Drapers’ Hall, London

Tamlite LED Lighting Delivers Contemporary Uplighting Upgrade for Historic Drapers’ Hall.

The iconic central London venue has a history stretching back to the 15th century. It has received a lighting overhaul courtesy of Richard Horley Lighting (RHL) and Tamlite Lighting.

To suggest that Drapers’ Hall has a distinguished history would be a severe understatement. It was originally established as a meeting place for the Drapers’ Guild in the 1420s. The first Drapers’ Hall was located in St. Swithin’s Hall. It moved to the present location, once occupied by Thomas Cromwell, in 1543. Repeatedly devastated by fires then subsequently rebuilt, Drapers’ Hall has continued to flourish despite these challenges. Today, it provides a majestic backdrop for banquets, corporate meetings and has regularly been used as a location for TV and film production.

History meets technology

The venue team has always sought to keep abreast of technological changes. In 2001 RHL was engaged to install a new, fluorescent-based solution to handle uplighting requirements in the Livery Hall. More recently, RHL returned to the venue in response to requests for a brighter, but discreet uplighting solution for the balcony that more closely complemented the overall aesthetic.

“They wanted a brighter, safer light source, particularly with regard to the artwork contained within the plasterwork,” said Richard Horley, founder of RHL. “We previously installed the Tamlite MICRO LED XL solution at the Tallow Chandlers’ Hall. We concluded that this would provide the ideal solution at Drapers’ Hall too.”

The decision to use MICRO LED XL fittings was determined by a visit with the Drapers’ Committee to the Tallow Chandlers’ Hall. This visit meant that they could judge for themselves how the luminaire could provide appropriate lighting for the hall, while maintaining subtlety.

Two-week window

One of the biggest challenges for the project was always going to be identifying a timeframe in which to do the work. This timeframe would also need to have as little disruption to daily activities as possible. The Drapers’ Hall does have a shut-down period each summer, but RHL needed more time and space in order to complete the installation safely and efficiently. “For this installation we really wanted the Livery Hall to ourselves as we had to work at height around the whole circumference of the balcony,” said Horley.

RHL was able to negotiate an uninterrupted two-week window for the lighting refit. Tamlite MICRO LED XLs were installed all around the balcony. The lighting is fully dimmable and adjustable from a centralised control system.

The work was completed to schedule. As Horley observed, the improvement in the quality and consistency of illumination was evident for all to see.

"At balcony level, the light output has gone up from 150 lux to 680 lux. It’s a dramatic improvement,” he said.  "The aesthetically pleasing MICRO LED XL provides customisation of the beam angles. Thus, it gives us more control to the design at Drapers’ Hall."

The future’s bright

Horley remark3e that the client is delighted by the performance of the new system. “We knew it was the right solution after our positive experience at Tallow Chandlers’ Hall. Indeed it has brought the same improvement in brightness and overall quality to Drapers’ Hall too,” he said. “I am constantly reviewing all areas of the building with the team. Every year we look to upgrade or improve, always with an eye to reducing the running costs and maintenance requirements.”

The MICRO LED XL carries substantial long-term benefits, providing significant energy savings. The batten lasts for 100,000 hours, twice as long as other LED fittings. Ot also comes with a warranty of up to 8 years.

However, achieving reductions in energy expenditure was not a key priority for the latest Drapers’ Hall project. It was in fact the visual appearance of the MICRO LED XL that was crucial to the designers at the Hall. The long-term nature of the Tamlite solution will ensure that the contemporary design will remain future proof for many years to come.

If you have specific lighting requirements, see how our Technical Lighting Team can help you.