House of Julius Meinl, the heritage Viennese retailer and creator of food emporium Julius Meinl am Graben, is expanding into the world of hospitality with The Julius. The Julius combines the flexibility of apartment living with the service of a hotel. At the beginning of July 2022, the first residence opened in Prague, and Preciosa Lighting is proud to have designed the lighting for the property.
Leading design and architecture practice Matteo Thun & Partners centred their interior design on a warm colour palette, inspired by Czech artist Alfons Mucha. They chose complimentary designer furniture, hardwood oak flooring and contemporary finishes, aiming to create a home-away-from-home feeling for guests. Preciosa Lighting’s brief was to create a series of lighting fixtures that complemented the residence’s chic, modern, and homely design, while providing a subtle touch of Prague. Preciosa´s in-house designer Tereza Drobná focused on the city’s Cubist art and architectural history, introducing geometric shapes and interesting hand-made glass cuts. The result is a series of bespoke lighting called the Glittering Flares. They provide a bold and complimentary statement alongside the interior features.
The entrance chandelier sets the stage for the rest of the lighting we designed. The chandelier features 24 crystal glass rods with a mix of hand-made cuts including a ribbed cut and a classical Spitzstein cut. It has a metal finish in old gold dark and provides an artistic lighting piece which attracts visitors walking by on the street.
Glass rods and a mix of cuts provide a consistent aesthetic to the lighting fixture in the winter garden. Inspired and reminiscent of a waterfall with cascading rods in a mix of clear, nutmeg, and camel, the matte golden brown finish complements the autumnal colour palette and introduces a sense of calmness, purity and diversity to the space.
In the staircase lobby, a statement 22-metre long chandelier is designed in the same style of sparkling glass rods, cuts, and metal finishes. The staircase and chandelier are one of the most popular features among guests; it’s a frequent place to stop, take pictures, and admire the beauty of the suspended crystals as they descend the stairway. Cubist influences continue with the passage chandelier, 12 hanging cut glass rods are strategically placed on a metal rod guiding guests through the building. Preciosa’s entire concept stayed true to the designers’ vision through the use of the lightings’ colour, craft, and design.
Finally, hotel designers chose to decorate the reception desk with 14 Flares, a fixture from Preciosa’s Light Collections portfolio. Flare is a hand-blown crystal solitaire, precisely cut to encourage the dispersal of light. Here, the solitaire was designed in golden brown polished brass with a matte finish. The cluster of Flares provided an ideal supplement to the bespoke solutions which can be discovered in The Julius. All together the lighting adds a glitter of luxury to this modern, chic property.
