Lighting control for Bistro SOMA

Lighting control for Bistro SOMA in Žižkov

SOMA is not the same place throughout the day. In the morning and late morning, it works as a space for coffee, work, and short meetings. Later, it naturally shifts into a calmer mode, where light does not only help people see, but also supports the atmosphere.

For Bistro SOMA in Prague's Žižkov district, we designed a lighting control system that connects several lighting technologies into one coordinated whole. The result is lighting that adapts to the time of day and the way the space is used, without requiring the staff to switch individual modes manually.

One system for different layers of light

In a hospitality interior, lighting is made of several layers. General lighting behaves differently from accent lighting, and decorative light has a different role again. In SOMA, these layers needed to work together instead of being controlled as separate technical islands.

The solution combines:

• SC Industry A for DALI luminaires
• SC Industry One for additional lighting circuits
• Shelly powered by Spectoda for RGB and RGBWW elements
• Spectoda Gateway for timing and lighting-scene automation

The installation includes track lights, DALI panels, and WS2805 digital LED strips. This makes it possible to combine functional lighting with a softer atmospheric layer, while smoothly adjusting intensity, color, and white color temperature according to the current situation.

Automation based on the time of day

A key part of the solution is lighting-scene automation. The bistro naturally changes its pace during the day, and the lighting changes with it. During the day, it supports a brighter and more practical environment for guests and staff. In the evening, the scenes move toward warmer tones and lower intensity so the space feels calmer and more comfortable.

For the staff, this means less everyday setup. For guests, it creates a smoother experience in a place that should not feel exactly the same in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening.

Operational benefit

Good lighting control in hospitality is not just a technical layer. It influences how a space feels, how people behave in it, and how easily it can be operated every day.

For SOMA, the system mainly brings:

• unified control of different lighting technologies
• automated scenes without manual switching
• wireless control complemented by DALI integrations
• flexibility for future adjustments and expansion

Technically, the project combines several types of luminaires and controllers. In everyday use, however, the result is meant to feel simple: the lighting follows the rhythm of the space and does not add work for the team behind the bar.

Result

Bistro SOMA now uses a lighting system that keeps different technologies together and allows them to be controlled according to the operation of the space. Light is no longer a separate technical layer in the background, but a natural part of the interior.

That is the point. Well-designed light should not only shine in a space. It should work with it.