Marking Mandarin Oriental’s debut in the Sultanate of Oman, Mandarin Oriental, Muscat is a beachfront gem in the heart of the capital’s most prominent address, Shatti Al-Qurum, allowing guests to explore Muscat’s intriguing ancient architectural treasures and vibrant culture whilst receiving Mandarin Oriental’s legendary services.
Envisioned by renowned French interior designer Xavier Catron, the hotel’s architecture and décor blends the richness of Oman’s culture with contemporary chic, featuring traditional patterns and detailing, lanterns, and charm without compromising luxury.
As featured in Sleeper Magazine, Visual Energy was responsible for the lighting design of the entire hotel – from guestrooms, landscapes, and pools to the many restaurants, bars, cafés, spa and façade; including 3,525 decorative lighting fittings, intricately designed by our creative team to focus and enhance the beauty of Omani culture and this stunning development. The project presented us with fantastic and unique challenges, making it one of our favourite recently completed projects. We are incredibly proud of the results; it is truly one of a kind.
Restaurants
The five distinct dining venues comprise of restaurants, lounges and a bar, showcasing Mandarin Oriental’s renowned culinary expertise. The signature restaurant, Essenza, invites guests to a culinary journey along Italy’s coastal regions, where guests will enjoy comforting Italian classics with traditional recipes that are passed down through generations, complete with a cascade of floating glass lamps hanging across the ceiling to create the perfect blend of theatre, relaxation, and Italian hospitality.
Another dining venue is Rawya, a Euro-Asian brasserie that delivers diverse cuisines reminiscent of the treasures found along the Silk Road. We had to consider the natural light coming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the rear side, and the need for shifting moods throughout the day and night. The name “Rawya” means storytelling in Arabic, and this storytelling essence has been encapsulated in our lighting design where guests can enjoy a bright and airy environment during breakfast and lunch with picturesque views of the pool and landscape which then transforms into an ambient and relaxing space during the evening with subtle display lighting.
Landscape
The site boasts an impressive landscape which we accentuated with our lighting designs to allow the parks and golden beach to be enjoyed fully day or night, whatever the activity, whether taking a sunset stroll beneath the coconut palms or playing at the water’s edge.
Lobby
Entering the hotel lobby through the grand Omani wooden doors, guests immediately get to experience the beautiful Omani craftsmanship on display, where three reflection pools, left dark to reflect the colours and light of the grand space, woven brass sculptures (referencing traditional Al Sadu weaving) and geometric panelling inspired by Mashrabiya lattices surround the jewel of the lobby, the beaming chandelier consisting of colourful crystal lanterns that shine from above representing the palette of local spices. The chandelier took many tireless hours of fine tuning from our expert team to get the movement just right so that it appears to move organically and change from day to night. At night, the chandelier reflects the colours of the spices around the lobby, breathing and filling the room with life.
Rooms
Heavily inspired by the Omani culture, the 103 rooms, 47 suites and even the corridors, exude luxury, authenticity and charm where we composed our precise lighting designs to enhance the colours and patterns of Omani décor. Encompassing the beautiful wall lights and pendants with local patterns and detailing, we took the highest level of care, refining our design to use only what is needed to create a beautiful composition of light throughout all rooms, in order to match the captivating views offered of the Gulf of Oman coastline and the majestic Hajar Mountains, such as the carefully crafted minibar and the subtle lighting to the backlit headboard allowing it to elevate away from the wall and showcase the dramatic woven tapestry inspired by Kuma Caps.
Spa
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Muscat blends Mandarin Oriental’s Asian-inspired treatments with local beauty and healing traditions. A thoughtfully designed spot with chic Arabic décor beauty of the mosaics that embellish the interiors. The lighting invites a refuge of a fresh serene environment, the transitions between spaces are calm and subtle and the light darkens as it transports you further within.
Pool
The centre piece of the hotel landscape, the dramatic central pool glows. The spices of the hotel lobby chandelier twinkle in the windows above you, and opposite are two towers internally lit to highlight the intricate fisherman’s net. The pool is towered by symmetrically planted palm trees that have been up-lit to create a central focus on the pool and vertical illuminance to draw attention to the grandness of Mandarin Oriental Muscat.
Façade
The fisherman’s net pattern carries from a large scale on the grand architectural walls, to small scale on the design of the brass lanterns which line the ground floor circulation. The lanterns are custom designed to be experienced from the distant views on the approach to the hotel, whilst delicate up close. The play of depth and geometry across the façade is emphasized and outlined in light, raising facets and accentuating relief. The light reverses the perspective at night.