Set on the picturesque coastline of Rest Bay, this former luxury hotel has received a new lease of life with an injection of investment to convert the site into high-end apartments.

The Rest was originally built with the backing of Florence Nightingale in the late 1800s and was used during the war as an auxiliary military hospital offering care for over 2,500 wounded soldiers.

The former convalescent home turned hotel sits overlooking the bay near Porthcawl and has now been converted into 35 studios, as well as 1-3 bedroom apartments. Additionally, there are also 36 luxury 1- 3 new build apartments that sit alongside the original building.

The Project

Now known as The Links, this development requires a lighting solution that not only services the residents every day needs but also compliments the architectural elements surrounding the apartments. It was essential that the design mitigated against light intrusion around the residential properties, therefore careful attention was paid the optical systems selected.

A variety of luminaires were selected to compliment the blend of new and old materials, and accent areas of the historic site.

The Solution

The Kingfisher Lighting Design and Project Teams selected a variety of luminaires to perfectly compliment the blend of new and old materials, and accent areas of the historic site.

Opting for a range recessed, downlighters and wall mounted luminaires, sitting alongside stylish bollards, a stunning lighting scheme was created to bring this new development to life.

The Luminaires

When arriving at the site, Stone Short 180 fittings were installed to highlight the entrance road to the car park. Stone was an excellent choice for this placement as the high resistance luminaires are manufactured using AISI 316L stainless steel and have a static load capacity of up to 4000kg. They also eliminated the need for overhead lighting leaving the landscape clear of obstruction.

For the car parking area, Italo 1 luminaires were mounted on 6m tubular columns. The fixtures promote safe passage for vehicles ringing peace of mind surrounding security. With a CRI rating of 70, Italo 1 provides a clear illumination across the car park in comparison to low grade technology. Ensuring visual comfort, the Italo uses bespoke reflector technology to reduce both glare and light spill.

Moving forward towards the development, we meticulously placed Inground 180 uplighters to highlight the architectural elements, Klou IK 180 bollards to provide low level diffused distribution for the pathways across the site and Tula wall luminaires to further enhance the aesthetic of the development.

The mix of material and textures paired with high-end luminaires result in an elegant scheme fitting for a site with such rich heritage.