The new Library and Study Centre at St John’s College, Oxford, is focused on promoting energy efficiency in the most elegant manner. The new building which adjoins the existing 16th century library, located within the Grade I listed Quadrangle, provides three levels of library and study space, a 50-person seminar room, a secure, climate-controlled archive for the college’s Special Collections, a new reception area and an exhibition space.

A pool stretching along the west façade reflects light up onto the carvings across the irregular grid of the stone wall that forms the west side of the Study Centre and was created by artist Susanna Heron. 

The overarching challenge in lighting the project's centerpiece was to create beautiful and characterful lighting of the sculptural relief both in the day and at night.

In order to maximise the extent of these solar reflections, called caustics, which cast patterns capturing the movement of the water and only appear under certain conditions, we developed a pioneering 3D modelling technique in-house. This allowed us to accurately predict the caustic reflection and refraction patterns of both sunlight hitting the surface of the pool and the submerged artificial lighting we were designing. Physical testing in our office and at Susanna Heron's studio followed, validating the initial results. The pool materiality, geometry and artificial lighting were subsequently optimised to enhance the illumination effects.

The artwork in the multi-functional foyer space is day-lit with rooflights and glazed end-walls, with the rooflights providing the perfect raking light from the sun and sky. Caustic effects can even be seen at times, when sunlight is reflected from the pool and through the glass.

The artificial lighting causes a perfect balance between raking and fill light, highlighting the varying depth of the stone carving by providing shadow whilst allowing occupants to experience every detail and subtle colour variation in the material itself.

The Fairfield Halls is a renowned 1960’s concert venue in the heart of the London Borough of Croydon.

The Redevelopment Project was a major refurbishment to modernise the complete building including its historic Concert Hall, Ashcroft Theatre, foyer and front and back of house areas. The project also included the addition of new multi-function and gallery spaces, a community café and an improved public external realm.

Our overarching ambition in re-lighting Fairfield Halls was to restore the original character of the venue, whilst using the latest technologies to minimise energy costs and bring a higher level of flexibility and control. This meant that we needed to create bespoke lighting fixtures, sometimes by refurbishing and adapting what was already on site, but also by designing new lights based on old photographs and archive evidence. Fortunately a long term partner in lighting was based locally, and we were able to turn to them to develop the design and manufacture of the fittings. Max Fordham and Dernier & Hamlyn had worked together for over 20 years before teaming up for the restoration of Fairfield Halls. D&H's experience and extensive knowledge about the heritage of lighting helped ensure the new scheme met all our aspirations. Our clients at Fairfield Halls were also delighted to be able to work with a local company who has a long-standing commitment to training young crafts-people.

We used ETC Arcsystem lamps and fittings controlled by their proprietary wireless DMX system in the Concert Hall and Theatre, with tone adjusting dimming for a warm ambience.

In the front of house generally we have Ex-or DALI controls. Low energy decorative fittings by Lucifero and Lightnet were chosen to add interest to the circulation spaces.

Max Fordham were the exhibition and feature lighting designers for the new Silverstone Experience, a thrilling journey through the past, present and future of British motor sport, home to the British Racing Drivers Club archive and a museum that has been created to inspire the next generation of engineers and racers.

The £20M museum educates visitors with captivating stories behind the famous track, using interactive displays and cutting-edge technology.

The lighting installation includes an animated version of the original 1948 track which is suspended from the ceiling, a recreated pub from the 1950s and spectacular lighting of the most legendary cars in racing history. While ensuring the exhibition lighting was well balanced, and that long views across the halls were created, we also wanted to let reflections from the animated central feature add interest to the exhibits and give an overall sensation of speed, so the lighting of artefacts and decals incorporating text had to be very focused and directed. The complex and reflective multiple layers in the car paint and finish can make lluminating vehicles in a dark museum atmosphere very challenging, so we specified and set up each fitting individually - perfectly highlighting the range of beautiful and historic racing vehicles on display.

The National Portrait Gallery in London is home to the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Following an international selection process, the National Portrait Gallery appointed Max Fordham - alongside Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell - for its £35.5m building project, ‘Inspiring People: Transforming our National Portrait Gallery’.

With aims for completion in 2022, the gallery has grand plans for its renovation. The project will enhance the gallery's entrance, extend the public gallery space (by around 20 per cent), and create an improved Learning Centre.

The lighting team are looking to refine the external lighting of the building and give more presence to the entrances, re-introduce daylight into the galleries and create a new and greatly improved internal lighting scheme which addresses the existing problem of gallery fatigue and is much more flexible, characterful, energy efficient and healthy.

The Nevill Holt Opera is in the courtyard of the 17th century stable at the Grade I listed Nevill Estate. The theatre was designed to host the estate’s Summer Opera Programme and is on a confined site, which meant our design and strategy had to suit the seasonality of the theatre and the limited space.

The lighting meets the Architect’s vision for the building as a ‘raw’ space, in keeping with the original agricultural use of the building.

As a lighting project, Nevill Holt was unusual. There is no fly tower and, housing just 400 seats, it is small for an opera house. A large rooflight above the stalls allows plenty of daylight into the theatre and was suitable for the summer-only use. It also helps add drama to a performance through the gradual lowering of daylight levels. Max Fordham precisely designed and analysed its geometry so the beams of light fit the space exactly.

Working within a limited budget, we were nonetheless able to design elegant, timeless, and highly functional lighting pieces. The same system can work for opera performances, as well as orchestra recitals, daytime workshops and lectures.

Special fittings were created and meticulously tested at every stage of the design development and manufacture. Much of it was bespoke – including bespoke output, modelling files, shades, mounting methods, drivers and dimming method (GDS). The deceptively simple end product belied the effort that went into creating this.

The placement of the lighting was also very important. These elements significantly elevated the space from its humble surroundings to something more glamorous and befitting of a venue hosting a grand opera. We made many models, both digital and physical, and set up on-site tests to holistically understand the lit effect on the materials at hand.

The final results provide a warm and inviting auditorium where the history of the building is proudly showcased.

The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery form the Festival Wing of the Southbank Centre. They were built in the 1960s and have had very little refurbishment over the past fifty years.

The buildings had become increasingly difficult to operate and costly to maintain. We needed to give the buildings new leases of life as well as reduce maintenance and energy bills for the next 30 years. One of the principal motivations for the project was the need for refurbishment of the lighting systems.

Queen Elizabeth Halls and Purcell rooms
We designed elegant and efficient LED lighting systems that retained the character of the space and utilised new technology that allowed flexible use, lower energy costs and fewer heat gains, as well as an integrated control system.

Main Foyer
We installed DMX-controlled front-of-house lighting schemes for the multi-function foyer with the latest technology, providing flexibility for both social and performance use. Respectful of the original aesthetic intent, we reinstated the distinctive geometric ceiling but integrated LED colour change controllable lighting that provide a dynamic background for events.

Hayward Gallery
Prior to the refurbishment works, many of the iconic pyramid rooflights had been painted to attenuate light, the blinds no longer worked, and a suspended ceiling had been installed so that daylight in the galleries was virtually non existent. Our response to the brief to reintroduce daylight included redesigning the pyramids to let in diffused light, adding a system of computer-controlled blinds and introducing dimmable lighting.

Further innovation was provided in the design of the artificial lighting. We worked with the manufacturer to develop, prototype, test and deploy a track mounted light fitting that was both locally and remotely dimmable.

Additional
New artists’ entrance, bar and dressing rooms, with both daylight and bespoke artificial lighting were introduced to create a better sense of identify and connection to the outside.

Max Fordham worked on the significant refurbishment and repair of this Grade II listed public building. The refurbishment created a more successful, diverse and truly-accessible place, opening up many parts of the building not previously accessible to the public.

We designed new flexible lighting installations to the East Court and Theatre at Alexandra Palace. The historic 1875 theatre was lit so as to retain its character as a ‘found space’. The new foyer and bar areas feature contemporary lighting installations, and RGBW lighting systems to the East Court allow for a variety of events to take place.

CityLife is one of the largest new civic spaces in Europe, built on the site of the old Fiera Milano. At the centre of this urban park is a business district consisting of three towers, characterised by flowing and twisting forms. We provided the lighting design, energy and environment strategies on the Zaha Hadid 43-storey Generali Tower.

The tower includes office space, conference areas and catering facilities and connects below to the rail station. The building uses a sophisticated double façade with sun-deflecting louvres to minimise solar gain whilst allowing great views of the city and excellent daylight to the office floors.

Low-energy active chilled beams have been configured within the ceiling design to form ribbons around the office floors accentuated by integrated LED lighting strips. The foyers and ancillary spaces feature concealed lighting forms which emphasise the architecture whilst still meeting strict standards for energy use. The design has achieved a LEED Platinum rating.

Nantes, the sixth largest city in France, is home to the Musée d’Art recently refurbished and extended by Stanton Williams Architects. Max Fordham designed both exhibition and architectural lighting.

The different lit character of the spaces helps define the journey through the museum. Spaces displaying older parts of the collection, for example oil paintings, are treated with warm light focused onto the canvases to help lift the colours, whereas contemporary works are positioned in bright ambient spaces which have a more subtle style of emphasis.

The old lighting used in the Palais galleries has been replaced with complex layers of superimposed glass, stretched fabric and controllable blinds, resulting in a ‘passing cloud’ effect. The quantity of natural light is controlled but with a soft touch: on especially bright days, blinds start to close to preserve the artworks, but levels are usually allowed to vary in order to embrace the changeability of sun and skylight both in tone and intensity. Glass of varying transmission is used above the galleries and for different orientations, to make the light more consistent and avoid overheating. Between galleries and external glazing, perforate blinds and diffusing membranes help manage brightness and even-out the light.

The new extension is glazed with translucent, laminated marble that draws natural light into the building, helping to achieve an enjoyable internal environment for visitors and art conservation, with minimal energy use.

Most of the main lighting pieces were bespoke designed for Nantes. These included light boxes in contemporary galleries and a more subtle profile cut through the ceilings of the palais ground floor spaces. In public areas like the restaurant, library and book store we hung light structures that discreetly emphasise the features of the existing Palais as well as adding a new layer of character.

Musée d’Art de Nantes won the Daylight Project of the Year at the 2018 Lighting Design Awards.

The Theatre Royal Glasgow project included the redesign and refurbishment of the historic Category A theatre, and construction of a new foyer.

The lighting design provides an interesting, inviting and intimate set of landscapes within the new foyer space, where the colours and finishes relate to the historic fabric of the listed auditorium. Dramatic daylighting throughout the foyer reduces the need for artificial lighting.

Our work involved testing reflectivity and finishes with computer analysis, and 1:1 scale mock-ups to understand how the lighting would perform under a range of conditions and at different times of day and night.

The high level lantern and perimeter glazing provide dramatic daylighting throughout the foyer, while reducing the energy required for artificial lighting.

The lighting and new energy-efficient systems provide healthy, comfortable and vibrant environments for audiences and performers alike.

In response to its increasing popularity, we worked on a significant project of opening up and re-modelling of the Wellcome Collection building.

The existing entrance-space has been expanded to make the full extent of the collection more apparent, adding new gallery spaces, youth events space, a kitchen and restaurant. The existing library was reorganised and re-opened.

The project was undertaken in various, unconnected parts of the building with work being phased to maximise the area of the building which could remain open. Working in and around the existing building with minimal disruption to the archival material and conservation spaces was a particular challenge.

This major project has improved gallery conditions and the visitor experience at the Grade II* listed Tate Britain in Millbank, London. 

The galleries have been designed to maximise controlled daylight and reduce energy demand. An innovative shading system developed by us ensures artworks are lit to relevant conservation standards, avoiding direct sunlight and reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The new and refurbished spaces all have bespoke glass light fittings designed especially for the project.

We were part of the design team with John McAslan + Partners, on the transformation of the Large Meeting House at Friends House, the home of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain.

The room features a rooflight inspired by the artist James Turrell. Seating over 1,000 people, it is a versatile, accessible and sustainable space which responds to the growing needs of the outreach and social programmes at Friends House.

Our approach for external lighting was to avoid bright and polluting lighting installations commonly associated with large events. Instead we created a scheme based on colour and movement, gaining the same focus and attention but with much less energy use.

The roof and sides of the Venue with a grid of 120 RGB light fittings which produce animations inspired by what is happening in the Park and inside the Venue. For example, a race in the adjacent Aquatics Venue creating a wave which runs up the Water Polo roof.

The scheme required detailed modelling and full scale mock ups to deal with the tricky reflective material and tight angles, ensuring that it worked perfectly on completing. Internal lighting in the venue was driven by the need of competitions and HDTV. Careful analysis was needed to make sure lighting worked from all angles and that no distracting glare was created when the water was disturbed during play.