The new head office of The Co-operative Group is an architectural response to the increasingly flexible and dynamic working style of its employees.
It is Europe’s most sustainable large office building, and has attained the construction industry’s top environmental rating- BREEAM outstanding.
The building had been designed to use half the energy of the current Co-operative Manchester estate and 80 per cent less carbon, leading to a reduction in operating costs of up to a third. The innovative and future proofed building, One Angel Square, Manchester, uses the highest quality technologies throughout, including projectors from Sill Lighting UK.
At the heart of the landmark building is the atrium; a vast, soaring space, rising beyond all fourteen storeys to finish in a glass lattice-work roof. Balconies form the sides of this dynamic space, and behind these are The Co-operative’s open plan offices. This spacious arrangement not only helps light to permeate the working environment, but also uses light as an integral architectural feature to create dramatic effect. Mounted around the inner perimeter of the fifth floor balcony are projectors from Sill’s 02 series, which direct focused, evenly distributed light to the atrium floor below.
The luminaires supplement the natural light during the day and maintain the appropriate illumination levels when daylight fades. Designers Happold Lighting were able to access numerous reflector and lamp options with the Sill luminaires, and this, combined with their tight beam control, confirmed the company’s specification at One Angel Square.
The projectors are clustered in groups of five, with three clusters per elevation. In each cluster the central fitting is for dedicated emergency use and this is flanked on both sides by twin 400W metal halide lamps, of both 3000K and 4000K. Through the central lighting control system, luminaires can be switched on and off to create subtle changes in light colour temperature, illuminating the lower floor level of the atrium. When combined, these lighting levels can be increased to provide enhanced lighting to the atrium, for specific events and company presentations which are staged on the atrium ground floor.
Happold Lighting, designers of the scheme, explained the importance of high quality luminaires in achieving the correct visual effect, ”The Sill fixtures were chosen for their high optical performance, luminaire size and aesthetic look. The scheme had to ensure that the required lighting levels were provided across the entire floor level whilst the RAL finished fittings had to have minimal visual impact within the atrium. Adding radial louvres within the fixtures also further reduced the potential of visual glare for lower neighbouring open office areas, therefore providing the ideal solution”.
Sill Lighting is a market leader in developing high performance metal halide and LED projector systems that provide sustainable solutions to often complex lighting requirements. The company produces the highest quality in optics and thermal engineering using environmentally friendly materials and offers specifiers and users bespoke and adaptable lighting systems.
