ne of the most iconic buildings in London’s
O Hammersmith borough, The Ark has
recently undergone a refurbishment, spearheaded by architects at Gensler. The intent behind the redevelopment was to bring a fresh contemporary feel to working spaces, giving it a hospitality feeling. Central to this approach was the lighting design, created by Lichtvision Design. After being approached by project manager Gardiner & Theobald, Lichtvision worked with the architects to develop a lighting strategy that would complement the wider architectural concept. Laura Cizauskaite, Senior Associate and Project Lead at Lichtvision Design, explains how the original design brief shaped the lighting scheme: “Gensler’s design narrative explored the journey, theatre, and compress/decompress concepts. We took those concepts on board, engaged with the building’s history, and how those storylines can be addressed with the lighting.
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“For the journey theme, we looked at the location – the building is set back a couple of minutes away from Hammersmith train station, surrounded by train lines and the Hammersmith flyover. The entrance is also set back, surrounded by a courtyard. As you come in, the main reception is located centrally to the core area. Naturally, a ribbon-journey theme developed, helping to invite and lead people into the building and the reception. The oval façade structure was followed with the curvature used in the interior spaces to guide people in, and the use of concealed lighting helped to achieve that.” The compression/decompression theme, Cizauskaite continues, was led by the building’s varied interior heights – shallow ceilings in the entrance, lift lobbies, and café area contrast with the double height reception space and two eightstorey height atria with lightwells. The lighting therefore aimed to balance the contrast between the suppressed and heightened areas, creating continuity and harmony. The theatrical element plays on the building’s history and standing within the area, while also capitalising on the current trends of workplace design, incorporating F&B and hospitality facilities. Both the building’s entrance, and its rooftop “Crow’s Nest” VIP area has a strong expressed geometry which we wanted to highlight giving it a “graphical” approach, as Cizauskaite adds: “We framed the entrance, atria windows, and geometrically shaped Crow’s Nest with colour changing, edge-lit lighting. “We aspired for The Ark to be a landmark in the Hammersmith area, much like the Oxo Tower – visible from far distances at night.” Across the site, therefore, Lichtvision Design merged the various themes and concepts – the fluidity and curvature of the façade and architectural shapes resemble the journey experience, compression and the graphic approach. Cizauskaite continues: “To tell a story of a journey, we integrated linear lighting to both the exterior and the interior, leading the visitors right into the reception. The decompression theme was resolved by balancing natural daylight and artificial lighting, giving it a light and airy atmosphere. The graphic approach was applied where architecture had sharp and strong geometry – the entrance frame, lightwell windows, the Crow’s Nest’s geometrically shaped perimeter with ceiling lines.” With a lighting concept that is so engrained in the architectural approach, Lichtvision Design worked in close collaboration with Gensler throughout the project; at the concept design stage, the lighting designers and architects held multiple workshops with the client and the heritage consultant to ensure that lighting is respecting the historic nature of the building and complements the interiors. “For example, only the entrance courtyard had been refurbished, with the rest of the exterior lighting due to remain. Hence, we maintained the existing original bollard perimeter lighting, allowing for redistribution and refurbishment to them,”