Today, I finally found a useful application of #AI: The Computer Vision Group at @unifreiburg created an AI that automatically scrapes the dishes served at surrounding #canteens and generates an image for each dish: https://lmb.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/essen/ I promise you, though: "Verschiedenes Vegetarisches" did not look remotely as nice as the AI predicted 🙃

#imagegeneration #generativeAI #food #university #computerVision

Lighting Design International overhauls illumination of Harrods dining hall

London studio Lighting Design International contrasted soft illumination with spotlighting to create a sense of drama at the dining hall of Knightsbridge department store Harrods.

Lighting Design International created the lighting design, shortlisted in the architectural lighting design category at the Dezeen Awards 2021, as part of a refurbishment of the historic meat and fish hall.

Above: the Pasta Bar and the Fish Bar have decorative soffits. Top: specially made lamps were used for the Wine Bar

The studio juxtaposed a warm light from specially made fittings and concealed bulbs with ultra-narrow downlights that spotlight individual dining plates.

"This high-contrast lighting to each plate makes the food a main feature against the backdrop of chefs engaged in culinary theatre," Lighting Design International said.

The Sushi Bar has narrow beam lighting from the canopy to each place setting

The dining hall at Harrods is centred by a caviar bar surrounded by five other counters and seating areas, each with its own open kitchen.

Lighting Design International used hidden warm white LEDs as pelmet lighting on the front of the bar soffits of the five counters. The LEDs were adapted to suit the shape and kitchen of each section.

Existing floor tiles, walls and ceilings were all retained in the refurbishment

For the central caviar bar, Lighting Design International used narrow beam fittings to provide under-counter lighting that accentuates its fluted shape and bronze detailing.

This halo of light around the top of the bar is paired with under-bar lights shining onto the floor tiles.

The caviar bar in the middle of the dining hall

As the caviar bar does not have an overhead soffit, the designers added tabletop lamps between diners, as well as a concealed LED roll-top detail for the countertop.

The downlighting over the place settings was designed to form a pool of light around each plate for maximum colour saturation.

[

Read:

Note Design Studio creates Dining Theatre for Europe's largest mall

](https://www.dezeen.com/2015/12/16/note-design-studio-dining-theatre-canteen-europe-largest-mall-of-scandinavia/)

Lighting Design International used brighter, slightly cooler downlighting for the open kitchens. These were given black ceiling soffits to eliminate light reflection and contrast against the warmth of the dining hall.

Specially designed decorative globes near the hall's ceiling throw out general lighting and dish uplighters were placed to highlight the dining hall's decorative tiling.

The Fish Bar has additional banquette seating with integrated lighting

"All bespoke light fittings and lighting solutions are designed to enhance the guest experience and human connection to light, ensuring that the space is inviting, intimate, comfortable, and relaxing," said the studio.

"It was important that not only the space appeared beautifully lit, but also the diners, leading to diffuse warm bar top uplighters which provide flattering low intensity light to the diners enhancing the social aspect and experience."

Each place setting is individually lit

During the day, linear LEDs light the central ceiling and cartouches, but in the evening these are dimmed to reduce the ambient light.

Existing floor tiles, walls and ceilings were all retained as part of the project, which uses bluetooth technology to control the dimming of the bulbs.

The tiled high-level roof in the centre of the hall is lit by diffused linear LEDs

The architect for the overhaul of the Harrods dining hall was multidisciplinary studio Woods Hardwick, with interior design by David Collins Studio.

Other projects shortlisted in the architectural lighting design category of the Dezeen Awards this year include the Maggie's Centre in Leeds and the spherical Apple Marina Bay Sands.

The photography is by Kensington Laverne.

The post Lighting Design International overhauls illumination of Harrods dining hall appeared first on Dezeen.

#restaurantsandbars #all #interiors #canteens #london #lighting #restaurants

Arched glass panels suggest windows in basement canteen by SHH

London studio SHH has used ribbed glass panels in graduated sunset colours to provide a sense of the outdoors in this basement dining hall in Beijing's central Chaoyang district.

Located on the lower ground floor of a twenty-storey building, the dining hall spans more than 1,670 square metres and is split into three distinct zones – a bright, all-day canteen, a traditional hotpot restaurant and a formal dining room.

Arched glass partitions in ombre colours are designed to look like windows

"The architecture of the building is very precise, almost stern, with lots of white and beige," lead SHH designer Thomas Chan told Dezeen. "What we've tried to create is a little bit of fun and hospitality to contrast the corporate face of the rest of the building."

The main servery area, which operates from breakfast through to the evening, is symmetrically arranged and leads visitors in a circular route past food stalls serving up Chinese and international dishes.

Terrazzo and terracotta help to create a sense of warmth in the main canteen

Wood panels, terrazzo and orange porcelain tiles were used to create a warm atmosphere while a mix of direct, indirect and concealed lighting creates brightness in the absence of natural light.

The arched, ribbed glass panels that line the seating areas are tinged in the warm pink ombre of dusk – an effect that is created by sandwiching a digitally printed gradient film in between two sheets of glass.

"Their playful shape is a bit like a window where windows aren't possible and the glass catches the light and amplifies it," Chan explained.

A mix of direct, indirect and concealed lighting creates brightness in the absence of natural light

A hotpot restaurant, which is used at lunchtime and in the evening as a dinner and events space, is located off the main dining hall space.

It features slatted timber walls and distinctive metal arches that cover the tables at the rear.

The hotpot restaurant features slatted timber walls and metal arches over the tables

An intimate dining space decorated in different tones of grey is located opposite the main dining area and lends itself to more formal meals or to host clients.

Here, the studio teamed low-hanging lighting with mid-century furnishings in pastel shades and bronze accents.

The room's dark-toned walls form shallow alcoves for artwork displays while glass partitions have been introduced for more privacy between dining tables.

"The operating hours and usages also influenced the choice of colours," said Chan. "For the main dining hall, which is used all day, we created a light and vibrant palette."

Terrazzo was also used to form the top of the hotpot tables

"The private dining space, which is used for lunch and in the evening has a darker and moodier atmosphere while the hotpot restaurant is somewhere in between," he continued.

"Then there's the ribbed glass with its colour, which is like a perpetual dawn or perpetual dusk, depending on which space you're in and at what time of day it is on your watch."

Glass partitions create privacy in the formal dining room

Other horizon-hued eateries include a Parisian burger restaurant by CUT Architectures that pays homage to California and a Hong Kong cafe where a terracotta colour scheme and semi-circular forms reference Australia's spectacular sunsets.

Photography is courtesy of SHH.

The post Arched glass panels suggest windows in basement canteen by SHH appeared first on Dezeen.

#restaurantsandbars #all #interiors #canteens #beijing #china #restaurants