78 St James Street,
London, UK

New lighting for the façade and the heritage and contemporary shared spaces of this Grade II* listed building is designed to support and enhance its new function as a working and social space, while improving the integration of the two parts of the building.
Client
Bentall GreenOak
Date
2018 - 2024
Architects
Squire & Partners
Photographer
James Newton
 
Project Team
Mark Major, Clementine Fletcher Smith, Charlotte Armstrong


“
Bespoke luminaires respond to each space, with the common use of sparkling glass and acrylic establishing a visual thread throughout the key public spaces and junctures.”

The relaxed glamour of the heritage spaces is exemplified in the Morning Room (Business Lounge). It features a family of art-deco inspired fluted glass and acrylic luminaires, including large-scale chandeliers, wall sconces, table lamps and bar lights.

Highlights to the artworks and an integrated light feature above the bar give them due presence in the room. All the lighting operates in layers, offering many options for scene-setting to create different ambiences for different times of day or events

The saloon and gallery spaces required more flexible lighting than the existing lighting points could deliver. To achieve this without compromise to the listed building fabric, we created custom-designed free-standing floor lamps to encircle the two spaces.

Holding multiple up and downlights, these unobtrusive fixtures provide the ambient, architectural, and functional lighting, and are supplemented with beautiful bespoke glass table lamps for personal, flexible light. 

A double-height atrium space connects the historic building with the contemporary space and provides access to the offices.

A dramatic centrepiece marks this crucial juncture in the form of a bespoke 10m long chandelier, its sparkling acrylic construction designed to help visually knit the new into the old.

External Image


Outside, the heritage façade has a sensitive yet impactful street presence after dark, with improved light quality and an emphasis on key heritage details and materials. 

Entrance Canopy

From Little St James Street, the acrylic tubes set within the entrance canopy to the contemporary building deliver a sparkling warm welcome, while highlights on the vertical surfaces help to draw people into the space. Two oversized coves deliver light to the central areas, the light levels tapering off near the large moving-art screen.




Roof Pavilion

On Level 6, the new roof pavilion offers further facilities for relaxation, networking, functions and events. Bespoke lighting at a personal scale delivers intimate light within the bar area while preserving views out to Green Park.