Hemingway

A tribute to the writer through space.

Type of Project

Hospitality and Gastronomic Spaces

Client

Grupo Pelícano

Location

A Coruña/España

Year

2025

Client

Hemingway

A tribute to the writer through space.

Ernest Hemingway popularized the Iceberg Theory: the idea that a story’s true strength lies not in what is told on the surface, but in everything that remains submerged—hinted at but not exposed.

When approaching the lighting design for the Hemingway café-cocktail bar in A Coruña, we adopted that very same premise: making the light tell the story through what it reveals on the surface and everything it suggests through shadow.

A light that reveals and suggests

Lighting should neither take center stage nor over-explain the space; instead, it must tell the project’s story. This is a story whose narrative is conceived by Grupo Pelícano’s creative team and translated into spatial terms by Imaisdé Design Studio, which brings it to life through the spatial journey, materials, color, furnishings, and interior architecture. The venue pays tribute to the story of Hemingway’s arrival in A Coruña and his connection to the port and the city.

History through matter

The nautical references—the blued-finish iron and the circular light fixtures resembling portholes—take on historical significance, evoking the adventurous spirit of our protagonist, the sea voyage, and the port of A Coruña that welcomed him one summer day nearly a century ago.

The scale and arrangement of the tubular iron and reeded-glass light fixtures align with the tables they illuminate, helping to reinforce the space’s intimate atmosphere. Due to their weight, the large-format fixtures required ceiling reinforcement.

Designing Intimacy: Light That Creates a Sanctuary.

A warm color temperature of 2200K has been maintained throughout the venue’s lighting to create an intimate atmosphere. The 360º neon LED encircling the decorative infinity-mirror elements reinforces this warmth while being carefully dimmed to ensure an overall low-key lighting effect. A downward wash of light from LED profiles integrated behind the bench seating highlights the authentic stone texture of this historic venue, located between the Marina and Calle Real. Both the stonework and the panels featuring references to Hemingway and his work are illuminated by spotlights—also filtered to 2200K—using 25º optics to make these elements stand out against the rest of the space. The copper finish of the barrels is enhanced by this same warm tone, which creates a vibrant effect upon contact with the material.

A contrast is created by the suspended decorative fixtures; their extra-warm 1900K color temperature makes them the focal point of the space.

Each table is illuminated by an extruded aluminum pendant light featuring a recessed light source, thereby eliminating any potential glare. While the finishes of these pendants vary to create contrast within the space, they all incorporate a GU10 “super-spot” lamp with a 10º beam angle, providing precise, focused illumination on the tables while preserving the venue’s intimate atmosphere.

Where architecture invites you to tell stories.

The union of architecture and lighting has created an elegant, intimate space that conveys far more than meets the eye—and is currently the talk of the town in A Coruña’s nightlife scene. Hemingway himself would have thoroughly enjoyed every detail of this Grupo Pelícano venue, a place that invites you to share stories and savor life.

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