One of the most representative locations in Rome, a unicum with the slopes of the Pincian Hill and should therefore be considered a genuine work of art, cultural heritage and an architectural and environmental resource. We’re talking about the Gardens of Hotel De Russie, recently restored and emphasised thanks to an attentive technical lighting project drafted by lighting designer Carolina De Camillis’ Decafib studio with Linea Light Group solutions.

Located between Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo, Hotel De Russie is one of the jewels of the Eternal City, a favourite destination of writers and artists who had already dubbed it “heaven on earth” as far back as the early 1900s. Credit certainly also goes to its gardens, a natural continuation of the Pincian Hill and considered a true cultural and artistic heritage asset, it was recently the focus of an attentive restoration, aimed at further enhancing the location. For this reason, the project involved the entire complex at 360°, both from an architectural and vegetation point of view, and a technical lighting enhancement could not be neglected, created by lighting designer Carolina De Camillis with some Linea Light Group solutions.

The rose bushes, the orange trees, the pine trees, the fountains: all the elements in the gardens were enhanced thanks to the skilful installation of the various solutions, reducing the visual impact of the products used to a minimum and avoiding glaring where they were positioned. In the end, a balanced study of the light play was conducted through a management system that made it possible to create dramatic and scenic effects to further emphasise the magic of the location.

To emphasise the architecture of the garden, with its different terraced levels and balustrades, the recess-mounted Paseo_L linear profile with IP67 and asymmetric optics was chosen. Treatable and highly versatile, thanks in part to the vast range of compatible accessories, it integrates a topLED source in opal or transparent polycarbonate body.

For the fountains and water areas, Vigilant was chosen, the submerged spotlight in AISI 316 stainless steel with powerLED source and IP 68 rating for total protection against the water, as well as an IK 10 rating for maximum mechanical resistance. A highly versatile product that allows vast flexibility on a design level. In fact, here it was used both with white 4000K and RGB LED, with 15°, 60° and 120° optics for better colour and light beam adjustment.

Suelo_RJ, with IP 67 rating and recess-mounted on the ground with 15° tilting optics is the product used to emphasise the green. Suelo is the uplight for outdoor lighting, available in both fixed and tilting versions with many different power ratings and emission types. The body in aluminium and the flange in AISI 316L stainless steel make it sturdy and long-lasting over time.

Last, but not least, to light the paths and stairs, depending on the design requirements and the insertion restrictions, to reduce the aesthetic impact on the garden and the architecture, various types of solutions were selected such as bollards, recess-mounted wall and ground path-markers, all with high performance and a minimum IP rating of 65.

For on/off adjustment of the lighting systems based on predefined scenery schemes, as well as to adjust and modulate the luminous flow emitted and the colour of the light, a management system using DMX protocol was provided. The model selected was the Stick-DE3, capable of activating up to 10 simultaneous scenes, with a selector of up to 50 static or dynamic scenes, and a dimmer to adjust the lighting intensity and saturation.

Name: Hotel De Russie Garden – Rome

Design and L.D.: Pietro Paolo Lateano

Green design Sofia Varoli Piazza

Specialised technical lighting consultancy: Carolina De Camillis and Riccardo Fibbi

Photos: Matteo Canestraro

Products: Paseo, Vigilant, Suelo

Year: 2020