Category Archives: Architectural Lighting

Illuminated Bi-Fold Doors

We were approached in late 2019 by our client as they were building a new conference, banqueting & wedding venue in Wolverhampton and wanted our help.  They had seen our large illuminated, colour-changing glass panels on our website and wanted to have this idea applied to bi-fold doors in the venue.  After a site visit and various discussions, we were asked to produce two sets of bi-fold doors that would be internally illuminated with LEDs and that would change colour as you walked past the doors and as the doors opened and closed.  As these doors are double-sided, they look good whether open or shut. Our client said they wanted the doors to give their visitors the wow factor as they entered the building & they are delighted with the final result.

We believe that this is the first time that bi-fold doors have been produced in this way and we’re sure you will agree that the end result is stunning.

If you would like to see the doors in action please click on this link Illuminated Bi Fold Doors Opening – YouTube

Office Reception, London

We were asked to assist with the refurbishment of the lighting of a set of interior steps in the reception area of offices in central London.

At a site visit we discovered that the cold cathode lighting, which had been installed several years ago, was in need of replacement.

We proposed runs of white linear LED lighting under each step.  The images show how a small amount of LED lighting can transform a simple feature such as a set of steps and also provide an energy-efficient solution for the client.

Retail – Large Interior Light Wall, Oxford Street, London

It is the first time that Boots have had a multi-level store and we were asked to provide an illuminated feature for their new flagship store in Oxford Street, London. After several meetings and discussions, we designed a “light” wall consisting of illuminated colour-changing acrylic panels. This wall extends up three storeys inside the store behind the stairway. The wall is made up of 60 panels, each measuring 1200mm x 700mm. Several plasma screens are interspersed between these acrylic panels and these are used for advertising purposes. Each panel was made up of a rectangular piece of Prismex and lit along two edges with red, green and blue LED strips. Each one of these strips (two per panel) is individually addressed by a computer-based control programme, thus allowing an infinitely variable array of colour-changing and movement to be achieved. The computer which controls this wall is in an office nearby. The installation was quite complicated as the panels had to be installed behind the stairway and the installation date had to be scheduled in with other work on the site. A 4-man team carried out the installation and it took 5 days to complete.

Colour-Changing Wall

We were approached by Mitchell Eley Gould Architects in Bath who were working on a project at Red Maids School, Bristol.  The school were having a new building constructed – Redland Hall.  This building provides the school with a new performance space and auditorium.  The school wanted to have the area for serving refreshments at events supplied with first-class lighting.  Mitchell Eley Gould asked us if we could help with the provision of illuminated, colour-changing panels in the servery area.

Following meetings and site visits, the school decided on having six illuminated panels installed with shelving going across the front of the panels.  A 4-zone wall mounted touch panel was installed which allows the panels to either scroll through all the same colours at the same time, or to be set on different colours in groups.

This effect would also work very well in a bar, restaurant or hotel.

To see this installation in action please click here

 

Concierge Area, The Filaments, London

The Filaments is a residential development at the centre of a London borough and only a few minutes’ walk from Wandsworth town centre and consists of 340 private apartments, as well as shops, office space and lit gardens and walkways. We were commissioned to provide specialist lighting for the concierge area and were given a specification and asked to provide a more cost effective solution. The project involved the supply of LED strip downlights, lighting around the concierge’s desk, in addition to cove lighting which was to wash downwards over a specially painted wall and internal and external versions of strip lights which were to be installed under the exterior canopy. These were a very slimline profile with surface-mounted LEDs. The lighting around the concierge’s desk consisted of LED strip (with white only LEDs) and extrusion. The wall wash lighting was origninally specified using a high output constant current system, but we decided to use a new constant voltage system which utilises smaller output LEDs. However, the LEDs are columnated with reflectors in order to give a similar visual effect. The LEDs used here were 4000 Kelvin. All the walls in the concierge area were made of MDF but a special finish was applied to these walls to give it a metallic-look effect. Some of the ceiling lights were recessed (some of which had emergency back up systems) and some were suspended – the suspended ones were painted in the same metal finish as the walls. We also designed a system that enabled all the power supply units to be housed in one control room with all of the units being dimmable. The installation of all this lighting was carried out out by a 5 man team and took a week to complete.

Office Reception Area, Finsbury Square, London

We were asked to supply lighting to a wall in the reception area of this central London office building as the client wanted an eye-catching and modern design suitable for this refurbished office block. The illuminated feature wall is made up of 14 floor-to-ceiling panels of laminated glass behind which we installed panels of Prismex and each panel was edgelit with white LEDs. The colour-changing effect was achieved by laminating dichroic film on to the glass panels – dichroic film is a “mirror” film, which gives the appearance of changing colour as one walks past it. Each panel is set at an angle against the next one so that each panel appears slightly different from its neighbour when moving past it. The client also wanted the new reception desk to be illuminated in a single colour. The reception desk was made of slabs of black marble on the top with glass panels across the front of it. Again, we installed Prismex panels behind the glass and edgelit the panels with white LEDs. The whole effect creates a cutting-edge feature in this refurbished office reception area and as the entrance way to this office building is glass, it can be see by passers-by and looks just as stunning at night.

Illuminated Etched Glass, Office Reception Area, London

We were contacted by an architect to see if we could help solve a problem – their client wanted a large illuminated white graphic on a black background installed in the reception area of their new offices. This had been attempted by two other companies but unfortunately they had not been able to achieve what the client required. The design we put forward was to edge-light glass panels with an image sandblasted to the rear of the glass panels and then mount them in front of a black panel. The architect presented our design to their client who was very happy with our proposals and we were given the go-ahead. We had 20mm thick (at the client’s request) low iron, toughened glass panels produced with the image sandblasted to the rear of each panel. We also had bespoke high output white LEDs produced so that they fitted the top and bottom of the glass panels. Whilst this work was progressing, we worked closely with the interiors company on the design of the carcass. The installation was on the ground floor which made access easy and the only logistical issue we had to address was the lifting of each glass panel as each one weighed over 80kgs. We were only allowed one day to carry out the installation (which was done by a 4-man team) but unfortuantely the surround and back panels were not ready (they should have been fitted before we got to site) so we had fit the glass panels without them being fitted. We were given a 6-week lead time for this project, which we met. These photos were taken during the installation (due to security reasons we were not able to return to take photos after installation).

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Illuminated Reception Desks

We are able to produce eye-catching illuminated reception desks suitable for offices, hotels, doctors surgeries, dental surgeries, hospital out-patients etc. These images show a selection of desks that we have illuminated in the past. They range from traditional receptions desks illuminated with just white LEDs, to a contemporary design illuminated with white LEDs to give the effect that it is floating, to reception desks which have colour-changing LEDs in them. If you want to create the right impression for your clients when they visit your premises, an illuminated desk will do just that. If the desk has colour-changing LEDs in it, they can be set to scroll through the company’s corporate colours or the company’s logo can be put on the front of the desk. The illuminated panels are very slim so they do not take up a lot of room in the desk, leaving plenty of space for computers, printers etc.

Refectory Lighting, Prior Park College, Bath

Prior Park College is situated overlooking the beautiful city of Bath. The College has nealry 600 pupils and is one of the largest fully co-educational Catholic Independent boarding and day schools in the UK. Prior Park was formerly the home of Ralph Allen and was built during the Georgian period of Bath stone. During the refurbishment of its refectory, the College approached us as they wanted a lighting feature installed that would become a talking point. Having visited our offices for a LiteTile demonstration, the College asked us to produce a lighting feature for their refectory. We carried out a site survey and we decided a LiteTile unit was the best option. However, we suggested that the LiteTile unit should be surrounded by a purpose-built white frame in order to give the impression of a window in the refectory. Prior Park College agreed with this and we proceeded to manufacture a LiteTile unit. This panel has colour-changing LEDs in it which are controlled by an infra-red remote control unit. The College told us that they “wanted an eye-catching yet practical feature in our servery and we were delighted to find that a local company could provide just that. We are thrilled to be the first educational establishment in the UK to have a LiteTile installed, as well as being the first venue in Bath to have one installed”. The College also said “As well as the feature lighting changing colour, we can set it on one particular colour to suit the occasion or season of the year and we are also going to display pupils’ works of art on it as well”.

 

Office Reception Area, London

We were asked to assist with the refurbishment of an office reception area in central London. In order to provide the eye-catching feature requested in the reception area, we proposed installing floor to ceiling illuminated panels to go behind the reception desk. Our proposals were accepted and we went on to produce a total of nine panels which were 2.9m high. These panels were then mounted behind glass panels (which was supplied by others). We then edge-lit 15mm Prismex panels along the top and bottom edges by using high output colour-changing LEDs. We worked closely with the interiors company to design the carcass in order to make it as easy to possible to fit the panels and LEDs. The whole system is controlled by a touch panel installed underneath the reception desk. Installation was carried out by a three man team and took two days to complete.

Retail – Large Shopfront, Oxford Street, London

This project was at the new Boots flagship store in Oxford Street, London. The client had applied for planning permission for an externally illuminated installation at the front of the store but planning permission was not granted for this. As we were already working on another project at this store, we were asked if we could provide an installation that would be in place for approximately 6 months and which would give a “goal-post effect” at the store’s entrance. Following various site meetings, in order to achieve the effect that our client wanted we used the same Prismex material as on the other project in the store, we manufactured and supplied an array consisting of 600mm wide sections located vertically to each end of the glass entrance façade of the building and horizontally across the top of the first floor to give the full “goalpost” effect. To illuminate these panels we used over 450 super-high output blue LEDs. Although both these features are in a retail environment, they can be easily adapted for use in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, offices etc and even external use. This blue colour matches the company’s corporate colour and the installation provided is highly visible from all aspects of Oxford Street and provides just the right effect for the flagship store of a national chain. This installation was only meant to be in place for 6 months but the client is so happy with it that it is still in situ many years later.

Shopping Mall, Cardiff

Situated on Queen Street, right in the heart of Cardiff, Queens Arcade houses some of the city’s most exciting and well known stores and independent boutiques, plus a range of sports specialist brands. The brief we were given for this project was for a wall wash effect for two corridors and the central rotunda area of this covered shopping mall in central Cardiff. Having carried out a site survey and after several meetings with the designer we were able to achieve this by using a high output wall wash system which consisted of 1 watt constant current LEDs which we made up into bespoke 1200mm long modules. These modules were then mounted on to the walls of the shopping mall and installed into existing alcoves. All these were controlled from one central pc-based control unit. However, this control unit was 400 yards away on the roof of the shopping mall – we therefore had to install specialised DMX signal boosters to allow control from such a long distance. The owners of the shopping mall wanted the lighting to become a focal point of the building so the system was progrmamed to run a slow cycle of the client’s three corporate colours. The system we installed illuminates the top floor walls and the domed ceiling of the shopping mall. The installation (by a 3-man team) was straightforward but due to the shops in the shopping mall being open during the day, the installation had to take place at night time and took a total of 5 nights to complete.

Illuminated Bar Front, Jersey Opera House, Jersey, Channel Islands

We were commissioned by one of Jersey’s leading commercial and domestic interior specialists to assist with their refurbishment of the Upper Circle Bar in the Jersey Opera House. Finished with comfortable, stylish furnishings and with a capacity for 100 people, they wanted us to create an eye-catching lighting feature in the bar. We suggested a “window effect” on the front of the bar. The client was worried that this effect would be too cumbersome but we designed it so that it would not occupy too much of the internal space of the bar. We were also able to reassure the client that the system would be low maintenance. Having had several discussions with the client, we decided to utilise the LiteTile system in order to produce 4 slimline panels – with colour-changing LEDs along the top and bottom of each glass-fronted panel. Each panel is just 20mm deep and is a “sandwich” of materials with glass on the front, but because of the way the panels were assembled there is minimal chance of damage to the front of the bar. These panels were then installed into the bar carcass and then an ornate wooden frame was mounted over the front. The installation was carried out by a 1-man team over 2 days. This lighting system is controled via a remote wi-fi system and the bar staff are able to select the colours they want displayed to suit special events in the bar or seasons of the year.