BO TÁ N I C A EMEA
MANAMA / BAHRAIN
Photos: Arjun Sureshlal
T h i s vi s ually striking c oc ktail ba r re af f irms its s t a t u s as a h ig h -e nd, a e sth e tic ally ple a sing n i g h t l i f e ve nue by ma king th e bold de c ision t o u n d e r g o a c omple te ma ke ove r, e nsuring e ve ry a s pe c t of th e spa c e is up to da te .
“Like everything in life, first impressions matter,” is how Giannis Nestor, Music and Entertainment Managing Partner at Botánica in Manama, Bahrain, summed up the thinking behind the venue’s newly completed refurbishment. This push to focus on instantly impressive visuals doubles as a fair description of the brief handed to the space’s lighting designer. Botánica is a premium cocktail bar that sits in Adliya, one of Manama’s busiest nightlife districts, and looks to grab customers with its aesthetic; the retractable roof, an extensive drinks menu, and a giant palm tree at the centre of the room all lean into this. Earlier this year, the venue closed for a full renovation, floor to ceiling, as Nestor puts it, which included handing the lighting brief to Alex Douglas Design. Nestor reached for two high-end reference points to explain what Botánica was chasing with this upgrade. “We wanted the place to have that wow factor that stays constant throughout the whole night, just adapting with the mood: mellow at the start of the evening, then moving to a high pulse, high energy atmosphere later at night,” he said. “The entire design of Botánica was inspired by nature: from the patterns and textures to the colours and materials used throughout the space,” Nestor stated. “Because of that, the lighting and sound had to become part of the experience as well, not just supporting elements. We believe that nature is already beautiful on its own; our role was to simply build around it, respect it, and let it shine.” That philosophy shapes how the room is meant to feel across a full night. “After a long day at the office, you walk in, and you see the warm, natural golden lighting – not too dark, not too bright, but perfectly balanced,” Nestor said. “During the early hours, we wanted a space designed to help you relax, sip your favourite drink, enjoy a great bite, and leave the stress of the day behind.
At the same time, the atmosphere prepares you for what comes next. As the evening unfolds, Botánica transforms from a chillout place into a proper nightout experience.” Lighting Botánica Douglas ‘Dougie’ came onto the project directly through Botánica’s management. “Alex was personally selected by the management team because of his outstanding reputation and proven professionalism in the industry,” Nestor explained. “After reviewing the concept and design vision for Botánica, he took full ownership of the lighting design and creative direction. We trusted his expertise completely, giving him the freedom to create without limitations. We believe that when talented people are empowered to do what they do best, exceptional results follow.” From Dougie’s side, the job meant taking responsibility for the complete lighting scope. He began: “Botánica has been around in Bahrain for some time now. This year, the owner decided to undertake a complete refurbishment of the space from top to bottom, bringing in an award-winning design firm to lead the architectural redesign. My role was to develop and manage the full lighting design scope for the project.” An open-air layout with a retractable roof means the rig has to shrug off both direct sun and the fine dust that comes with a Gulf climate, so weatherproofing was a running theme in Douglas’s spec. He built the system around Prolights’ outdoor-rated Astra Hybrid330IP – four IP65 hybrid moving heads chosen to cope with that open-air exposure – supported by a pair of CHAUVET Professional COLORado PXL Curve 12 pixel-mapped battens for beam work and movement along the room’s architectural lines. A pair of Prolights Mini VersaPars and two Prolights LumiPar 7IP outdoor par cans, also IP65-rated, act as
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