Prize(s) Winners in Retails Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company ambience
Lead Designers Henriette Bjerke, Ed Linacre, KTA, David Justice
Other Designer's names Kerstin Thompson Architects
Architecture Company Kerstin Thompson Architects,
Interior Design Company Kerstin Thompson Architects,
Client Readings
Photo Credits Will Neil
Other Credits EMAC.
Completion Date May 2025
Project Location Melbourne, Australia
Entry DescriptionThe lighting design for Australian bookstore, Readings, exemplifies the harmonious blend of functionality, sustainability, and aesthetic innovation. The project harnesses illumination to enhance atmosphere and guide customer behaviour. While the emphasis was placed on reducing the environmental impact, lighting supports the core function of the space: reading and buying books.
The hallmark is the striking 23-meter by 3.4-meter paper lantern, made entirely from misprinted books. This was a direct response to client feedback that significant book waste was an ongoing issue.
This sustainable feature was inspired by the traditional Japanese papermaking technique of Nagashi-zuki, with custom pulp baths and frames engineered for the project. Countless iterations of light testing were required to achieve a balance between design, light output, and energy efficiency, resulting in a stunning, functional centerpiece.
Linear lighting, integrated into the joinery, illuminates the bookshelves while subtly guiding movement. A wall wash effect adds depth and warmth to the design, while the curved shroud wall lights near the shopfront illustrate form meeting function. This thoughtful approach to lighting not only complements the industrial aesthetic but underscores the project’s small footprint ethos, making lighting the showcase of the overall design narrative.
Sustainability ApproachThe entire project is a triumph for a considered environmental impact approach. The stunning paper lantern, crafted from unsellable misprinted books had a year of development to create a refined pulp and processing method, ensuring quality, and optimal light transmission. Remarkably, the lantern's light output was so effective that no supplementary lighting was needed in the zone, resulting in significant energy savings.
It was engineered for disassembly, and ease of replacement. Just 25 misprinted books were used to create all 130 light panels, requiring minimal energy use.
The track lighting fixtures are uncoated and raw, free from toxic chemicals. Their production process incorporated recycled lighting waste in the process, contributing to a 95% energy saving against non-recycled internal components.The project minimised packaging waste by using 100% recycled packaging.
