Project Profile: Park Hyatt Hotel
An interview
An interview with Stephen Kaye, Vice President at Mulvey and Banani Lighting, and Sarah Gardiner from Zaneen.
After four-years, the reimagined Park Hyatt Toronto welcomed guests back to the city’s upscale Yorkville neighborhood. The hotel which first opened more than 80 years ago, closed its doors in December of 2017 for an extensive renovation. The overhaul included 219 rooms, a redesigned dining and ballroom experience, the reconstructed link between the North and South towers and more. Zaneen was specified by Mulvey and Banani Lighting to help illuminate Park Hyatt’s stunning architecture and storied history. Our team delivered various lighting installations contributing to the modernization of the property while maintaining its 1930’s, Art-deco charm. Today, the hotel continues to be a vibrant destination for tourists, as well as a landmark of Canada’s rich heritage.
Keep reading to learn more about the Park Hyatt project!
Sarah Gardiner: What was the project timeline and was there an important/unique significance to the space?
Stephen Kaye: Back in 2017, the Park Hyatt closed the hotel to do an extensive renovation creating new space programming and creative lighting design solutions to address the new operations and amenities for the Hotel. The project was completed and opened back up to the public September 2021.
SG: How did the project develop in terms of design from the initial concept?
SK: Collaborating closley with the architect and interior design team, the new hotel spaces and materials being proposed were reviewed to make sure that we met the color temperature and performance criteria to illuminate these surfaces and highlight key moments.
Copyright Tom Arban
SG: Why did you specify Zaneen?
SK: Over the last decade, Zaneen has been updating and making their products meet specific performance standards and putting a support team together to assist with any on-site and installation questions that come up on projects. This makes it easy and reliable to specify.
SG: What lighting challenges did you run into from the time of specification to installation?
SK: The pandemic really made this challenging causing delays for the projects to finish and getting people on site to review work that had been completed to make sure this met the design standard we were trying to achieve. Also, integrating lighting into the architectural features always possess challenges for getting the right effect and making sure components are maintainable and accessible.
SG: How did Zaneen contribute in solving these challenges?
SK: Zaneen’s support team made sure that they communicated orders and deliveries allowing the design team to be aware of product install timing. Other than that, there were no issues on this project with Zaneen’s products.
Copyright Tom Arban
SG: How was Zaneen’s contribution helpful for the project compared to the alternative options in the industry?
SK: Having quality product is one thing, but to have an internal team that supports the lighting industry makes a difference. Relationships are still incredibly important not only to get the latest information on products but to make sure that problems get solved when they come up.
SG: What is your favorite part about this project?
SK: The 17th floor Writers Room Bar. The view of the city is unobstructed and the lighting design was created to be low to not obstruct views out and achieve the old ‘smokes’ lounge feel with a revived design. This is definitely a hidden spot in the city.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTS
Dixit is a family of recessed specification-grade downlights, equipped with varying lumen packages, sizes, optics and IP ratings. With this wide range of technical options available, these downlights are a single resource for all ceiling heights and applications. Dixit has a solution for all sectors including residential, retail, hospitality, commercial and public spaces. Custom lumen packages, optics and accessories are possible to ensure that the Dixit is the perfect solution for your project. Pick and choose from the multiple subseries within the collection for perfect illumination. Learn more about the comprehensive options available with Dixit by visiting the series page.
Get inspired by Dixit.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Project year: 2020
Products included: RA8 Dixit with custom beam angle of 45°
Specifier(s): Stephen Kaye, Mulvey and Banani Lighting
Photographer: Tom Arban
Thank you for reading about the Park Hyatt project! If you have any thoughts, questions or suggestions regarding this article we would love to hear from you!
Our direct contact is zteam@zaneen.com
Cheers!
Z-Team
