London,
A stunning new project from Lightingspiration for rooftop bar and restaurant, CÉ LA VI, marking their fifth venue worldwide and first European site, with London chosen as the prime location for this exciting new chapter.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Cé La Vi is more than a hospitality brand—it’s a lifestyle experience. With locations in iconic cities like Hongkong, Taipei, Dubai and Singapore. The brand merges luxury, culture and nightlife into a cohesive identity. Each venue reflects the local spirit while maintaining a consistent global aesthetic: bold, immersive and sensorial.
Lighting plays a central role in expressing this identity. The lighting design is tailored to evoke emotion, guide movement, and enhance architectural storytelling. Each Cé La Vi venue is a collaboration between top-tier architects and interior designers.
LOCATION & CONCEPT
Adress: Levels 17 & 18, Paddington Square, London W2 6LG
Architectural Landmark: Situated atop the Renzo Piano-designed glass tower, accessed via a private external glass lift.
Opening Date: Officially opened on 12 September 2025.
Claim to Fame: West London’s highest rooftop restaurant, continuing the brand’s tradition of elevated luxury from Marina Bay Sands
(Singapore) to Dubai and Tokyo.
Lighting is not just functional—it’s part of the material palette, enhancing the tactile and visual experience. Guests often describe the atmosphere as “cinematic”, “vibrant”, and “unforgettable”—a testament to the power of lighting in shaping experience.
THE CHALLENGE
The project was long and complex as there were any drawings, plans or pictures of CéLaVi before realization.
The only document we received beforehand was the lighting schedule from the designer in which originally was called for 20 x Frame 165*
*The schedule was later updated by the lighting designer to include: 26 x Frame 165 / 1 x Pollux 3 (256cm – 12.5cm grid) / Spectre 100cm H5 (5 Tier)
The original lighting schedule was received in November 2023 from a UK contractor and over the course of the next 12-18 months, we worked hard to develop strong relationships with all key stakeholders, including the various contractors, but more importantly the lighting designer in Dubai (Skyelume) and eventually also the buyers at CéLaVi.
QUASAR’S SOLUTION
Demonstrating our flexibility to work with them on budget and educating all stakeholders in terms of our bespoke abilities and the possibility to ‘value engineer’ within the existing design was absolutely key to securing this project and became very important later on when the budget was being more carefully considered.
Quasar proposed a budget engineering approach: once the budget was confirmed, they would design the best possible fixture within those constraints. The client accepted this approach, allowing Quasar to prioritize visual effect and feasibility over rigid specifications.
For Example:
Pollux 3 – Size of the cubes within the fixture were increased 12.5cm to 15cm
Frame 165 – This was reduced to Frame 111
Spectre 100cm H5 levels -This was changed to the Spectre 100cm H4 levels
ASSEMBLY
Our team does manual craftmanship. In addition to focusing on quality, they also pay attention to the aesthetics. Form & function remain in perfect balance, tailored to the unique character of every space.
This case underlines how Quasar supports architects and designers in pushing the boundaries of light, delivering solutions that are as technically sound as they are visually compelling.
The fixtures are thoroughly inspected and tested before transport to ensure everything is functioning properly. Packaging is also done manually, and in many cases, this is a part of a custommade proces.
THE OUTCOME
This collaboration exemplifies Quasar’s commitment in working together to achieve the best result. During this project creative budget engineering was on test without lowering the effect of the end result.
REALISATION
A tailored installation guide made it possible the fixture got installed by a professional installer. All together….resulting in a beautiful final outcome. The project is even more stunning as the designer doubled the lighting effect by using a mirror faced ceiling.
CREDITS
By – Lightingspiration
Lighting Design – Skyelume
Interior Design – Prospect design international
Photography – adamlynk_photographer and johnnysphotography