Manchester, and in particular Exchange Square, is fast becoming a hot bed of regeneration in the north west. First, of course, was the bomb that made it all possible. Since then, the Millennium Quarter which incorporates Exchange Square (where the bomb exploded) has flourished with a flurry of new developments within its boundaries... The Printworks entertainment centre, The Triangle shopping mall, the largest Marks & Spencer in the world, the Urbis museum (see last issue) and now Selfridges. Harvey Nichols is also due to open next year, conveniently situated next door to Selfridges. What will we do with all this choice?
Chief Executive Vittorio Radice has challenged and banished the old idea that department stores are outdated and dull. Selfridges is fundamentally a 'house of brands' with massive investment in London, the new Manchester store and that planned for Birmingham in 2003, coupled with leading and challenging designers, makes for exciting shopping environments. The location on Exchange Square takes over the rear half of the original Marks & Spencer store (which was then the largest M&S in the world) facing the square which was designed by BDP (Building Design Partnership) and which has subsequently been split by an atrium to provide a home for both retailers. BDP was also responsible for the conversion of the existing shell to deliver 11,150sqm for both retailers.
BDP collaborated with Stanton Williams (Selfridges' project architect) to deliver a new two storey neutral and calming space between the two busy city centre stores. Both retailers have dedicated shopfronts located within the 'mall'. The design includes some 1,000sqm of pitted Armourcoat plaster, with a bespoke lighting solution.
With Selfridges wanting to make maximum impact on opening audio visual specialists Promedia were asked to design and install a lighting system for the front glazed facia. George Bailey explained, "They requested a white light scheme for standard illumination but we wanted something a bit more special for such a grand glazed facia." Promedia have designed a system that could be installed above the main entrance and give equal colour wash over the intended area required by using twelve Studio Due Mini City colour changers. They now have the capability to have a single colour or a scrolling colour wash at any time. Promedia were also partly responsible for the design and installation of audio, background, paging and evacuation system.
The five level, £45m store, fills 120,000sqft of retail space, with each floor designed by one of five internationally acclaimed architects (including Stanton Williams, Cibic & Partners, Adjaye Associates, Future Systems and Vincent Van Duysen). The result (taking only five months to complete) is a contemporary and beautiful shopping environment which compliments the surrounding architecture of the city location.
With a different architect/designer responsible for each floor, a lighting scheme that would sympathise and enhance the designers ambitions and their comprehensive use of materials was critical to the overall scheme. Different environments were going to be created within the store so the lighting solution needed to reflect this, whilst keeping lamp types and wattages to a minimum. Having an in-house product design department, Hertfordshire-based LAPD (Lighting and Product Design) were able to design and include custom products, adding to the uniqueness of the store. Electronic control gear was used throughout without exception. The flexibility of the scheme, the quality of materials, and of course performance, were key design features. As designers LAPD consistently questioned their ideas and as a result contributed to raising the standards for Selfridges & Co to a new heightened level.
Lower Ground Floor - Food The lighting strategy behind the food hall was to produce a series of lighting solutions that worked throughout the trading day. The layout, designed by Future Systems, was representational to that of a starburst fanning from the central core that was the escalator well. A large majority of adjustable CDM-TC spotlights were commissioned to individually enhance fixtures and merchandise. Food type specific dichroic filters coupled with metal halide and white son luminaires mirrored the curved chiller cabinets below. Containing varying meats, fish, breads and cheese each cabinet was lit using the suitable colour enhancing glass. Ambient levels were reached with an array of compact fluorescent TCT luminaires. LAPD wanted to keep the overall diameter of all luminaires similar so one of the design features was to have a consistency across the ceiling when all luminaires were finally installed. All fittings and services including ambient, emergency, accent lighting - even speakers - remained visually similar. Spanning the perimeter of the floor a beautiful wave wall was further enhanced with fluorescent cove uplighting, a cooler lamp temperature was used to lift the space and give definition to the scrolling departments. Miniature adjustable low voltage fittings were mounted into the wave wall allowing directional light to highlight the merchandise and displays beneath.
Glenn Campion, a partner at LAPD, explained, "During the evenings the space was to be open to the public for wine sampling and food tasting so to ensure the atmosphere was suitable we designed the scheme to operate the 8 degree low voltage fittings within this time slot. The result was pools of light catching all bar tops and seating creating a more relaxed evening atmosphere."
A view over the balcony of the main entrance allows a glimpse of the stunning Yo! Sushi bar below. Narrow beams punch down to the counter height creating drama and atmosphere at night.
Ground Floor - Beauty
The cosmetics and beauty floor is accessible at street level so upon entering from Exchange Square LAPD wanted the customers' first experience of the new store to be awe inspiring and unforgettable.
Steven Dean, another partner at LAPD, commented, "We loved working closely with David Adjaye and his team at the early stages of this project conceptualising what we see in the store today. A polycarbonate 'waves ceiling' was finally decided due to the inherent difficulties associated with the preferred option of glass. Mock-ups were carried out to ensure we achieved an even surface illuminance on the back of the etched panels. We created a solution by ensuring a white panel was placed behind running down vertically and meeting with the centre of the trough. By washing light onto this panel the mock up proved we could clearly read the panel through the polycarbonate sheet. This resulted in the desired uniform effect over the panel with no lamp imaging."
Mounted behind the 12mm polycarbonate panels over 1,000 fluorescent tubes in total were individually digitally dimmed to alter each row of lighting differentially to the next. Each row had an individual control address that communicated with all luminaires in that row. The output of each luminaire within the row had to be identical and not differ from the next. For this reason digital, dimmable control gear had to be employed ensuring smooth uninterrupted effects.
LAPD finally settled on a rolling 'wave' very softly creating lineal movement within the peaks and troughs, encouraging shoppers to enter and move through the space.
Centred at the peak of every trough within the ceiling, 3 circuit track added further flexibility and scope for future promotions and moving displays, with the simple addition of CDM-TC Spotlights.
1st Floor - Man
Menswear was another entirely different space, designed by Vincent Van Duysen in association with Lees Associates, typically hard-edged and stark. The ceiling was broken with darkened apertures allowing the clever inclusion of high level tracks and adjustable spotlights commissioned to catch the front edge of clothing rails as the back panels wrap round and join the floor plate effortlessly. 100 watt low voltage lamps enclosed within Optelma's Move narrow beam fixtures allowed LAPD to create some drama in this cold fusion of technicality and style. Designed specifically for the space, bespoke lighting troughs suspend over rails throughout the floor to provide ambient levels. Rather uniquely LAPD had the steel housing 'flocked' in black, a material more commonly related to policemen's helmets.
Simon Fisher, the final partner in the LAPD triumvirate, remarked, "This finish was perfect as it denies any visible light to be read on the sidewalls helping us to emulate that these were adjoining ceiling apertures when registered and viewed at the correct level. Floating over the designer section towards the store's lifts, light rafts consisting of direct fluorescent and twin adjustable AR111Õs gave us ample flexibility in commissioning this space."
Further to the floors' unique environments men's underwear revealed itself as a fun area to work on. Black walls, fixtures and ceilings would naturally encourage the addition of further lighting units. However, recessed Modular lighting troughs with AR111Õs and fluorescent units were designed to provide a solution that complimented the architecture and merchandise. Throughout the concessions, which spanned the perimeter of the floor, the provision for highlighting was designed into the scheme with the inclusion of three circuit Euro track. Ambient levels were gained via Modular's Beam luminaire, designed by Vincent Van Duysen himself.
2nd Floor - Woman
Clean crisp and intuitively laid out, Stanton Williams' floor encouraged the use of a lighting scheme that would provide the ultimate flexibility over the differing brands to hand. Key to the space was the integration and discrete positioning of the luminaires themselves. Within the slot ceiling all services were located to ensure the ceiling was uninterrupted. Black track and spots consisting of low voltage and a few CDM-TC allowed LAPD to again commission the floor into the visual sensation we see today. 5:1 ratioed elongation lenses softened the often stark inclusion of spotlighting to the stainless steel clothing rails and Acrylic tables. Lighting remained consistent across the floor where slot ceilings were in place to help encourage shoppers to purchase across brands. By keeping the colour rendition familiar it was easier to identify co-ordinating fashion. Ambient lighting was achievable through bespoke lighting units designed so that they were level with the finished ceiling. As with all floors the emergency, security and merchandising lighting was from fluorescent modules designed to only operate within the chosen time slot. A lower ceiling within the designer section was designed using recessed adjustable spotlights within a slot to discretely accentuate the more upmarket apparel.
Upon entering the Hubub cafe on this floor a suspended linea system spans the entire length of the bar, providing dappled light over the work surface and blue uplighting washed across the stainless mesh ceiling. Over the cantilevered floor area pencil beam adjustable downlighters create pools of light onto the tables allowing the public to look out over Exchange Square without light reflection in the glass interrupting the magnificent view.
3rd Floor Ð Techno
Aldo Cibic has created the most playful space within the store, with help from Lees Associates, using a two part red epoxy resin floor coupled with a 'Lego' brick ceiling and a very dramatic internally lit fibre glass oval wall. This allowed more intimate departments to be created around the perimeter of this space accessed via punctured openings within its face.
Lighting within the oval wall was hidden in between the suspended ceiling panels. Twin headed 35 watt CDM-T spots dapple the merchandise and in turn reflecting the colour of the red resin floor back up onto the ceiling blocks. Within this area a majority of the display cabinets use integral lighting to wash merchandise. Ambient lighting again use 55 watt compact fluorescent housed within a custom unit with a simple flat acrylic front panel.
Black ceilings within the technical departments were maintained as a feature throughout by custom black louvered luminaires design in-house. AR111's once again provide accent and feature lighting for the majority of merchandise ranging around the floor from high street ladies fashion, books and hair pieces through to plasma screens within the technology department.
Entrances to fitting rooms were kept luxurious and inviting with the unusual mixture of tungsten, halogen and pink padded velvet walls. Washing down at close level the lighting adds to the texture and form of the curved wall.
Architects:
Food Hall - Future Systems
Beauty Hall - Adjaye Associates
For Men - Vincent Van Duysen and Lees Associates
Women - Stanton Williams
Women's Spirit - Cibic & Partners and Lees Associates
Lighting Design: LAPD
Fascia Lighting: Promedia
Manufacturers: Baro; Concord:marlin; LB Lighting; Erco; iGuzzini; La Conch; Mode; Modular; Optelma; Zumtobel Staff; UFO; Whitecroft; Studio Due
information:
www.lapd.uk.net