Prize(s) Winners in Heritage Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company BDP
Lead Designers Colin Ball
Other Designer's names Jonathan Redden
Architecture Company N/A
Interior Design Company N/A
Client Shaftesbury Capital
Photo Credits Tom Niven
Other Credits Studio Tech
Completion Date August 2023
Project Location London
Entry DescriptionLondon’s largest and most visited market has been transformed by a new external lighting scheme that enhances the visitor experience at night, prolonging dwell times and encouraging repeat visits.
Contemporary lighting techniques and new technology were key to reinventing the grade II* listed historic market hall. Lighting has been rebalanced by increasing the number of lanterns and lowering the power consumption and source brightness of each fitting. Modern optics with a warm colour temperature result in a uniform palette of evenly distributed comfortable lighting, maintaining the character of a predominately gas lit conservation area whilst increasing safety and security at night. The repurposing and meticulous restoration of the original hanging lanterns was welcomed by the client who was keen to reduce energy and minimise waste.
The portico buildings have been illuminated and the bottleneck balustrade that wraps around the building mezzanine uplit to reveal the warmth of the stone, and the London brick chimneys highlighted to provide texture, height and depth. Building columns are accented with vertical brightness and contrast at low level. The re-lit piazzas now direct arrivals from the underground station and create a sense of balance, harmony and welcome. Dynamic RGBW lighting for special events creates a sequence of experiences for this cosmopolitan urban environment.
Sustainability ApproachExisting lamps on the Grade II* listed Market Hall emitted misdirected high energy lighting and the lanterns were no longer fit for purpose. The UK-based manufacturer of the originals had them refurbished or produced replicas. Historic photos and old drawings were used to restore the original lantern design and locations; there are eight repurposed lanterns on each side of the building and 12 in the colonnades set in a zig-zag formation.
Dimmable LED-Moduls designed to replicate the special aesthetics of gas lighting engines replaced the outdated LED lamps.
Extensive 1:1 mock-ups were tested and reviewed with stakeholders. We reduced the impact on the heritage fabric, reducing 3-4 penetrations per fitting to 2. Historic England approved all details prior to installation.
The project improves social sustainability, aiding regeneration, improving safety at night and encouraging footfall.
Company DescriptionBDP is a major international, interdisciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers, lighting designers and urbanists. Founded in 1961, we employ 1500 people, combining expertise across disciplines, locations, sectors, designing at every scale.
We are unique among lighting designers as we work across every sector with all design disciplines. This enables us to apply tried and tested techniques from one sector to innovate in another. Evidence-based design is fundamental to what we do. We design with the occupant experience in mind, supported by research-based understanding.
