Located in the heart of trendy Sandton, Johannesburg, Zioux is a fusion of cool, classic, and contemporary, a carefully curated cocktail of food, drinks, and music with a funky lounge vibe and unique interior design inspired by some of the magnificent animals, attributes, and energy that make Africa amazing. Zioux manager Dino Constantinou is into technology and knew lighting would be integral to creating the right ambience in the restaurant. He was delighted when DWR specified 18 Robe moving lights – 12 LEDBeam 150s and 6 SPOTEs fitted with wide angle lenses – to help make the atmosphere extra special.
Johnny Scholtz headed the project for DWR. Constantinou already had ideas about what he wanted, which was lighting to create subtle effects and texturing around the room for general dining, which could be ramped up to generate excitement and hustle for the later evenings and live DJ sets at the weekends. The venue is also used for events which have different and additional lighting requirements.
Zioux’s management team also operates Saints, another highly successful Sandon nightspot, for which DWR completed a small lighting installation comprising one Robe LEDBeam 150 for the DJ with a couple of color changing up-lighters for the garden. However, this well-placed illumination made a huge difference, so Constantinou had no hesitation in consulting Scholtz again. “Any lighting in Zioux had to be elegant and appropriate to the space,” explained Scholtz, who suggested fixtures with multiple features that would segue harmoniously with the interior visuals and environmental lighting.
Robe launched the SPOTE in 2021, and Scholtz saw a perfect opportunity for this new small moving light, thinking it would be great coupled with the established LEDBeam 150 for effects, offering a highly flexible all-LED solution. In fact, these were the first SPOTEs to be installed in Africa. The punchy 3,400 lumen output fixture was picked for its compact size and light weight, and it is designed for clubs and restaurant / event venues just like this. It has plenty of interesting effects and is great for beam-work, utilizing Robe’s TE 70W White LED engine from their ground-breaking TRANSFERABLE ENGINE technology. The wider beam angle was selected to add a bit more texture to the light output.
The LEDBeam 150s Scholtz knew would be ideal for all events and day-to-day operation, “They are small and versatile and great for producing fabulous washes and great color with good soft edges for the wider angles which is often tricky in a busy space.” He observed that Robe has “greatly expanded its product range in the last couple of years, so all applications – large and smaller – can benefit from the same quality engineering.”
Once the Zioux order was green lighted, DWR had to work quickly to get the kit supplied, installed, and commissioned in time for the opening. The main challenges on site were making everything slick and neat, and accessing the roof as most of the fixtures are in the highest part of the ceiling. As they needed to be solidly rigged, thick threaded metal rods were chemically fixed into the structural roof concrete for attaching the lighting brackets, and the false ceiling was added around the lights. The LEDBeams and SPOTES are positioned to light the main seating and mingling areas, the DJ booth and to catch the bar and the large chandelier shades above it, adding color and texturing.
Constantinou wanted full control of the lighting from his cell phone, so Scholtz spec’d a Light Shark web-based app-controlled interface which runs with an LS-core box that accommodates two DMX universes. Before that, the lighting was programmed into sequences and looks using a console which was uploaded to the box and can be accessed via the app. “It was fantastic to be part of this flagship restaurant in Johannesburg,” concluded Scholtz who enjoyed working with Dino who was prepared to be innovative and different in his approach and believed in investing in the “best of the best for his projects”.
Opening just as the pandemic restrictions were lifted, Zioux has already been a massive success generating much interest, with waiting lists to book tables and events as people reconnect, enjoy the buzz of human interaction and being able to mix again after a tough couple of years.
Further information from Robe lighting: www.robe.cz
Photos: By Louise Stickland
