Architainment Lighting: Leading in Illumination

Architainment Lighting, a distinguished UK-based leader in lighting design, artfully marries architectural sophistication with the vibrant essence of entertainment. With over twenty years of experience, the company has revolutionised the perception and interaction with light, delivering bespoke solutions that excel in visual allure and functional excellence. Specialising in cutting-edge LED technology and sophisticated control systems such as DMX and Chromacore, Architainment Lighting ensures precise colour programming and dynamic real-time effects. Their extensive range of fixtures, from white light to RGB options, caters to various applications, including concert stages, television studios, architectural features, and high-end retail spaces.

The Battersea Power Station, an emblem of London’s industrial heritage, has stood as a monumental landmark since 1935, once supplying up to one-fifth of the city’s energy. Following its closure in 1983 and subsequent neglect, the station began its transformation in 2012 into a vibrant mixed-use district with shops, bars, restaurants, parks, and preserved historical sites. The station’s grandeur, marked by its four imposing chimneys standing at 101 metres, underwent a significant restoration due to severe corrosion. The original chimneys were dismantled and rebuilt with over 680 tons of concrete. Architainment, in partnership with lighting designer Ewan Parsons from Speirs Major and SGM Light UK, crafted a lighting solution employing 50 i·2 RGBW LED Wash Light luminaires from SGM. Arranged in a ring around each chimney’s base, these fixtures feature a narrow 8.5-degree beam angle and a high output of 9908 lumens for uniform illumination. Operating at only 30% of their maximum power, the lights ensure extended operational life with minimal light spill, while glare shields enhance focus. Completed in November 2019, the installation has illuminated various special events, including the building’s official opening in October 2022.

Among notable projects is the transformation of the London Eye’s lighting. Previously reliant on expensive fluorescent tubes and manual gels for colour, the Eye now boasts an LED-based system. Each ColorCast 14 fitting can be individually programmed to produce millions of colours seamlessly using Chromacore technology, significantly improving visibility from over a mile away and offering a cost-effective solution for precise colour displays during corporate events and special occasions.

Another remarkable project features the Green Wall at Snow Hill Station in Birmingham, Europe’s largest “living wall,” spanning 220 meters by 7 meters with 604 square meters of plants. Enhanced by elegant white light LED fixtures from Color Kinetics, this installation harmoniously combines nature with modern lighting technology, adding organic movement and vivid illumination.

In Bluewater’s Winter Garden in Kent, Architainment introduced a new lighting scheme to amplify daylight within the retail and hospitality complex. Employing high-quality, energy-efficient LEDs, including iColor Cove MX PC for circular cove details and ColorBlast PC for the glass ceiling, the project fostered a contemporary dining environment with reduced visual clutter and increased atmospheric appeal.

Architainment’s portfolio includes projects like Selfridges, Harrods, and One Hyde Park, where their lighting solutions enhance the shopping experience, highlight luxury products, and match the architectural style of each location. One of their challenges was the One Aldwych hotel in London. The hotel, located in the Grade II listed Inveresk House, needed a lighting solution that respected its historic architecture while creating a dramatic effect. StudioFractal designed a lighting scheme that highlighted the building’s structure and details. Architainment supported this by providing custom-built Philips Dynalite control enclosures for different floors and used the Opaline Flex SB and Opaline M ranges to integrate smoothly with the historic exterior.

In entertainment, Architainment has worked on concert lighting for artists like Pink, Radiohead, George Michael, and Shakira, as well as television lighting for ITV’s X Factor. They also focus on sustainability, as seen in projects like the calming lighting at Great Ormond Street Hospital and their participation in Earth Hour, where they supported WWF’s global environmental movement by turning off lights from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.

The Brent Cross Town project shows Architainment’s role in transforming urban spaces. This project is turning a previously neglected area into a vibrant, sustainable community. A key feature is the reimagined electricity substation, which features a 20-meter-high, 54-meter-long artwork by Lakwena and IF_DO. Architainment Lighting provided 150 Ecosense Trov Flex L09 LED luminaires, chosen for their flexibility, narrow beam angle, and low glare. These lights, integrated by Michael Grubb Studio, create a halo effect that highlights Lakwena’s artwork both day and night.

London’s refurbished City Hall, once a showcase for Siemens’ sustainability efforts, has enhanced its green credentials with updated solar arrays and LED lighting fixtures. Arup’s lighting design aimed to create high-impact effects visible through extensive glazing while ensuring effective ambient interior lighting. Architainment’s solution, featuring Lumascape products such as Quadralux spotlights and Linealux LED grazers, met the design specifications through detailed on-site mock-ups. The final setup included innovative column and soffit lighting, managed by Pharos controllers and Archicloud’s web-based portal for dynamic lighting scenes.

Pharos is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and Architainment is proud to have been a part of their journey from the outset. In 2004, when Architainment was establishing itself and focusing on marketing and distributing Color Kinetics products in the UK, Managing Director Nic Tolkien turned to Pharos, a start-up offering flexible lighting control solutions. Both Pharos and Architainment have grown alongside each other, and today, Architainment distributes a broad range of solutions from leading LED lighting manufacturers, including Pharos’ renowned control systems. As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, Pharos reflects on key milestones and discussions with influential partners. Nic Tolkien was honoured to contribute to Pharos’ anniversary podcast, discussing how the introduction of colour-changing LED luminaires transformed the architectural lighting market and increased demand for DMX-based systems. Looking ahead, Architainment anticipates further collaborations with Pharos, with many ArchiPower enclosures now featuring Pharos controllers. The partnership promises exciting developments for the next 20 years.

Architainment Lighting succeeds by combining technical innovation with artistic vision. By integrating advanced LED technology with sophisticated control systems, the company delivers tailored lighting solutions that are both visually striking and functional. Their experience shows in projects where they’ve transformed public and private spaces with dynamic lighting. Architainment’s focus on quality and precision, along with strong partnerships like those with Pharos, keeps them at the forefront of the lighting industry, consistently improving environments with their expertise.