Located on Shortland Street in the heart of the city, Hugo’s Bistro was born with the idea to create a living room type environment “we wanted that European everyday Bistro feel”. The long, thin building filled is with rich textiles of shiplap cedar panelling, Italian plaster, oak furniture and green corduroy upholstery and off set beautifully with bespoke brass pendants.
From a lighting design perspective, our goal was to create a soft, comfortable hue to compliment the ‘lived in’ atmosphere. Accent LED strip lighting was used to draw attention to features within the space without being too harsh or disruptive, as well as a heavy use of indirect lighting aimed to flush the walls and create moody shadow throughout the room for evening dining.
Handmade brass wall mounted lamps were placed to pool light over tables, and the custom lamp shades pay homage to the imperfect roughness of the Italian plaster they sit against.
All tied together with automated lighting control to seamlessly switch between night and day.
We wanted to provide enough illumination to help guests and staff see but also enhance the experience. Lighting colour influences the way we process emotion and is a vital part of pulling a whole design concept together as a thought out, intentional space.
The design of a discreet audio system installed with black recessed speakers to blend in with the aesthetic and compliment the dining experience with another sensory aspect. Carrying the atmosphere through to the restrooms with the audio installation eliminated the stark transition between spaces.
The finished product of the restaurant as a whole came together beautifully through the collaboration of our team at Evolve, Cheshire Architects and Envoy Construction.
