The long process that ended with the opening of the Laban Dance Centre in 2003 started in 1997 when Swiss architects and Pritzker Prize winners, Herzog & de Meuron, won the international competition to design the new building. Situated on a two acre site beside Deptford Creek in South East London, the building creates a powerful, highly visible focus for the ongoing physical and social regeneration of Deptford and the surrounding area. The centre opened in February 2003 and, as recognition of the architects' great achievement, won the Stirling Architecture Prize for RIBA Building of the Year in October. Novelist Julian Barnes summed up the feelings of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize jury when he stated: "It hits you straight between the eyes as soon as you get there. It has the same movement, youth, agility, pizzazz, front to it that its students have - it's very seductive. The immediate impact on everyone as we arrived was to go wow."

Great care was taken by the architects to respect existing features in the area including nearby St. Paul's, Deptford, one of the finest remaining Baroque churches in the country. Likewise, the impact of the building on the local flora and fauna of the Creek has been carefully considered. The roof, for example, incorporates special habitats for the Redstart, a rare bird which nests in former bombsites. These design qualities are emblematic of the Laban's attitude to its social and physical context: respectful, sensitive, engaged.

The external decoration was a crucial part of the architects' vision for the development. The artist, Michael Craig-Martin, has collaborated with Herzog & de Meuron on the bold decorative scheme for Laban's exterior and on some elements of the interior design. The 7800sqm structure has been clad in a revolutionary semi-translucent, coloured polycarbonate punctuated by large clear windows. The polycarbonate cloaks the building in semi-transparent shades of lime, turquoise and magenta. It is a material that both parties have worked with before when they collaborated on the polycarbonate box which illuminates the top of Tate Modern's chimney.

By day, the regular activities of Laban - training, rehearsals, research and workshops - is semi-visible through the walls from the outside. By night, Laban acts as a coloured lantern or beacon, radiating light out onto the surrounding area and along Deptford Creek.

The design has been conceived as a physical expression of the Laban's relationship with its local community - a vibrant inspiring focal point, accessible and welcoming to all. Inside, the building is structured as an urban 'streetscape', a series of corridors, interior courtyards and meeting places, centred round the literal and metaphorical heart of the building, the main theatre space.

Again, light and colour play key roles in the interior, serving practical and aesthetic purposes. Colour is used as an aid to orientation and to lend a distinct identity to each sector of the building. Vast lightwells, some decorated with water or mosses, penetrate deep into the interior of the building from the roof, providing light and further distinctive features amongst the 'streets'.

The building has been designed to ensure full access for people with a wide range of disabilities from wheelchair users to those with sensory and learning difficulties. The natural and artificial lighting design for Laban was a collaborative effort between Michael Craig-Martin, Herzog & de Meuron, the electrical engineers Whitby Bird and Arup Lighting, whose main role was to give specialist advice to the client and architect for daylighting and for some of the more unusual electrical lighting systems. From the outset, a key design intent was that all the dance studios should be naturally lit. Natural lighting provides visual interest, allows for a high quality lit environment for the students, and offers an economical solution for illuminating the spaces. However, the use of daylight raises certain issues like glare, and these had to be addressed in the design.

Arup Lighting made several detailed studies on this faŤade, including computer analysis, scale model tests, and a half-scale mock-up of a typical dance studio on site. The system developed from these studies gives sufficient but not excessive daylight in the dance studios, and eliminates glare from the incoming daylight. The selection of light-admitting materials, and their special relationship with the internal spaces, was carefully assessed to create a good balance of daylight and electric light, and to ensure that the spaces remain usable all year, with no need for active shading elements.

In addition, the team in the studies carefully considered the facade colouring, striking a balance between the colour adding character to each space (and to the external appearance of the building), but not being so strong as to affect significantly the appearance of people and objects in the studios.

Arup Lighting also advised on the house lighting to the Auditorium. The wood-panelled space is lit using simple, semi-recessed incandescent lighting in an irregular arrangement that reflects the form of the ceiling. This lighting brings out the colour of the dark wood and creates a warm atmosphere for the occupants as they find their seats for a performance. The lighting is dimmed to prolong lamp life. In addition, recessed compact fluorescent fixtures, which are set back in the ceiling so they disappear from view when not illuminated, are used for cleaning lighting, emergency lighting etc., so as not to unnecessarily force the use of the incandescent lighting in these cases.

Arup Lighting also worked with Herzog & de Meuron in the selection and layout of the special 'Pipe' fixtures - the compact fluorescent cone fixtures on adjustable silicone-clad stems. These are used in the library and cafe, and are designed by Herzog & de Meuron and supplied by Artemide. They provide a flexible lighting solution, as they can be used for uplighting or downlighting as required, and can be adjusted to direct the light where required. They also add a great deal of visual interest to the space.

Whitby Bird was responsible for the design of lighting schemes to general areas which include the dance studios, offices, library, restaurants, plant rooms and circulation spaces. The principle behind the design was to create light ambient spaces suitable for dance movements.

A combination of suspended direct/indirect T5 linear fluorescent and recessed circular compact fluorescent downlights were installed in the dance studio and office areas with Zumtobel Staff Claris direct/indirect pendants also installed in the offices. A series of bare linear fluorescent battens with clear protective sleeves were staggered across the circulation areas whilst decorative compact fluorescent pendant luminaires were employed in the restaurant and library areas to create a relaxed environment. Attention was given to Osram lamps with high efficacy rating and long life to minimise future maintenance issues.

Initially an optimum scheme using Erco's Hitrac system with a fluorescent uplight and optional track mounted spotlights below for flexibility was also specified. Unfortunately when priced the overall project came out over budget. Due to the fixed price nature of this lottery funded project, Erco (whose fixtures were among those specified) was briefed to develop a solution which was considerably more cost effective without reducing light levels.

Working closely with contractors Emcor, M&E Whitby Bird, architect Mike Casey at Herzog de Meuron and QS Mott Green Wall, Erco proposed a single source fluorescent combined up and downlight scheme with good glare control for approximately half the previous budget. This compromise scheme took into account the low reflectance of the raw concrete ceiling.

Using Erco's compact profile T16 Lightstructure which was aesthetically acceptable, the luminaire efficiency was increased, reduced loadings and therefore reduced long term energy usage, all within tight budget constraints. There are also some LED and Nadir TH floor uplights used on the project.

Compromise or no, the main talking point is the magnificent structure itself and the interplay between natural and artificial light. For this, both Herzog & de Meuron and Arup Lighting must take great credit. And what greater recognition can there be than to receive the Stirling Prize? Maybe a Lighting Design award is next on the agenda...

Technical Information

Lighting Design: Herzog & de Meuron, Aup Lighting
Electrical Engineers: Whitby Bird Lighting Solutions
Artemide Pipe luminaire, Zumtobel Staff Claris direct/indirect pendants, WILA C32 Radial recessed circular downlights, WILA C21 downlights, WILA C26 multi-functional downlights, Luxonic bare battens, Erco T16 direct/indirect pendants, Erco Nadir TH floor uplights, Erco LED's, Lumitron T5 Permalux recessed ceiling luminaires, Luxonic surface mounted luminaires, Vega Lighting T5 'Tate Gallery' suspended bare batten luminaire, Marlin Circular Minigroove downlight, BEGA Location floodlight, Thorn Petrelux FND surface mounted rectangular fluorescent, Thorn Popular suspended batten luminaire, Thorn Popular surface mounted batten luminaire, Designplan Tuscan 840 Slimline recessed canopy light, Concord Microrail 2-circuit track, Concord Bullet Major spotlight, Concord Ritz surface mounted rectangular luminaire, Marlin Opaline ceiling mounted circular luminaire, Marlin Monitor Bulkhead, RACE Furniture End of Row Light chair mounted circular luminaire

information: www.laban.org