Zumtobel headlines at 200 Gray’s Inn Road

Zumtobel has provided the lighting for the refurbishment of one of London’s most prominent office buildings, 200 Gray’s Inn Road.

Situated in the heart of the Capital between the City of London and the West End the building, owned by The Great Ropemaker Partnership (a 50:50 venture between Great Portland Estates plc and Ropemaker Properties Ltd - part of the BP Pension Fund Ltd), is currently occupied by a number of high-profile media organisations including ITN Productions, ITV and Warner Bros. The building blends café culture and a hotel experience within a single space to respond to the changing work culture of modern occupiers, one which blurs the edges between work and leisure time. The ground floor area, previously a conventionally-configured office reception, has not only been re-adapted but has transformed the arrival experience and provided a much-needed amenity, changing the way the occupiers use the building. The design delivers a sociable place and incorporates Outtakes, a new publically accessible café, as well as break-out spaces for meetings.

During the project it was vital to complete the fit out maintaining the original design integrity whilst ensuring 24/7 operations for Britain’s largest independent news broadcaster, ITN. The brief was to completely redesign the entrance extending the building envelope, taking and augmenting the lighting scheme from the recently refurbished offices and creating a better environment for the building’s occupants. Zumtobel was able to offer the best lighting solution with SUPERSYSTEM, ONDARIA, PANOS infinity and RESCLITE PRO luminaires.

Zumtobel have supplied luminaires to this project which include a seven-metre-high building entrance leading to a podium with a ceiling level that steps down to approx. 3m, a social space which includes a café, relaxed seating and semi-formal working zones. This is part of a rolling refurbishment project which to date has seen refurbishment to floors or parts of floors from level 1 to 5. Lighting ladders using a special SUPERSYSTEM frame with integrated ONDARIA luminaires have been attached to the exposed concrete slabs to direct the light and help accentuate the aesthetic of the original material.

Ideal for both general and accent lighting and for wall-washing, the SUPERSYSTEM ladder offers a solid base for lighting solutions and a mechanical structure to support other lighting elements, lighting control and acoustic panels to fill a space with uniform styling. To meet the lighting requirements, Zumtobel’s ONDARIA luminaires have been mounted onto the SUPERSYSTEM ladders, a process that enables quick and simple reconfiguration if the space use changes. ONDARIA is a circular luminaire with soft contours and a homogeneous silhouette that provides a subtle indirect component and provides a diffused, soft light distribution. The timeless design of the ONDARIA luminaire also perfectly complements a variety of room concepts and the clear geometry enhances the architecture without detracting from the interior styling.

PANOS infinity luminaires, mounted again to the SUPERSYSTEM ladder, providing more focussed light to areas where people might be encouraged to engage in work tasks and of course can be linked to both daylight and user preference to regulate the amount of light. With up to 135 lm/W and a high colour rendering of over 90, PANOS infinity downlights are twice as efficient as conventional downlights and have the potential for energy savings of up to 70% with additional savings through lower maintenance costs.

Emergency lighting is being provided by RESCLITE maximum efficiency fittings that blend attractive design with the highest technical standards. Delivering the highest levels of safety lighting, the powerful RESCLITE PRO uses innovative optics to meet all the varied demands of emergency lighting, including its 90° escape optic that illuminates two routes at the same time.

The newly-installed elements help to highlight the beauty of the existing structure and the rhythm of its architecture.

Great Portland Estates plc

Great Portland Estates plc is a FTSE 250 property investment and development company owning around £2.6 billion of office, retail and residential space in central London. Its portfolio consists of 47 properties totaling 2.6 million sq. ft, with a development programme totaling 1.8 million sq. ft, 54% of the existing portfolio.

They aim to deliver superior returns by unlocking the often hidden potential in commercial real estate in central London, creating great spaces for occupiers and strong returns for shareholders. www.gpe.co.uk @GPE_plc

About Zumtobel

We are passionate about designing and producing the highest quality of light. Our work is driven by the knowledge that the right light can create the right environment for people to thrive when tailored to their individual needs. Guided by a unique design approach, we continuously push our boundaries in search for perfection through unique and timeless design. As we develop the next generation of lighting, we build on our family heritage to refine the aesthetics of light and shape the lighting of tomorrow. With a special blend of passion, grace and avant-garde ideas, we turn light in to an experience and remain committed to the goal of improving the quality of life through light. Zumtobel is a brand of the Zumtobel Group AG with its headquarters in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg (Austria).

Zumtobel. The Light.