Need to put some va-va-voom in your latest retail lighting project? Then put down that faux industrial fitting and try something less boring instead. Mark Faithfull gives some of his top tips.
When someone first put an industrial fitting in a high street fashion store they hit upon a unique, genre-transposing idea. A decade on, it's hard to feel so inspired by stripped-back interiors, exposed building services and bloody great light fittings. Yet still those industrial fittings get specified.

This is a bit of a mystery given that retailing is heavily focused on interior design, brand experience and customer psychology. Lack of imagination is certainly a major factor, as is that perennial problem of the lighting being bolted on after the interior design budget has swallowed all the cash.

However, the speed and cycling of fit-outs has created a need for flexibility and what better way to change the look, ambience or even the colour of a store than by using a flexible lighting system? LEDs, colour change systems and dynamic spotlights are all making their presence felt in retail. Indeed a measure of the opportunity is that two of the world's biggest lighting manufacturers launched major ranges at Europe's top retail show last year rather than waiting for a lighting event. So put down that high bay catalogue and read on...

Cold cathode

Cold cathode has been around for quite a while but has become very popular of late. Early pickup was for exteriors and architectural features within malls, but now it鈥檚 interiors where cold cathode is holding sway. The ability to shape the lamp and introduce colour make it a sure-fire winner. The terribly trendy White Hall cosmetics and perfumes department at Harrods, reopened in October 2002, uses cool, under-unit lamps from ALS. This was a major project for Harrods and the lighting scheme reinforces a big concept change. Instead of individual fixtures for each product, the design for all 26 brands is identical 鈥� described as an open-sell approach and realised in white finishes, picked out by a custom-made central chandelier and crisp, white downlights. Retail units and hotels in the Middle East, where brighter ambient lighting levels are preferred, are also major markets for cold cathode.

Remote control

Maintaining lighting schemes within stores is a notoriously poorly-executed art. The wrong lamps get installed and merchandise moves while spotlights stay static. Remote Controlled Lighting鈥檚 Director DR2 luminaire goes a long way to solving these problems and is cheap enough to compete with manual equivalents. DR2 is a track-mounted spotlight for AR111, PAR36 and MR16 lamps at ratings up to 75 W. Its 鈥榮elect and direct鈥� control makes it easy enough for unskilled staff to operate. A non-motorised version is available at lower cost if users want all spots to look the same but only some to be motorised. DR3 鈥� the discharge lamp version 鈥� is due to be in production in April. Interchangeable reflectors allow users to select beam-widths from narrow spot (12潞) to flood (60潞). DR3 can also be programmed to follow a sequence of moves continuously.

Ambient levels

Philips Lighting鈥檚 Carpe Diem might be a secondary lighting system intended for office use, but we happen to know that Zumtobel Staff鈥檚 system came very close to being used in a major supermarket store a couple of years ago. Using T5 lamps with DALI ballasts, the Philips fitting includes high purity, anodised aluminium mirrors and a lamp cover that acts as a light guide. The twin-lamp units have different colour temperatures, allowing adjustment. If Philips hadn鈥檛 thought about using it for retail, I鈥檓 suggesting it now.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs)

Any doubts about the emergence of LEDs were dispelled a year ago at Europe鈥檚 biggest retail show, Euroshop, where both Philips and Zumtobel Staff launched major new lines. From Philips came LED-Line, a facade wall-wash system that demonstrates the enormous increases in output being achieved by this technology. LED-Line is also suitable for external applications where it is difficult to get permission to install lighting. Zumtobel Staff demonstrated its own LED system with a series of four stunning room sets, most notably a room mixing spotlights, concealed alcove units and 鈥榣ight squares鈥� 鈥� all LED-based sources. Its Phaos technology is still expensive, which will have an impact on uptake, but if ever a product was made for the Guccis and Pradas of this world this is it. Tridonic.atco has also been busy developing its LED technology with the powerLED range, which uses a process called 鈥榗hip on board鈥� (COB). This has the LED dice assembly mounted directly onto the pc board for a fully flat surface, giving full contact and improved dissipation of heat. COB provides an extremely low profile LED with a wide angle of usable light, typically between 140-160掳.

Metal halide and CDM

Late last year the company that introduced the ceramic metal halide announced the latest extension to its Master Colour CDM range. Philips鈥� CDM-R111 lamps combine the looks of its 111 mm aluminium reflector halogen lamps with the long life and energy efficiency of the Master Colour CDM. Scheduled to be available from April, it is initially to be launched in 35 W types, with three beam widths. If you aren鈥檛 quite ready to leave the high bay behind, consider these options. First, GE鈥檚 high watt CMH is primarily designed for high bay 250 and 400 W applications. The lamps use GE鈥檚 hollow plug arc-tube design, which has a double-wall to contain the corrosive halide dose, while the arc-tube walls are thinner to let more light out. This mix extends lamp life and lowers halide needs. Second, when you really do have a big space to fill, there鈥檚 Venture鈥檚 Uni-Form pulse-start, high-output, metal halide lamps. Over 470 Holophane Europrism fittings with Venture鈥檚 lamps were used at the Big W flagship in Birmingham. A combination of Woolworths, Peacocks and Superdrug, Big W needs a lamp that can punch its weight and Uni-Form produces a white light with colour uniformity and optical accuracy.

Using more colour

No store has used colour better recently than Liberty鈥檚 Regent building, whose reopening last year completed the first phase in its redesign. One structural change was moving the escalator. Brought forward, it gives those entering from Regent Street instant routes up to lingerie or down to menswear, further emphasised by lighting. 鈥淲e have large panels lit by dimmable fluorescent lamps and purple colour filters to replicate the corporate colours,鈥� says Russell Lipscombe of lighting designer Into Lighting. 鈥淭hese are covered in a translucent Barisol fabric to create a diffuse light. As the customer travels on the escalator the lighting increases, giving the feeling of arrival.鈥� Not many supermarkets use light well 鈥� Jeremy Lindley, head of design at Tesco, has even admitted to no interest in lighting beyond function 鈥� but Safeway has turned the lighting of its stores on its head. Current designs feature low ambient levels, lighting to delineate individual areas and a soft, warm glow. The approach created by Into Lighting reflects Safeway chief executive Carlos Criado-Perez鈥檚 desire to: 鈥淣ot see another white light used in a Safeway store.鈥�

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor