'The Place'
Location: Sunniside, Sunderland
Client: Sunniside Partnership

'The Place' is an arts leisure and business venue and is the latest project to mark the massive redevelopment that is currently taking place within Sunniside in Sunderland.

Sunniside Partnership requested that Lightfolio, as part of the work we are currently undertaking within the public realm in Sunniside, create a lighting scheme for the building, entrance lane and courtyard to the rear that was exciting and dramatic to complement the evening activities that take place within the building.

Extensive lighting tests were carried out on the glass panel artwork incorporated within the solar shading to decide how best to light this but it was felt that in fact it was better not to light it as the backlight from the interior buidling lighting did a very good job of revealing the intricate design elements with the white light from the new streetlights picking up beautifully on the silver and reflective elements.

The lane leading to the courtyard at the rear of the building was washed with blue light and the courtyard was illuminated predominantly using suspended fluorescent strips of different lengths with a special dichroic coating that changes colour as you move around them so they are soft on the eye.

This sculptural lighting piece creates an outdoor room effect and encourages people out into the courtyard at functions.