Somerset House, a grade I listed neoclassical landmark, is one of London’s iconic cultural venues. Its courtyard hosts winter ice skating, summer concerts, and a variety of events and celebrations.
The previous lighting, designed by Patrick Woodroffe 15 years ago, utilised pioneering LED technology. Although it performed well over the years, the equipment was aging and increasingly difficult to maintain. We were tasked with developing a new lighting scheme that would deliver the same or enhanced effects while minimising environmental impact and maximizing sustainability.
Early in the design process, a competitive tender was conducted to select a supplier and develop full-scale mock-ups for testing various light distributions and optics. This allowed us to compare equipment and refine the design. By optimising light distribution, we reduced the number of luminaires needed for full coverage by 30%. Where three pairs of linear uplights were previously used to illuminate a bay of the building, we achieved the same effect with just a single pair of uplights.
We upgraded the balustrade lighting from a fixed white light to tuneable colour with 300mm pixel increments, enabling new dynamic effects. Custom baffles were added to control light spill and keep illumination contained within the balustrade.
Advanced control technology has significantly reduced cabling and infrastructure clutter. Instead of a separate cable for each luminaire, we used a single daisy-chained cable, streamlining the installation.
To minimise embodied carbon and avoid new fixing points, we retained and reconfigured much of the original bracketry. We also integrated the new system with the existing Pharos control system, enhancing it rather than replacing it.
The new fittings use approximately 50% less energy while delivering the same luminance as the previous scheme. Their state-of-the-art control technology channels power to the active colour, allowing the luminaires to achieve up to three times greater brightness, creating more vivid and impressive effects. This capability has already been showcased in recent summer events and during Skate 2024.
Unlike the first-generation LEDs, which were challenging to support and upgrade, the new luminaires feature modular components that can be replaced or upgraded in the future, extending the system’s lifespan. The luminaires use glass, polycarbonate, and aluminium that can all be recycled at their eventual end of life.
Overall, the scheme has revitalised and enhanced a previously impressive lighting design, incorporating the latest technology to minimise both embodied and operational carbon.
