Coolings Wine Bar

Project: Coolings Wine Bar, Gandy Street, Exeter 01392 434184

South Devon Inns refurbish their popular basement bar at Coolings recently and turned to Amos Lighting to solve a particularly unique lighting difficulty.

A brief was taken from the client and it was immediately obvious that the main problem to overcome was that posed by the very low barrelled ceilings. The finished effect included using a large number of LED and fibre optic lamp sources located behind bench seating. Not only did this allow coloured light to be washed across the ceiling, but it also satisfied all health and safety regulations. To provide low level path lighting, some low wattage louvred steplights were installed beneath the bench seating.

Client brief:
Situated in the basement of the building, the original brick archways are exposed and the ceilings are very low. With no natural light, the client wanted a venue that would feel light and airy in the daytime – to suit the lunchtime crowd from nearby offices – as well as a dark and atmospheric feel in the evenings to suit Cooling’s pre-nightclub customers.

Design difficulties:
The solid brick surfaces on both wall and ceiling means that there is nowhere to recess lighting. The brick also absorbs the light and makes the bar appear even more oppressive than its low ceilings and the omission of natural light already make it feel.

Design solutions:
David Amos of Amos Lighting created false voids within the walls and ceilings to recess the lighting behind. A direct light would have been too harsh for the night-time atmosphere. Many of these voids were made from reflective materials such as stainless steel to further enhance the lighting. A number of LED lamp sources were positioned around the room with solid coloured bulbs, while an array of brighter lighting was positioned along the ceiling to create a light and airy daytime space.

To create interest and ambience in the evening, mini sparkle halogen lights were also set into the ceiling to give a starlit night effect. Fibre-optics on a colour wheel further enhanced the interesting contours of the space and made the most of the venue’s designer décor.

All of this was achieved on an incredibly tight budget of under £2000.

“This was a very challenging project, especially considering Cooling’s dual roles as a day and night venue. The lack of natural light and dungeon-like qualities of the space were especially tricky to overcome but the owners are delighted and it really does feel like two entirely different bars dependant on what time of the day you visit,” explains David Amos.