Grand Hotel de Rome

In October 2006, the extravagant Hotel de Rome opened its doors in Berlin. The building constructed by Ludwig Heim in 1889 originally served as the headquarters of the Dresdner Bank. The bank building with its large halls of counters and vaults was used by the GDR state bank after the division of Germany. Listed for preservation, the structure was expanded and now continues its eventful history as a five-star luxury hotel with 146 rooms.

The customized luminaires were designed in detail by us for manufacture in Spain and Germany.

Accentuated lighting crowns the pool in the Spa de Rome, befitting the room’s past as a jewelry vault. Gold and jewels belonging to Berlin society were once kept safe here in this large room in the former bank’s cellar. A hint of this glamour is still in the air and reinforced by the gold mosaic of the pool’s back wall and the golden spots of light that are projected onto it. Underwater lights shine heavily bundled light up from the pool’s floor onto round ceiling mirrors which in turn reflect the beams onto the wall. The reflection on the water’s surface is especially beautiful when the water ripples in response to swimmers.

The two-storey ballroom is in the hall where the many counters once were and where the original mosaic terrazzo flooring and the name of the bank can still be admired. Very grand with decorated columns and niches, the ballroom exudes an old-world opulence under a new glass ceiling and modern chandeliers. The room’s function is diverse: banquets, balls, conferences, lectures. The lighting is designed accordingly and can be flexibly adjusted.

The concept for the exterior lighting derives from the illumination of all the facades on Bebelplatz. The square looks like a room whose south wall is the Hotel de Rom. The homogenously lit “walls” gently radiate light back onto the square. The bar’s counter was intentionally placed along the front of a window facing the Bebelplatz so that the guests can enjoy this wonderful evening view of the square.

In the five conference rooms, the lighting must be suitable not only for a professional conference, but also for an evening dinner. Two fundamental moods can be created in a diversity of ways using a combination of cove lighting and downlights.

The architecture and the hotel’s interior design present an interpretation of Berlin’s building history and cite details from the turn of the century up into the 70’s. This approach, which gave the building its unique flair, has been further strengthened by the lighting. The great challenge in terms of lighting design for such a building as the Hotel de Rome is combining outstanding lighting technology with high demands in respect to the decorative elements of the lights themselves.

Linus Lintner