Centre Point,
London, UK

The landmark Grade II Centre Point building has been London's "unmistakable North Star" since the 1960s. The lighting for this iconic site celebrates the unique geometries and patterns inherent in the brutalist architecture.
Client
Almacantar
Date
2012 - 2019
Architect
Rick Mather Architects
Architect + Interior Designer
Conran and Partners
Creative Ambassador
Eley Kishimoto
Photography
Almacantar
 
Project Team
Clementine Fletcher-Smith, Ewan Parsons

We worked closely with Rick Mather Architects, Conran and Partners and the creative ambassador to the building, Eley Kishimoto, on the site which consists of three buildings, Centre Point Tower, Centre Point House and White Lion House, all connected by a glass link bridge. 

“
In highlighting the sculptural pilotis and soffits, light creates a welcoming halo around the base of the Tower building and guides pedestrians through the East-West link. Carefully managed intensity gradients with focal points on the feature stair and the link bridge support easy transitions and connections across the site. ”

By day, natural light creates shadows in the deep coffers of the Tower, creating a distinctive pattern. After dark, we inverted this effect by highlighting the signature graphic apertures of the two bookend cores and working with intermittent lighting from residential windows, shaping an animated 'lantern' effect that lifts and lightens the structure.


Capping the Tower, we uplit its zigzagged crown edge and renewed the famous signage. Challenged to create a design that would allow for views out while maintaining landmark presence and avoiding back-spill into the Penthouse apartment, we embarked on an extensive design, testing and mock-up process. The resulting bespoke detail recreates the letters using graphic outlines and edge-lit mesh to visually fill in the letters without impacting on their transparency.






The core window reveals, lift lobby soffits, and brise soleil are all expressed, the latter detail also visually extending the lighting within the resident's swimming pool inside the building. Echoing this, the clerestory and brise soleil on Centre Point House are expressed with carefully integrated light.


Internally, the shared spaces feature meticulously integrated lighting details that highlight key vertical surfaces, aiding legibility and wayfinding while providing a soft, warm and welcoming residential environment.