As part of a refurbishment project, Concord was tasked with the design and supply of a lighting scheme that would help transport the gallery back to its original 1879 incarnation, as a classic Victorian art gallery.The scheme needed to show off the rich colours and ornate gilded frames of the salon-style hanging paintings from the Victorian era. The scheme also needed to enhance the gallery’s appeal and capacity as a function space for weddings, creative performances and corporate hire.
Nick Toms, Display and Technical Officer at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery said: “In terms of lighting, we were keen to take control of the light in the gallery having previously only been able to use large ceiling-mounted, sodium downlighters with some old fluorescent uplighters to show off the decorative ceiling. The flood of ever-changing daylight had always been a challenge for us too, so being able to temper and manage this was key.”
The strategy is sensitive to the delicate artworks and brings out their true colours, including the intricacies of the restored oil paintings.
Fifty six Concord Beacon Muse LED luminaires were installed for the suspended lighting track, along with T5 Fluorescent uplighters and a continuous strip of LEDs along the perimeter to highlight the decorative ceiling features. The Beacon Muse LED uses cutting-edge technology and ancient lens principles to create a fully adjustable spotlight, allowing the gallery to take complete control of the lighting. The spotlight’s adjustable optic system provides a wide flood, 65˚ beam which can be adjusted to a 10˚spot without the need for additional lenses or reflectors. This flexibility enables the space to be adapted for various purposes.
The fully adjustable spotlight provides all the benefits of LED technology; no UV / IR radiation, 50,000 hours’ life at 70 per cent luminous flux and maintenance-free applications. It also promises a considerable reduction in energy consumption in comparison to traditional light sources such as halogen.
Nick Toms said the gallery selected the Concord Beacon Muse due to the flexibility of the zoom lens. Each object can be ‘spotlighted’ as required, or, with a twist of the lens barrel, we can simply wall-wash the gallery and bathe it in a soft light, without having to change lenses or reflectors. “The fact that the lighting is controlled through the DALI control system with its latest software release is a major addition to the original specification as it enables us to take full control of each Beacon Muse fitting in the gallery – consequently, we’re able to “dress” each painting according to its particular sensitivities to light,” he said. “Furthermore, with the DALI system, we can be creative and flexible when setting up scenes for functions and performances, for example.”
The energy-efficiency of the Beacon Muse is highly impressive and was a key motivator in the decision to install the product in the gallery. The fittings reduce the internal heat load in the gallery. The Beacon Muse installed in the gallery has a colour temperature of 3,000K and accommodates 26W lamps. The fitting is also available in 4,000K CCT. The muse possesses a high colour rendering index, typical Ra95, and incorporates a discrete on-board dimmer providing control from 100 per cent to three per cent. The track dimming options make the fitting an excellent choice for museums, galleries and high-end retailers.
Concord Beacon Muse has won a number of industry awards since its introduction, including Best Interior Luminaire at the Lighting Design Awards, Commercial Product of the Year at the Lighting Association’s annual awards scheme, Interior Luminaire of the Year at the Lux Awards and Lighting Product of the Year at the FX International Design Awards.
