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Lighting for the second phase of the East Wing Project, designed by BDP Lighting, has been carefully integrated into the architectural and interior design elements. The journey through the new spaces is about the response of surface and built form to light which interact in a careful and balanced way to produce interest and focus. The lighting has also been designed to accommodate the visitor journey from the bright external world of Trafalgar Square through all the various elements of the newly opened areas and those of the initial phase, which was opened a year ago.
The Entrance Vestibule has lighting that essentially wall washes, assisting the visitor and creating balanced contrast ratios. This wall washing is also used to highlight the Benefactor wall plaques.
From the Entrance Vestibule, the visitor is led up the main staircase to the Central Hall and other galleries. This space has had all lighting removed including the chandelier, which was inappropriate both in its style and scale. Instead, new concealed lighting has been introduced. This lighting, which comprises modern LED systems to illuminate the newly decorated painted ceiling and cove, and fibre optic systems to light the painting of Cimabue's Celebrated Madonna by Baron Leighton of Stretton and the mosaic floor and stairs, eliminates all visible luminaires, thus producing an 'effect' without 'cause' solution. This emulates the philosophy adopted for the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Court in the initial phase works.
The predominantly daylit 'lantern' ante-chambers leading from the head of the stairs to the east, west and north, are all fitted with display track integrated into the pitched lanterns and have spotlights mounted thereon to highlight the mosaic floor, gilt column capitals and other features.
Moving from the Entrance Vestibule down to the ground floor level the visitor is led into a vaulted area uplit from floor recessed luminaires to emphasise the vaulting. This has given this space a high interest value, with careful contrast ratios of walls to floor to ceilings to maximise this part of the visual journey.
From the vaulted area the visitor is led into the Lower Hall, into the richness of colour décor with its warm red walls and black columns. Lighting comprises low glare downlights to provide controlled lighting for the display screen terminals that will be used in this hall, and track mounted spotlights which are used to light the display artwork.
The Lower Hall leads into the Annenberg Court, with the lighting systems in these abutting spaces carefully balanced to lead the visitor seamlessly from one space to the other.
The BDP Lighting solutions for both the initial phase of works and this current phase were designed as one project to ensure a single cohesive and integrated lighting solution. The design was carried out first and foremost to produce a considered and balanced 'intent', carefully evolved with the architects and interior designers. The end result is high quality lit spaces and surfaces that also assist the visitor in the journeys into and about the galleries without visual strain.