Heron Quays Station is located next to HQ2 and provides a convenient Docklands Light Railway link for the South side of the estate. It provides a colour contrast and an architecturally fun environment in comparison to Canary Wharf Station.

Designed by Alsop Architects, the station uses an innovative selection of materials and division of spaces. The architectural lighting had to achieve functionality, safety and a stringent railway authority brief whilst also creating a futuristic look to suit the style of the station design.

On the upper concourse level, there is a 'service boom' structure above each train platform. This provides a home for the platform lighting and other services such as CCTV and PA. The structure is clad in a plastic translucent material called EFTE, most famously used to create the distinctive spheres of the Eden project. On one side the material has a blue interlayer and on the other a dot matrix pattern to diffuse the nuts and bolts of the boom structure. The inflation of each EFTE panel makes the boom look as if it is clad in cushions.

Within the boom, there are hundreds of lengths of cold cathode suspended by a thin and therefore invisible wire. These are supplied by ACDC Lighting and are a mixture of different lengths in two colours; brilliant blue and aquamarine. Each length is individually DMX addressable enabling a variety of programmes that cross fade the colour along the length of the platforms or chase the colours sequentially or in a series of patterns.

When a train enters the station, a Dimtek presence detector senses the movement and accelerates or alters the chase pattern of the cold cathode accordingly to alert the waiting passengers. After the train has departed, the chase sequence slows or reverts to the pattern it was running before.

This animation mirrors the kinetic activity in the lower concourse as commuters pass through the uplit space. The lower concourse runs beneath a semi-circular 'hull' like structure which supports the platforms above on huge legs. The hull is clad in two-tone blue/green titanium which changes colour depending on the angle of viewing. To emphasise the form of the hull shape and give the space drama, the majority of the lower concourse lighting is achieved by up lighting. In-ground recessed boxes with frosted glass covers house 4200K 150w metal halide asymmetric Sill floodlights. This ensures the fixture is cool to touch and enhances the colour of the titanium cladding.

The structure legs are also uplit using 70W Louis Poulsen fittings. In addition to the up lighting component of the concourse and in contrast, ambient lighting is provided by 3000K 35W CDM-T downlights manufactured by Sill Lighting.

To provide an additional feature of animation there are ground recessed LED uplights which create a light pattern of shadow on the titanium hull as people hurry over them. In this location, the LEDs are white, but underneath the escalators, they are blue, lighting the underside in saturated colour.

Route marking throughout the station is also achieved using lighting. LED marker lights from Erco demarcate lift doors, staircases and escalators with Amber used on the lower concourse and Green on the upper. LED light sticks from Lightform mirror this idea. They are located on the structural support beams for the hull.

Each escalator is enclosed with cladding made of perforated metal. The entrance and exit points are not enclosed. The standard escalator tread lighting of white cold cathode is supplemented with blue LED downlights from ACDC Lighting. This provides a similar effect to the concourse lighting as people pass through to the platform. The stairs are similarly clad although not enclosed. They are intended to 'float' from the structure and are lit with T5 Encapsulite battens which provide light to the treads and uplight people as they leave the trains.

All of these effects were achieved whilst maintaining the light levels, IP ratings, vandal resistance and safety requirements as directed by HM Railways Inspectorate.

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