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TECHNOLOGY / RETAIL CASE STUDY
Pics: Gareth Gardner
THE ART OF LIGHTING .PSLAB part of all-star cast in design of Barbican Foodhall and Barbican Lounge in London
Architects and designers SHH have brought together and led an all-star team – includ- ing furniture designer Stefan Bench, lighting company .PSLAB and Chelsea Flower Show double-gold medallist garden designer Kate Gould – to create two stunning new restau- rant spaces within one of London’s greatest 20th century architectural landmarks, the Barbican Centre.
SHH answered a brief from the Barbican to make the most of the location within this iconic building envelope, in order to create the new environments, which aim to be- come known as destination venues in their own right. According to SHH’s lead designer on the project Helen Hughes, the project “sought to bring the Centre’s food and bev- erage offer up to the level of the Barbican’s long-established worldwide reputation for art exhibitions and performances.” .PSLAB, has created a spectacular site-spe- cific treatment for the project. The result is a testament to a relationship created at a distance between the two companies, with the treatment developed without a single site visit until completion. Light fixtures were conceived to suit the ‘rough’ style of the building fabric and also to abide by the restrictions encountered within a listed building.
The ground floor is spatially divided into multiple seating areas by means of low ceiling levels, due to the duct system and various seating layouts. .PSLAB accentuated this division by breaking the space using vertical elements throughout, whilst main- taining the idea of transparency and light.
Floor-to-ceiling shelving structures were developed, holding multiple glass jars hous- ing energy-saving light bulbs. The lacquered steel metal structure complements the roughness of the space, using the glass olive jars as a humble reference to food. The jar-shelving structures were then adapted into ceiling suspended modules to provide functional light. This was concen- trated over the cashier and food display counters, as well as the long dining tables. Smaller modules of these shelves were re- peated into wall-mounted fixtures over the seating booths. The ceiling fixtures were suspended at a level where the jars aligned with the vertical jar structures, keeping a strong visual link throughout the space. In the two remaining sections, the layout of the tables is consistent with that of the ceiling coffers. Here .PSLAB developed black steel tubes fixed on the coffer edges, extending downwards to shed light over the tables using low-energy bulbs at the end of each tube. As the electrical points are situ- ated inside the coffers, the tubes had to be connected with visible black cables. “The overall effect is quite magical”, com- mented Helen Hughes, “and also highly visible as you approach the Foodhall.” For the bar area, the lighting designers inserted black steel hoops, each carrying a clear halogen bulb topped with a brass circular reflector, so that the brass reflec- tor serves in reflecting and directing the light. The longitudinal perception of the bar is highlighted by the repetition of the hoop-like insertions and their reflection in
the glass façade of the terrace, acting as a mirror.
Over the dining area, .PSLAB developed a series of hoop chandeliers equipped with directional projectors within the fitting, making it functional for the dining space. .PSLAB felt it was important to keep an element of transparency through to the cof- fers, as the ceiling is such a prominent part of the space. The material of the fixture is hard, in keeping with the spirit of the bar fixtures. The manipulation of the material, however, renders it light in comparison to the ceiling. The finishes are a play between black steel and yellow brass in order to add life to the hoops and provide a contrast to the concrete coffers. SHH’s Helen Hughes commented, “The design is made up of a collection of fixtures, which create one overall feature per bay, allowing the coffers to pass by overhead uninterrupted.” On the terrace, object fixation and mount- ing was only permitted onto the long plant- er running along the side of the terrace per- pendicular to the bar. The position of the exterior lighting elements therefore along the planter reflected the axis of the mullion on the glass façade. The lighting elements consist of conical heads made from brown folded metal sheets, fixed to stainless steel rods. The detail connecting the head to the rod is a short neck articulation, allowing a multitude of lighting orientations.
www.pslab.net www.shh.co.uk
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