Coffee&Play, a recently opened gaming facility in Seville, Spain, is a paradigm of the contemporary virtual experience, featuring gaming and gambling machines, screens showing sporting events, and high-tech video games.
As is usual for this type of project, the interiors are completely bereft of windows, and so the artificial lighting takes on central importance. The system needed to be one that is able to be carefully controlled given the sensitivity of the monitors, video games, and gambling machines. The decorative lighting aspect of the project interior features a lighting installation designed by Toan Nguyen for Vibia, a series of floating blown glass orbs suspended from a steel grid structure, Algorithm. This customizable lighting creation has been adapted in a very specific way as a feature fitting, the rods that support the globes, normally static, have been motorized in order to provide a kinetic sculptural installation that can be programmed in a variety of configurations. This movement of the fixture was synthesized using moving ceiling panels chosen by the architect.
As a fully immersive entertainment experience that aims to provide a both social and youthful atmosphere, the Algorithm installation in the context of this facility acquires a double function, not only providing a lighting feature but also an entertainment aspect, appearing as floating orbs, gliding through space and reflecting the RGB hues from the surrounding gaming machines, providing a lively aspect that reflects the activities within this space. The lighting installation by Vibia is able to be created in custom configurations via an online tool at vibia.com.
