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Gravity Bar II, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
Michael Grubb Studio created the Lighting Design for the new Gravity Bar which has opened at the world-famous Guinness Storehouse. Michael Grubb Studio previously provided the Lighting Design and Strategy for the Guinness Storehouse. This project created an improved £16 million bar with stunning 360 degree panoramic views over Dublin, allowing visitors to take in some of the Irish capital’s most iconic sights while enjoying a perfectly poured and chilled pint of Guinness.
The new Gravity Bar II is more than double the size of the original establishment and presented many technical challenges for the design and construction teams. The lighting scheme was developed in conjunction with multi-award winning interior designers O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates. The main challenge being how to address daylight and window reflections from the 360 degrees of windows. The end result was to embrace and use the reflections to create an ‘explosion’ lit effect where light bursts from the bar and out to infinity. Lighting can then be dimmed / switched at certain times of the day to ensure that visitors have a clear view of Dublin by night. Part of the Lighting Strategy was to create flexibility and lit ‘scenes’ were created for corporate events and hire.
The project represents a major upgrade on the original Gravity Bar which first opened in 2000 and brought in a staggering 1.7 million visitors in the past year alone, with everyone from Kylie Minogue and Tom Cruise through to Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth having taken a tour of the famous venue. The opening also coincided with a visit from Prince William and Kate Middleton – who dropped by for a pint of the black stuff.
Client
Diageo
Scope of Works
Concept, Outline Proposals, Detailed Design & Production, Focusing & Commissioning
Design Team
RKD, O’Donnell O’Neill Design Associates, Arup, RPS Group, O’Connor Sutton Cronin, Michael Grubb Studio
Location
Dublin, Ireland