Client Tishman Speyer | Architects Aukett Fitzroy Robinson |
Photographer James Newton | Project Team Mark Major, Hiroto Toyoda |
Verde is a state-of-the-art office redevelopment located just minutes from Victoria Station in London. We were invited to design the lighting for the new lobby areas and to create the external lit identity.
The visual impact of the lighting equipment is kept to an absolute minimum, using a highly restricted palette of discreet fixtures that incorporate optimum technologies for quality and control of the light.
Highlighting the key vertical surfaces to improve legibility was a key move. For the single-height spaces, and in particular the deep-plan lift lobby, we chose to make use of reflected light from the pale floors. This helps to positively illuminate the soffits, lifting the appearance of these spaces and softening the transitions from the adjoining areas with higher ceilings.
The architectural concept for the façade is based on a theatrical curtain; a cover with both depth and texture, that hides the stair core. We approached the lighting design as a means to heighten this ‘curtain effect’ after dark. An undulating rhythm is created by alternating the intensity of miniature LED uplighters that are perfectly aligned between the metal fins in the cladding modules.
This ‘ripple’ effect is adjusted and exaggerated over the course of an evening, delivering a subtle but high impact exterior identity after dark