Maui Makeover

A visit to the island of Maui must include a stop at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. This getaway is an oceanfront paradise offering posh accommodations, award-winning restaurants, Hawaii's largest art collection and much more. Kelly Hannon of Focus Lighting recently completed and commissioned its spectacular lighting design.

Working from my temporary remote office a few miles away, I met Kelly at the site for a tour. (OK, I was really on vacation, but I did answer some emails.)

As the Waldorf began the considerable remodeling job, they hired Tihany Design for interior design. Focus Lighting, founded by Paul Gregory, has closely collaborated with Tihany for 20+ years and has done much design work on the islands, including the nearby Andaz Maui. In addition, Kelly had been involved in other Waldorf properties, such as the ongoing NYC renovations, and quickly jumped on board to redesign these spaces.

For the Grand Wailea, Kelly began in late 2019 - right before COVID-19 hit. In most cases the pandemic slowed down projects; however, this was unique in that COVID accelerated the project.

The tourism industry in Hawaii was completely shut down, therefore construction and other projects were pushed forward quickly. Issued in 2020, Kelly received seven scopes for the property, and they are being completed one-by-one. As of this writing, the two most recent are the lounge and the breakfast dining area. A grab-and-go snack area is in the works.

The most stunning design is the Botero Lounge. Kelly said, “They wanted to modernize the space so they added a sushi counter up front, and made it more like a lounge.” Named after Fernando Botero, the Columbian artist, the lounge features Botero sculptures, new landscaping, and it exudes a modern Italian aesthetic.

Most eye-catching is the Laspec custom-made chandelier in the center featuring Philips warm glow bulbs.

Each bulb is 5 watts, with 90 CRI and dimming. During the day, luminaires are dialed down to around 60% output but can go as low as 20%. These dim-to-warm bulbs are medium screw base sockets with a simple line voltage dimmer. The main fixture was assembled on site and installed in January, but the drawings were approved in early 2021. Due to Covid, the manufacturing and transportation took 8 to 9 months.

Not bad for bespoke luminaires in the middle of a pandemic!

The Laspec chandelier anchoring the bar coordinates with the smaller decorative sconces mounted to the columns and table lamps attached to the bar top and integrated into the millwork liquor display. There is dramatic landscape lighting highlighting the design from VITA Landscape architects. Combined, these signature flourishes transform the Botero Lounge into a captivating outdoor oasis, well suited for live entertainment.

Kelly made a point that really resonated with me: "They are not identical, but are all in the same language." That is when I began to study each fixture to see the subtle differences.

The recessed fixtures from LF Illuminations, valuDIM luminaires, are aimed at walkways and bars. The valuDIM is adjustable with a round, flat minimal trim. It uses a standard driver which works with either 0-10V or forward or reverse phase dimmers and achieves minimum visible light output of less than 2%.

Consuming only 15-watts, these lights emphasize the action at the lounge. Although the lounge isn't new, it’s been remodeled to fit with the resort’s modern and chic aesthetic.

The ‘Ikena grand dining space is used day-to-day for breakfast/brunch buffets and can also be rented for events such as weddings. The main lights in this area are Amerlux Evoke series downlights, wall washers, and accent fixtures, all in 2700K. Because the room gets so much natural daylight, the lights are primarily used at night.

After dark, the uplight linear luminaires throughout the resort illuminate screens with traditional Hawaiian patterns. The patio has ellipsoidal projectors with gobos to create palm tree breakup patterns along the tiled floor.

As a special treat, Kelly took us to their current work-in-progress, Loulu. This is a grab-and-go cafe with new finishes, a new configuration, new lights, and new fans. This retail area includes Amerlux Hornet recessed adjustable accents and wet location accents over food prep surfaces. I was able to witness Kelly aiming the lights, without the retail displays in place. She will return to redirect when the displays are in place.

Moving away from admiring the beautiful work, we talked about the business of lighting design. Focus frequently works with repeat customers and collaborators, which is how this project came about. While the scope varies by client’s needs, it generally covers all phases of design including schematic design, design development, and construction documentation. It also covers construction administration, which entails extensive coordination on shop drawings and submittals, as well as site visits. The process culminates in the commissioning trip to apply the finishing touches and deliver the full vision to the client.

It was a joy to tour the space with Kelly, where she showed off her unique and modern design, and how first-class lighting dramatically elevated the Grand Wailea resort. ■