A VIBRANT TOWN CENTRE

The Feethams leisure complex was opened in Darlington, in the north of England, in mid-2016. Located on the site of a former bus station and car park, the complex’s nine cinemas, seven restaurants and bars, and a hotel now draw many visitors. The exterior lighting, realised entirely with luminaires from WE-EF, showcases the architecture of Feethams and ensures that it is an attraction for Darlington residents and their guests in the evenings.

The lighting solution impressively meets the demands for architectural and pathway lighting in public spaces. All design ideas and functional requirements for the outdoor lighting have been realised with WE-EF luminaires. Three main lighting instruments are used. The areas in front of the ground floor, near the building and the higher piazza, are illuminated with street and area lighting luminaires. The stairs and ramps are illuminated with steplights, while surface-mounted wall luminaires are predominantly used for architectural lighting along the facade.

Needless to say, the lighting concept that has for the most part been realised with LEDs, meets all normative requirements and creates good visual conditions. Both the PFL240 post-mounted luminaires for the walkways at street level and the LCI440 light columns, with their striking secondary reflector on the piazza, generate sufficient and uniform lighting distribution. In addition, thanks to the use of a large number of STN254 steplights, good visibility and surefootedness are also ensured on the steps and ramps.

However, in other areas, the lighting concept also deliberately creates dramatic effects and plays with contrasts. A particularly good example of this is the distinctive wall washing effect generated by QLS410 surface-mounted wall luminaires. Additional effective accents are provided by ETC130-GB gimbal-mounted inground luminaires.

Principal: Urban & Civic, Edinburgh, www.urbanandcivic.com
Architecture: Niven Architects, Darlington, www.nivenarchitects.co.uk
Engineering services: CAD21, Stockton-on-Tees, www.cad21.co.uk