Designed by Patrick Woodroffe, who was commissioned by Somerset House’s director Gwyn Miles, the project involved transforming the night time ambiance at the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court with a classic warm white illumination on the facades. Additionally, utilizing RGBA fixtures, Woodroffe introduced the potential to bathe the buildings in a rich medley of colors, adding a theatrical dimension for corporate and themed events.
A key requirement was for the lighting scheme to be environmentally sustainable and involve low power and maintenance, so LED was the obvious choice. Out of the vast array of LED products available in the market, they specifically sought high quality, well engineered units that would underline the cost efficiency of using long life LED light sources.
Anolis ArcLine Optic Outdoor 1W, incorporating Luxeon K2 LEDs configured in an RGBA format was used in initial product trials. After the trials, ANOLIS produced a sample of custom ArcLine strip to meet the need of additional power and a greater color range.
The installation uses 89 special Anolis ArcLine Optic Outdoor 36 RGBA fixtures with 6×25 degree precision elliptical lenses – 34 on the west facade, 35 on the east facade and 18 on the south facade. The battens are mounted in the light-wells below courtyard level, up-lighting the building fascias and back-lighting the columns of three balconies which are integral to the structure.
Anolis ArcSource Outdoor 36 RGBA units with six degree optics fill the areas above the various doorways, which have shuttered optics that fit the light precisely to the space. There are 10 on the east and west facades, and 16 on the south. IP rated frosted tubing encasing Anolis ArcLink 4 strip are designed for the main strand entrance to the courtyard. 120 compact and flexible ArcLink 4 illumines the vestibules, the vaulted ceiling and the capitals of the entrance’s four central columns. The installation is completed with careful highlighting of the courtyard statue and flagpole – achieved using Anolis ArcSource Outdoor 36 Warm Whites with 15 degree optics.
The Anolis fixtures are driven and DMX controlled by over 50 ANOLIS ArcPower 72/K2 and ArcPower 36/SW drivers. The K2 Smart White drivers have been developed specially for electronic dimming and smooth fading of the white channels via a range of color temperatures. This allows for precise control of the color rendering, an attribute particularly pertinent for this style of architectural lighting.
The LED lighting is controlled by a Jands Vista PC system, triggered by an AMX panel located in the main building. It’s been pre-programmed with presets for various different shows and events, including a selection of rich static color looks and mixed contrasting colors. Effects chases like gentle ripples shimmering across the surfaces, waves and stepped blocks of color are also available.
Located between The Strand and the River Thames, Somerset House is a spectacular neo-classical building with one of the most architecturally stunning courtyards in the capital.
