Lighting control experts TheisCraft has supplied DALI, 1-10v and Phase dimmed scene control system to the boutique style Mandrake Hotel situated in the heart of London’s West End.   Working closely with electrical contractors CAG, the two companies designed a bespoke solution for The Mandrake which included controls in all areas of the hotel as well as providing a modular wiring solution for the hotel’s bedrooms.   Set to be London’s most fashionable new hotel, the facility includes 30 bedrooms, three suites and a penthouse apartment all in a boutique style that features a traditional frontage, designed and lit by dpa lighting consultants. The main bedrooms are located on the upper floors overlooking the central courtyard with the reception, bar, restaurant and lounge at ground floor level around the central courtyard, with a function suite in the basement area. The lighting plays a fundamental role in emphasizing the perception of the space, creating focal points and cutting out discrete shadows of mysterious and sensual pockets of darkness.   TheisCraft and CAG adopted a number of sustainability measures that were incorporated into the design, including the use of absence/presence detection, lighting controls, time controlled events and 3W emergency fittings and an emergency monitoring system.  The lighting control panels incorporated lighting circuits with DALI technology, 1-10V, DMX and switching along with emergency monitoring in accordance with EN50172, which tracks the performance of every emergency light fitting.  Each panel was custom designed to provide an electrical distribution board style solution so that it has the isolation for each area protected by RCBO & MCBs for circuit protection. The panels are then closely matched to the circuits and type of control needed for the type of luminaire and control method for the area and the style of each part of the hotel.  The control plates for the lighting scenes and blinds have been metal flat plate style finished in various colours to suit the mood of the hotel and are monitored by the Head End PC.   Graham Dear of CAG commented “We appointed TheisCraft as they could supply a bespoke solution, including the modular wiring, for both blind and lighting control throughout the hotel.  The project involved lots of complex panels which they designed to control scenes in each of the bedrooms and bathrooms, in addition to the blinds in the penthouse suite.   Lighting throughout the hotel can also be controlled via a Tablet controlled device which connects to the “Cloud’ based App which was an added bonus for the hotel”.   The project also included a pre-wired metal conduit modular wiring solution which could be easily connected via a plug and play connection system for all bedrooms and corridors.  This system meant the project could be finished quickly and to deadline without any extra manpower.