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Spotlight
White Light Ltd. project manager Jason Larcombe describes how specialised lighting can empower venues — even iconic museums — by enhancing their event capabilities.
Our brief for the Making the Modern World gallery at London’s Science Museum was to turn it into a space where advanced lighting technology brings the exhibits to life. By day that’s through a carefully designed scheme that resonates with the character of the exhibits. The space can also be used in the evening for a corporate event, with altered light intensity and colours achieving the right mood and ambience.
Installing lighting technology in places like Making the Modern World gallery — which tend to be in older buildings or sensitive spaces — is a challenge because it isn’t easy to include all the infrastructure needed for lighting control in an unobtrusive way. Fortunately, new technology is driving development in this sector and creating new opportunities for these spaces as it does.
We’re installing technology that has been available for only around 18 months to two years. It allows us to empower venues, which are historically not purposed for events, to enhance their event capabilities with remote-control wireless lighting controls. Four-colour lighting that can produce any colour and dynamic effects can now go just about anywhere.
For an investment that represents 20 percent to 30 percent more than a traditional lighting system, a venue can achieve so much more with the same space. Modern lighting systems can extend the use of these spaces, creating opportunities to provide vital additional revenue streams that help keep these unique buildings viable financially, without detracting from their main purpose, as say, a museum, gallery, or attraction. Because the lighting is so easy to change, the space can go from daytime exhibitions to hosting corporate meetings or gala dinners with minimum turnaround time to create the perfect ambience.
This means the same room can be used for more hours per day and for more purposes and that’s going to make a big difference to a lot of multipurpose spaces like the Science Museum.