Project
Grill’D Swanston Street
Site
Grill’D Swanston Street
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Interior Design
Studio Y
Lighting Design & Supply
ambience
Casambi Commission Partner
ambience
Photography
Jake Roden
Video
Ryan Sauer
Video
Grill’d Swanston Street transforms casual dining in Melbourne’s CBD through a thoughtful lighting design developed by Ambience and Studio Y, creating a more atmospheric experience while maintaining the brand’s accessible and energetic feel. The two-level venue uses contrasting lighting approaches, with the naturally bright ground floor supporting daytime activity and the basement relying on layered artificial lighting to create warmth, depth, and intimacy. Powered by Casambi wireless control, the system allows seamless scene transitions and independent tuning of each level, helping the restaurant adapt effortlessly throughout the day and evening.
Grill’d Swanston Street reimagines what casual dining can feel like in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. Developed through a close collaboration between Ambience and Studio Y, the project explores how lighting can quietly shift a familiar fast-casual setting into something more atmospheric, without losing its accessibility or energy.
The venue is split across two levels, each with its own character. Instead of treating them the same, the lighting design uses contrast to define the experience. Both floors run on a shared Casambi wireless control system, but each operates through tailored scenes that respond to how the space is used throughout the day.
On the ground floor, the presence of natural daylight from Swanston Street keeps the atmosphere open and active. Lighting here supports that energy rather than competing with it, maintaining clarity and brightness while gently reinforcing key zones within the dining space.
The basement level takes a different approach. With no natural light, the space relies entirely on artificial lighting to build mood and comfort. Here, layers of light are introduced more deliberately. Track and downlights provide structure and visibility, while custom pendants and integrated LED elements soften the environment, adding warmth, depth, and moments of shadow that make the space feel more intimate.
Casambi plays a key role in balancing these two environments. Scenes are pre-set for different service periods, allowing the restaurant to move from daytime trade through to evening dining with simple, seamless transitions. Both levels remain connected through the same system, but each can be tuned independently depending on atmosphere and occupancy.
A standout element of the project is the use of the Symphony Oboe luminaire, applied in three different ways across the venue. Each variation responds to its setting, helping create visual continuity while still allowing each zone to feel distinct. This approach brings cohesion to the space without repetition.
What ties everything together is control that stays out of the way. Casambi allows the team to adjust scenes easily, respond to service needs, and fine-tune the environment without technical complexity. The lighting simply follows the rhythm of the restaurant.
Grill’d Swanston Street shows how lighting, when handled with care and flexibility, can shift the feel of a familiar dining space without changing what it is.
Share your work with us
If you have a Casambi project that you would like to publish at Casambi.com please click the button below and tell us a little bit more about the project. We’ll get back to you within two business days.