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DALD Light National Waterfront Museum in Swansea
The combination of a refurbished existing Victorian warehouse (SMIM) and an entirely new building called for a truly integrated approach between architects Wilkinson Eyre and interpretive designers Land Design Studio (Land).
David Atkinson Lighting Design (DALD) was appointed to the project at an early stage, more than three years ago, which enabled them to have a major influence not only over the exhibition lighting but with the crossover between the architectural base build lighting and future proofing.
The newly built slate and glass-fronted museum houses more than 100 audio-visual exhibits including 36 interactive displays. Several very large industrial artefacts were moved there, including a 28-tonne rolling steel mill, the world’s first steam locomotive, and one of the very few surviving coal wagons.
DALD chose to light the large exhibits from high level vertical and horizontal custom-designed lighting tracks, some of which were curved to mirror the architectural skylight. With the main space housing the large industrial objects, a combination of Metal Halide LTS (Lightworks) and ETC fixtures were chosen for intensity and controllability. Depending upon the colour of the object the majority of fixtures were fitted with 4000 Kelvin lamps. To make the large objects float effectively within the space T5 fluorescents were fitted around the base of the object plinths.
To add additional depth to the space, Land designed a curved red wall to the mezzanine and ground floor level which was lit by incidental elliptical beams of light with specially selected ‘peach’ dichroic filters. Although the main space is white with opalescent glazing, the lighting lifts the objects during daylight hours.
The ground and mezzanine floor of the new building house an array of interactive displays and graphics. The lighting to these areas is effective and minimal, consisting mainly of custom-designed light boxes and low level lighting.
With the future proofing element playing a significant part of the initial brief, DALD designed in recessed and surface mounted three-circuit tracks in the old and new building. Lighting fixtures specified throughout allowed for flexibility and ease of maintance, and included Antares Mini Farettos, Iguzzini Parallels and ETC Source 4 HID Pars.
The link area between the new building and the warehouse building SMIM is know as the ‘Street’ - which houses ‘Wayfinders’ that promote personally selected routes through the Museum. The ‘Wayfinders’ are in effect giant light boxes incorporating exhibits.
Wilkinson Eyre wanted the staircase which leads from the ‘Street’ up into the grade II listed SMIM building to make a statement, and DALD therefore chose to light it from strategically positioned high level Metal Halide fixtures fitted with elliptical lenses to allow a uniform level of light up the treads.
The first area within SMIM is ‘Landscapes’ which consists of panoramic video projection, graphics and showcases which are lit by low voltage fittings from Delta Light and fibre optics from Universal Fibre Optics.
Positioned to the entrance end of the main space is an area referred to as the ‘Census Room’ which houses interactive displays and exhibits. This room is externally clad in frosted glass which is back lit by high output T5 fluorescents, which are sleeved with aqua blue filters. By effectively creating a modern internally lit glass box within the SMIM gallery a synergy is created between the old and the new.
Lighting to the main exhibition area of SMIM is from a combination of fixtures, which includes high level ladder tracks supporting projector fittings fitted with animation disks to create a sense of reflected water across the floor area between object showcases. All the showcases are lit by fibre optic sources which feed custom designed light bars; these enable the curatorial team the option to change the internal exhibits.
General lighting within SMIM plays a significant part in opening up the potentially dark space, which is achieved by a combination of 150W and 250W Whitecroft Euroflood fittings uplighting the wooden roof.
The lighting design for National Waterfront Museum not only helps enhance the impressive exhibition but also encompass it harmoniously within the contemporary and traditional architecture.
The exhibition fit-out was by Scena, project management by Fraser Randell Productions and electrical by Reed Engineering. Lighting equipment suppliers included AC Lighting, Delta Light, Encapsulite, Iguzzini, Lightworks, Modular and UFO.
photos © Philip Vile for Landesign Studio
3rd November 2005
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