Prize(s) Winners in Interior Architectural Illumination
Lighting Design/Product Company Ström
Lead Designers Anna Clara Sandgren & Emilio Hernandez
Architecture Company Matthew Allchurch Architects (MAA)
Client Union Investment Real Estate
Photo Credits FRENCH+TYE
Other Credits Ambit: Fit Out
Completion Date June 2025
Project Location London, UK
Entry DescriptionIn response to evolving workplace needs, the office reception at Finsbury Circus House – located on London’s historic Finsbury Circus – has undergone a complete transformation, with a lighting scheme that strengthens the overall design vision and creates an atmosphere suited to each space.
While the North and South entrances benefit from natural light through their large glazed facades, the building's deep-plan nature created a tunnel-like effect before the refurbishment that resulted in poor perception of the centrally placed reception desk and security gates. The newly designed lighting scheme establishes a clearer visual hierarchy, making navigation more intuitive, while also creating a softer and more welcoming space, introducing pockets of interest, and accentuating rich textures and materials.
As part of the lighting solution, a bespoke brass and ribbed-glass chandelier sits elegantly above the reception desk, providing both uplighting to the ceiling and task lighting below. The newly installed coffee bar is complemented by a matching chandelier.
Collaboration and thoughtful design have delivered a beautifully balanced lobby where the lighting design naturally draws people into the space and creates a warm, comfortable, and refined environment – somewhere they genuinely want to spend time, be it for a meeting, waiting for someone, or having a bit of downtime.
Sustainability ApproachThe design approach prioritised responsible specification – sourcing from UK/EU manufacturers whose products are designed with maintenance and end-of-life in mind. Architectural luminaires exceed Part L requirements, while coffered lighting and light troughs use standardised dimensions to allow future maintenance, replacement or upgrades of luminaires without damaging the ceiling or flooring and generating unnecessary waste.
This approach was necessary as, after 13 years, much of the existing lighting design had reached the end of its first useful life. The shift from a monolithic space to one with a hospitality feel also made the preferred strategy of repurposing key fixtures less feasible. However, where possible, serviceable lighting, such as decorative pendants and floor lights, was donated to the reuse marketplace Globechain – allowing it to be specified on another project.
Company DescriptionStröm is a lighting design studio founded by Swedish/British partnership Anna Clara Sandgren and Emilio Hernandez. The studio is based in Sweden and the projects it collaborates on are far and wide. From residential, retail and hospitality to commercial and masterplans, Ström’s core values remain the same: to create timeless, buildable, maintainable and sustainable lighting schemes.
