OMIO Atelier & Design is a unique atelier in the world’s high-end contract sector. They use a combination of craftsmanship, engineering, and factory production. OMIO combines artisan techniques, technical know-how, and industrial capacity to face the new challenges posed by a constantly changing market. They work with interior designers, architectural designers, purchasing agents, and property owners by bringing their ideas to life, however complex they may be.
In this article, OMIO shares some of their most interesting projects with Cruise Ship Interiors Expo.
The Flock
The Flock is a project designed, manufactured, and installed by OMIO’s team in the lobby of 4-star hotel, Guayarmina Princess. The sculpture represents a flock of seagulls flying in the sunlight. This complements the hotel’s location on the beach of Adeje, Tenerife. It is composed of 450 figures each measuring 65 cm. These then form a column two meters wide and 26 meters long. This also rotates at 180º over a height of seven meters to create the illusion of movement.
The figures of the seagulls were designed synthesizing different light patterns and then arranged and interposed at different heights, creating ordered chaos. This overall ensured the flight pattern of the flock was as organic as possible.
Installation
The Flock was suspended from the roof tube network using 30 units of 1.5 mm stainless steel cables and anchoring and control systems designed and manufactured specifically for the occasion. Specialists completed the vertical installations using six-storey scaffolding.
Nákar
Nákar is a project OMIO completed for Maspalomas Princess hotel. It consists of hand-woven lamp pendants that hang in the hotel lobby. These were inspired by the unmistakable shape of Chinese lanterns, the iconic Disa lamp that the architect Coderch imagined in the 1950s and the iconic Totem by LZF and Forestier. The Nákar lamp’s shape represents clusters of dates from the native Canarian palm that grows in the hotel’s surroundings.
Manufacturing
Opal white methacrylate tubes of 2.3 and 3.3 meters length x 120 mm diameter were the main materials for the main axis and light source. Inside, they house a double LED strip of 60 W / 85W power in total.
For the shades, which have a diameter of up to 1.2 meter, OMIO made metal rod frames, coated in hand-woven natural rattan marrow flat tape. These were then treated and hand painted in white, ochre and green. The set was finished off at the bottom with a white opal methacrylate disc.
Installation
Because of the fragility of the materials used, the lights were dismantled during their transportation to the hotel. Despite their size, the assembly at Maspalomas Princess was quick and seamless. OMIO devised a locking system that could be adjusted at the bottom to exert the appropriate pressure in each case so that the modules were firmly attached to each other.
To suspend the 16 lamps, three steel cables with a diameter of 1.2 mm were used for each lamp. OMIO used tensioners to regulate the height at four meters above the ground. Due to the 15 meter ceiling height, and the difficulty of accessing it in case of future maintenance, the electrical installation was made above the deck.
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