Koko by SPK Valo is an Utkarsh Puraskar winner in the Interior Lighting category at the LiDAI Lighting Awards 2024 — a lighting design that elevates dining with dynamic visual experiences across multiple levels.
Located in the heart of Bangalore, Koko is an immersive Pan-Asian dining experience spread over 14,000 square feet, offering a journey of senses—each level uniquely lit to create distinct atmospheres. Designed to be much more than just a place to eat, Koko engages its guests through a carefully orchestrated lighting design that complements the restaurant’s vibrant theme and eclectic decor.
The Concept: A Layered Approach to Lighting
From the moment guests step into the restaurant, they are welcomed by a beautiful verandah area. Here, the lighting plays a key role in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Layered lighting is used thoughtfully to enhance the peripheral greens, with interesting light-and-shadow patterns created by the greenery. Decorative light fixtures help maintain the right ambient light, while medium-beam accents from the ceiling highlight the table tops and surrounding flora, inviting guests into a truly unique experience.
The overall philosophy behind the lighting design at Koko is to create a distinct visual hierarchy at each level, so that every area of the restaurant offers something fresh, new, and engaging. Whether you’re dining in the open verandah, enjoying the ambiance under the vaulted ceiling, or partying at the high-energy first-floor space, the lighting is custom-designed to complement the specific mood and theme of each space.
A Journey Through Lighting: From Verandah to Dome
The vaulted ceiling in the main restaurant area sets the tone for an exceptional dining journey. Inspired by the Hiwada roofing shingles, this space is brought to life with cove lighting that highlights the center of the ceiling, enhancing depth perception. The carefully placed uplights behind seating, coupled with custom-designed decorative fixtures, define the alcove dining areas, creating a more intimate and serene atmosphere.
Behind the bar, high ceilings house rows of bar bottles and the quintessential Japanese Shochu. The lighting is designed to highlight these shelves, integrating strips that subtly illuminate the facia of the bottles, ensuring that they not only stand out but also become part of the visual drama of the space.
First Floor: A High-Energy Party Space with Dynamic Lighting
The first floor of Koko transforms into a vibrant, high-energy party space. Here, a large dome becomes the focal point, animated by DMX programmable lighting. Concentric circles of RGB LED profiles and moving heads create an ever-changing visual effect, setting the stage for an energetic night out. The lighting in this area is not just functional; it’s part of the entertainment, with a stunning scalloped bar illuminated to perfection.
The Suite Prive: An Oriental Garden in Light
One of the most enchanting spaces within Koko is the Suite Prive, a private dining area that draws inspiration from an Oriental garden. Lantern-inspired fixtures cast a soft, warm glow, evoking images of an enchanting garden. A copper installation grazed by linear backlighting flutters delicately with the slightest air movement, further adding to the tranquil, serene atmosphere. Mandarin characters etched into the copper installation evoke a sense of subtle elegance and tranquility, creating an immersive dining experience.
Lighting Details: The Right Ambiance at Every Turn
The lighting temperature at Koko is carefully calibrated to enhance the overall ambiance. A color temperature of 2700K was chosen to enhance the saturation of warm tones, promoting a relaxed and inviting environment. In keeping with modern lighting trends, the entire restaurant is controlled using DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface), allowing for flexible lighting changes that suit the mood and energy of the space at any given time.
About SPK Valo: Innovators of Light Design
SPK Valo is a lighting design firm committed to creating superior visual environments using light as the medium. Based on a mission to create expressive, responsible, and sustainable lighting, SPK Valo blends creativity and technical expertise to craft environments that inspire and captivate. The team at SPK Valo is passionate about their craft and seeks to integrate energy efficiency into every design, always keeping in mind the challenges of the 21st century.The firm operates with a deep understanding of the power of light—as both a functional tool and an aesthetic element. Their approach embraces the philosophy of “Think global, act local”, meaning that each project is tailored to its unique environment while being mindful of the larger, global impact. Whether designing for a luxurious restaurant, a high-end retail space, or a contemporary home, SPK Valo works with light to create experiences that transcend ordinary design.
