When designing the Hutchinson Shores Resort and Spa in Jensen Beach, Florida, the architects and designers at TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design drew inspiration from the resort’s seaside location. For the resort’s ballroom, rather than opting to fill the ceiling with traditional chandeliers, they designed a series of unique sculptural luminaries that evoked billowing sails filled with ocean light and breezes.
TruexCullins and the resort’s owner, Ocean Properties, turned to Transformit to translate their vision for these luminaires into a built fixture. The result of this collaboration is a ballroom illuminated with sail-like “chandeliers.” Each lighting fixture features adjustable brightness and color controls, enabling the hotel staff to shape the visual tone and ambiance of the ballroom uniquely for each event.
The design team created three fixtures, each with subtle variation in dimensions and orientation, but sharing the same design and build characteristics. Each fixture is wrapped in a white semi-transparent stretch fabric, creating a smooth sculptural form. An inner layer of fabric light diffuser eliminates color hot spots and ensures an even distribution of light through the outer face. Both fabric layers are affixed to the luminaire’s frame using Transformit’s “oompha”, a fabric attachment system that enables facility staff to easily remove the fabric elements for cleaning or to access the internals for repair or upgrades, and then just as easily, reattach the stretch fabric with a taut, wrinkle-free fit.
We called the resort recently to hear what their staff and guests think of the lights. “We receive a lot of great comments about those lights,” said the clerk who answered the phone at the front desk. “Our guests love them and we think they’re terrific.” We think they’re pretty neat too.
Design: Transformit and TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design
Architect: TruexCullins Architecture + Interior Design
Lighting Engineering: J&M Lighting Design
Owner: Ocean Properties
Location: Hutchinson Shores Resort and Spa, Jensen Beach, Florida