Kicking off the festive season at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair last month, Lee Broom has unveiled a new sculptural lighting installation set within the hotel’s marble staircase.
Courtesy of Lee Broom, the Hail Chandlier by Lee Broom is a temporary installation inside the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair and has been curated by Mayfair Design District
Words by Roddy Clarke
While the unveiling of Christmas decorations has become a celebrated tradition for many of London’s iconic hotels, for the Mandarin Oriental in Mayfair they decided to take it one step further, merging the worlds of art, design and lighting to create a showstopping bespoke chandelier in partnership with Lee Broom. Suspended above the venue’s marble staircase, the bespoke Hail chandelier adds drama and impact and, while unveiled for the festive period, will be on display until May 2026 for visitors to enjoy.
With Broom’s expertise in blending heritage craft with modern style, this new work by the designer is further proof of his meticulous eye for detail. Composed of brushed gold columns and hand-blown reeded glass shards, the large-scale chandelier complements the building’s grand architectural features, adding to the sense of theatre that already remains prevalent. ‘I wanted to evoke a celestial fall of light, something sculptural and serene,’ Broom explains. ‘It captures that sense of being grand yet understated at the same time. And, while it needed to feel festive, it is also an art piece that references the architecture of the space and offers something more modernist.’
Courtesy of Lee Broom, The installation is inspired by a celestial fall of light and is made up of individual hand-blown glass shards and gold columns
With the hotel attracting visitors from all over the world, this installation is certainly adding a magical touch to people’s festive experiences. ‘I wanted to create something that spoke to everyone in that sense, that everyone could relate to,’ he continues. With guests able to view the chandelier while dining at the Atrium Restaurant or before an exclusive chef’s table experience at Somssi by Jihun Kim, the immersive, sensorial nature of it is one that creates its own atmosphere within the space. ‘I hope visitors feel a sense of engagement with the piece,’ Broom says. ‘As you move up or down the staircase, the light shifts around you and envelops the space creating quite a mesmerising moment.’
Courtesy of Lee Broom, Connecting the lobby to the restoration in the hotel, the immersive installation offers a unique experience for guests as they move through the space
Curated by Mayfair Design District as part of an ongoing cultural partnership with the hotel, it speaks to the organisation’s commitment in championing bold creative collaborations that reshape how culture is experienced in the city. ‘I asked Lee Broom to reinterpret the Christmas tree through the language of light,’ says curator Anne-Laure Pingreoun-Lastro. ‘The result is a poetic, architectural gesture that deepens the hotel’s atmosphere and elevates the spirit of the season. It also reflects our commitment to activating spaces with art and design that inspire, connect and spark new conversations.’
Courtesy of Lee Broom, The chandelier has also been created in dialogue with the surrounding architecture of the hotel
In connecting the lobby and the restaurant together, the chandelier also emphasises how lighting can elevate a space entirely, especially within hospitality environments. ‘Light shapes emotion and it sets the tone immediately,’ says Broom. ‘Anyone who stays in a hotel wants to experience a number of different things, including a sense of escapism and something more elevated than their everyday life at home. With that in mind, light becomes the perfect vehicle to orchestrate drama and wonder. People are instinctively drawn to light, and when it is combined with sculpture, it creates an irresistible fusion, one that transforms a space into an experience.’
Hail by Lee Broom is on display until May 2026 within the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair.
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