Key West Germany — only the right lighting gives that Florida feeling

Witten, Germany

The American Diner in Witten, Germany, was named after Key West, situated at the western end of the Florida Keys, simply because it is such a special place to end a wonderful day. The lighting in the restaurant uses Helvar technology to recreate the same atmosphere as can be found in its American namesake. This ensures that the sunsets in the restaurant are almost as beautiful as the sunsets in the famous setting on the Gulf of Mexico.

Delicious food, expertly mixed cocktails and a great atmosphere – everything is just as it should be at Key West. The excellent cuisine is rounded off by a perfectly executed mix of coloured lighting effects, producing just the right holiday feeling to make diners feel great as soon as they arrive. The resulting effect is the same kind of atmosphere as can be appreciated almost every evening in the Florida Keys, when the red evening glow blends with the pastel shades of the sky and the deep blue sea. This is just the time to lean back and feel relaxed.

Light is not just a means to an end at Key West. Every evening, this unique moment is celebrated. The sunset at Key West, which is accompanied by music, lasts precisely 4 minutes and 25 seconds. At the end of this time, the restaurant is bathed in a gentle blue light, which will delight and impress every dinner guest.

Rüdiger Dunkel from konzept FABRIK in Dortmund, Germany, was responsible for designing the concept and fittings for Key West. An experienced architect and expert in the catering business, he knows just how to make guests feel at ease. The atmosphere at Key West is reminiscent of a typical US diner on the Atlantic coast but without being too tacky. The light wood panels on the walls and table tops fit in perfectly with the dark leather bar stools and seating arrangements. Rüdiger Dünkel explained, “We wanted to focus on high-quality materials and a careful balance of colours for the furnishings.” The bistro is fitted with suspended lights and illuminated ceiling fans. All lighting elements can be dimmed using Helvar dimmer switches, which are controlled by the Helvar Imagine 920 Router. This means that the right amount of background light can be selected to suit every occasion.

A number of LED panels hidden in the partly suspended ceiling provide indirect lighting. These ensure the right mix of colours to recreate the perfect sunset. The required lighting effect can be selected at the touch of a fingertip on the Helvar 924 TouchPanel, which is set up in the bar area. This is very simple to operate thanks to the intuitive menu navigation – even new bar staff will find it easy to grasp straight away.

The Imagine Router and the TouchPanel control not only the main lighting and indirect LED lights above the suspended ceilings, but also the large outside terrace, the illuminated advertising and the smokers’ lounge.

The lighting design at Key West was based on Helvar technology from the outset. The Imagine 920 Router is ideally suited to the central control of all components. At its lowest configuration level, the Imagine Router can operate two DALI subnets with up to 128 DALI/ DIGIDIM devices connected. In addition, a further 252 individual components can be controlled using the DMX interface. For example, the smokers’ lounge at Key West is operated by DMX Bus. Communications between the Imagine Router and the TouchPanel take place via the DALI network, which is simple, safe and cost-efficient.

Helvar LED drivers are used for the many LED spotlights in Key West, setting new standards in the optimization of energy efficiency. These are in an enclosed housing for easy installation and are available in 6 W and 20 W versions, making them ideally suited for commercial use.

As well as the spectacular sunset setting, the Helvar Touch Panel can also be used to set a wide variety of other moods and effects. One highlight, for example, is the Blue Night setting – at a touch of a button, the lighting changes to blue flashing lights, which are just like the blue flashing lights of the law. After six flashes, the system changes back again to a changing colour or set colour setting. The combination of Helvar Imagine 920 Router, Helvar Touch Panel and Helvar LED drivers means that the creative lighting options are practically unlimited. Werner Schmidt already has a great many new ideas he wants to try out – Caribbean Nights, Beach Party or May Ball – Helvar means you can find the right light setting whatever the event.

Witten, Germany