Oxford Atrium – Custom Fit Luminaires

Project Overview:

The Oxford Atrium project involved designing and supplying custom-made LED luminaires for an academic building. The project required careful engineering and a balanced lighting solution to fit the building's architectural features and large structural columns.

Existing Setup:

The existing lighting was positioned three floors above ground level on the structural columns. Standard halogen lamps were installed at the top of each column, just inside the structure, to provide indirect lighting for the decorative glass features above.

Requirements:

The client wanted to replace their existing halogen system with a new energy-saving LED solution. The focus for the new luminaires was to better highlight the building’s structural columns through indirect illumination while adding direct lighting to create an ambient environment. The new system also needed to provide functional light for the seating areas below. A key challenge was ensuring that the luminaires would fit precisely around each column and its central bars, allowing for flexibility in both height and positioning to suit the architectural design.

Our Design Solution:

We worked on developing a circular luminaire design featuring an adjustable bracket, counter lever, and pivot arm to allow for precise adjustments, ensuring the luminaires could be properly aligned, even in the challenging positions around each column.

A 3D Relux lighting design model was also created to help visualise the finished product in situ and calculate the optimal light distribution throughout the space, meeting the required illumination standards.

Product and Installation:

The luminaires were fabricated to specification and fitted with 4000K LED boards, offering a CRI of 80 for both direct and indirect illumination, along with a dedicated soft opal diffuser. They were equipped with 500 mm white side-entry cables leading to an external driver system. The finished luminaires, along with the brackets, were powder-coated in a textured RAL 9016 white finish, creating a subtle halo effect.

?The installation presented some challenges due to the height—three floors up—and the complex structure of the apex ceiling. With the adjustable design, the installation team was able to mount the luminaires securely at the top of each column and around the central bars. The new luminaires were also positioned to conceal existing damage at the tops of the columns, effectively blending in with the architectural features.

Finished Result:

Each luminaire successfully highlighted the structural columns and provided excellent light distribution for the interior space below. The overall effect was a well-lit, relaxed environment that matched the building’s function and aesthetic. Most importantly, the design was tailored to meet the client’s specific needs and expectations.

This project highlights the importance of custom-made solutions in situations where standard lighting options fall short. It also demonstrates how thoughtful design and close collaboration with the installation team helped achieve a result that fully satisfied the client’s goals.

Project: Oxford Atrium

Lighting Supplier: Impact Lighting Solutions

Products: Custom made circular luminaires