Spectacular ´exploded globe of light´ marks launch of UK´s restaurant and bar awards.

Last weekend saw the spectacular launch of the UK's first Restaurant and Bar Awards dedicated exclusively to design. To celebrate the occasion, Dominic Harris of Cinimod Studio was commissioned to create an outdoor interactive lighting installation. Conceived as an exploded blank canvas, the huge "exploded globe of light" was suspended from the trees over London's famed Hoxton Square and was interactively controlled by the guests.

The artwork was inspired by the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards' belief that "design excellence is up to you", and using cutting edge technologies, the innovative lighting installation was brought to life by the collaborative interaction of the guests using special punch cards to choreograph their own colour animations. These cards were 'scanned' at a freestanding plinth located in one corner of the square, from where their colours were uploaded to the main globe to form the overall animated lighting display.

The launch event was attended by some of the world's top influential designers and industry press, as well as many curious members of the public. The installation was well received, and provided a delightful and engaging addition to the square. The artwork acted as a beacon of good design, key to the underlying message of the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards.

About the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards
To recognise excellence, we have launched the UK's first and only restaurant and bar awards dedicated exclusively to design. A Judging panel of some of the world's most creative and well respected leaders in design and style (including Wallpaper's Chief Editor Tony Chambers and Conran & Partners Managing Director Richard Doone) will recognise and reward both the 'restaurants & bars' as well as their 'project and product' designers for design excellence. Through the use of a unique online rating system, we want to capture the public's perspective of restaurant and bar design across the UK. April 2009 will see our finale where the UK's leading design, lifestyle and hospitality publics will be invited to attend a London awards ceremony with a format like no other.

About Cinimod Studio
Cinimod Studio is a multidisciplinary design practice combining architecture, lighting and interaction design. Their passion for interactive art and lighting design has produced artworks and built projects now found across the international art and architecture scene. It was founded by architect Dominic Harris, whose previous experience includes being senior designer at the Jason Bruges Studio, and architect at Softroom and Future Systems. Recent Cinimod Studio projects include the new "SNOG Frozen Yogurt" shops and his "UFO Project" -- a flying lighting structure designed and built for NY artist Peter Coffin.

www.cinimodstudio.com


Installation partners
The Globe was constructed with a structural aluminium core and ribs, to which 5mm thick panels of Foamalux were fixed. Various sizes of Foamalux panels, some with cut outs, were used to create the exploded visual effect. This was a unique application for the sign and display substrate, chosen purely because of its smooth, hard, bright white surface and capability to deflect light. An array of individually addressable Martin Professional LED fixtures provided the full colour illumination to the globe, and created the unique dappled light projections across Hoxton Square. A bespoke software programme, coded by Cinimod Studio in VVVV, controlled the overall installation.
The Restaurant and Bar Design Awards 2008/09
www.restaurantandbardesignawards.com