Lighting designer Studio N has taken into account a number of factors such as the health and safety of children while meeting the client’s desire to create an element of playfulness, when deciding on the lighting specification for Caboodle’s new flagship destination in The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The indoor play world, which opened in February, provides children with a safe play environment that is fun yet educational through various activities and creative play. The indoor space, designed by the international, multidisciplinary practice LXA, is made up of different play zones that encourage children to explore and develop, and it boasts a hair salon and cafe. 

 The client Caboodle Pamper & Play’s brief was to increase visual interest and create an element of playfulness to supplement the fun, friendly and colourful interior design.

Decorative pendant luminaires were used in the cafe area, creating a layer of accent and feature light.

Elaborating on the lighting at the centre, Alexander Holer, Director of Studio N, tells Gulf Construction: “The lighting scheme includes a combination of various round pendant luminaires in different diameters, with an opal PMMA diffuser and an excellent luminous efficacy of up to 145 lm/W, creating a playful and interesting effect, while providing the space lightness and appeal.  We used deep recessed downlights with honeycomb/anti-glare louvres for maximum visual comfort, using lenses to allow optimum beam control with minimal residual halo. Further, we introduced a mix of adjustable track-lights made of die-cast aluminium with optimised heat sink geometry, rotatable and tiltable for maximum flexibility.”

“We also implemented suspended slotted linear lights with extruded aluminium profiles for improved thermal management, with high efficiency up to 125 lm/W, using an opal cover for homogenous illumination,” he adds.

 Being a play space for children, health and safety was a top priority throughout the design process. So, while the lighting scheme is playful, it also meets the required lux levels (that is, the amount of illumination) for safe play and activities. All fittings are equipped with energy-efficient LEDs that have very good colour rendering (CRI 90), a binning initial ≤ 3 MacAdam and minimum 80 per cent of the luminous flux after 50,000 hours.

 To complete the space, smaller, diffused linear lighting elements, with high-performance silicone to avoid visible spots, were integrated into the shelving. Decorative pendant luminaires were used in the cafe area, creating a layer of accent and feature light.

Studio N is an architectural lighting design and supply consultancy that delivers creative, simple lighting solutions to the interior, architecture and landscape sectors – from bars, restaurants and hotels to private residences, offices and retail spaces.

The lighting supplier to the project was the Dubai-headquartered Acoulite.