Light work for Riegens
Riegens Lighting has successfully adhered to a complicated brief to supply luminaires in keeping with the interior of the iconic Arts Tower in Sheffield. The Grade II listed building, which is referred to as the tallest and most elegant university tower block in Britain, is undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme which will extend the life of the tower by 30 years.
Built in 1965, the 78m tall tower is home to over 1700 staff and students from the University of Sheffield. The Phase 1 refurbishment to the upper floors of the building has had to adhere to a strict remit dictated by English Heritage and Sheffield City Council Planners, with all modifications having to preserve the towers architectural heritage whilst meeting the needs of staff and students in a 21st century education environment.
As the original pre 1966 luminaires were no longer available and not compatible with current lighting standards, Sheffield University called upon Riegens Lighting for advice. The remit for the new lighting specification required a shallow constructed luminaire that not only had to compliment the interior finish of the building and fully comply with the University’s standard specification, but also provide a good even light distribution for a variety of working tasks with energy saving capabilities and the ability to fit within a 200mm ceiling void. The luminaire also has to be robust and easy to manoeuvre when engineers needed to work within the void.
Riegens Mirac was the favourite choice due to its compact dimensions and excellent direct light output, plus the benefit of quick and easy installation. Available in two sizes, 600×600 and 300×1200, Mirac’s 600 version, using 3x24W and 3x14W T5 lamps, were the preferred choice for the Arts Tower and were supplied with a plasterboard trim to provide a uniform ceiling finish. The Mirac range includes a variety of different options from two, three or four T5 lamps in wattages ranging from 14W to 58W. The option of HF or HF emergency control gear with other variations is available on request.
Paul Turner, Project Manager for The University of Sheffield’s Estates Department commented: “We are delighted with the Mirac luminaires; they are compact, robust, good value for money and fit in with our exact specifications”.
