces to the north that look out towards the distant Blue Mountains.
Images
Hill News
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
Date
2014
Client
Central Pattana
Architects
Synthesis Design + Architecture
A49
Foundry of Space
Landscape
Trop Design
The Central World Expansion is a new retail centre with upscale food and beverage outlets, designed by the London- and Los Angeles-based Synthesis Design + Architecture, for Central Pattana (CPN) corporation. As a new icon for a well-established retailer in Southeast Asia, the new building is designed as a sculptural feature, giving CPN presence on the main shopping avenue along Ploenchit Road – the former Central World shopping centre was set back from the main touristic traffic.
New lighting technologies are incorporated into the architect’s perforated cladding system. For the interiors, integrated lighting features the organic surfaces of rich materials that clad and hide the bulkhead services and storefront systems that feature the individual retail tenants. The geometry of the open retail circulation is based on vortices derived from an analysis of pedestrian flow, serving to connect the main routes from street level and the BTS elevated rail to the existing Central World shopping centre. Within these vortices are areas for rest, events and performances that attract activity and increase dwell time.
Photography
Synthesis Design + Architecture
Location
Cairo, Egypt
Date
2009–ongoing
Client
Rooya Group
Architect
Zaha Hadid Architects
Landscape
GROSS MAX
Wayfinding
SpaceAgency
SEAM’s unique lighting design solutions support the signature architectural identity of this expansive masterplanned mixed-use development in Cairo. Comprising 18 corporate towers, a luxury hotel, two levels of underground car parking, and a landscaped public realm with five retail clusters, the extensive 21-hectare site is set to become a regional economic and cultural hub.
SEAM has designed the lighting for all public areas, including the feature facades and atria of all towers, plus facade lighting for the five-star hotel. The intricate centralised landscape ‘The Delta’ additionally provides the opportunity to integrate lighting into landscape design and develop intuitive wayfinding strategies with the use of lighting and bespoke signage.
The lighting strategy for Stone Towers starts at the urban scale – understanding the multiple identities of a large mixed-use development, its varying perceptions on approach, and the complex movements – and proceeds through a hierarchy of architectural spatial systems that encompass the entirety of the site. While achieving aesthetic fluidity, SEAM’s lighting carefully considers the complex dynamics of the various participants through the site, supporting these dynamic relationships functionally through light.
Images
Zaha Hadid Architects
SEAM Design
Location
Dubai, UAE
Date
2010
Client
EMAAR Group
Developer EMAAR Group invites SEAM to Dubai, to review the lighting and architectural design of the Dubai Mall, set within the Downtown Dubai development zone.
The lighting and architectural assessment takes into consideration the existing design, pedestrian flows, key views, and analysis. SEAM provided lighting design strategies and recommendations to reduce visual clutter and create a more comfortable retail environment, with proposed improvements to the installed lighting systems, lighting controls and light balance.
Location
Doha, Qatar
Status
Competition – 2012
Architect
ACME
Engineer
AKT II
As part of the expansive Lusail masterplan in Qatar, developers sought the creative vision of international design practices to create a pedestrian bridge connecting the Corniche Souq on the Qetaifan Islands. As one of the selected designers, ACME invited SEAM to join their competition team and develop a site-specific architectural lighting design that would create an iconic landmark along the waterfront.
The architecturally ingenious structure consists of two interlaced forms that merge to create a unique destination where shopping and leisure environments blend together generating a new synergy that evolves daily from early evening to late night.
The structure of the bridge is a series of concrete arches that work in conjunction with a system of intersecting concrete walls to create meandering pedestrian paths across the span of the bridge. A new modern souq shopping experience knits together spaces for pedestrian views with movement back into the waterfront context.
At the scale of the landscape, light is used as a cohesive visual element that unifies the form by articulating the repetition of arches as an expressive linear stroke. Internally, diffuse indirect lighting is used to create a lantern-like glow at night.
Images
ACME
SEAM Design
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Date
2013
Client
Majid Al Futtaim Group
Architects
ACME
Samir Khairallah & Partners
DesignInc
Landscape
Francis Landscapes
City Centre Beirut – a development by Majid Al Futtaim – is a large, USD 300m retail complex comprising over 60,000m2 of retail space to house 200 stores, located in Beirut's Hazmieh district. SEAM, as the specialist lighting designer, joined an international design team led by Samir Khairallah Partnership of Beirut, alongside London-based ACME for the feature roof-light design, with DesignInc for the food and beverage outlets. The project provides a world-class shopping and leisure experience in Lebanon.
Images
ACME
Location
Europe
Date
2012
Client
Pandora
For this international jewellery manufacturer and retailer, SEAM has provided lighting design for a typical retail store concept, with production of accompanying brand lighting design guidelines.