DW Windsor / Projects / St. Paul’s Vista, London

Balancing light with dark

The challenge

St. Paul’s Vista, which means protected view, is a pedestrian walkway between the River Thames and St. Paul's Cathedral.

One of the first areas to benefit from The City of London’s lighting strategy; developed independently with lighting designer Speirs and Major, which delivers, through a holistic, creative and smart approach, a balance of light and darkness and better defined urban spaces in the Square Mile.

It was important for the Vista to be lit in such a way that didn’t impact upon the clear vision of the cathedral, which can be seen from across the Millennium Bridge.

Clients and partners

  • Client logo City of London H160px

    Client

    City of London

  • Partner logos Urban control H160px

    Partner

    Urban Control

Key project requirements

  • Reduce visual clutter.

  • Be sympathetic to the surrounding architecture.

  • Good glare control.

  • Compatible with smart lighting controls.

  • Low mounting heights to promote views of landmarks.

The solution

DW Windsor was selected to supply the lighting equipment for one of the first lighting projects to be carried out under the new guidance of the City of London’s Lighting Vision.

To meet the brief, a combination of Garda 2700K in stainless steel with anti-skate balls and Windsor Street also 2700K with a Comfort Performance COB light engine, replaced the blanket lighting approach which was previously provided by standard street lights.

Garda’s low-level lighting subtly helps identify changes in level along the steps, reduces glare and visual discomfort while supporting safety and accessibility in the area. In choosing a LED handrail, The City of London were able to reduce the visual clutter which was created by the original lighting approach.

Windsor Street with Comfort Performance COB provides all the benefits of LED in a traditional design; in an extremely low glare solution, blending with the architectural style of the area, whilst the warm colour temperature enhances historic character.

Answering the requirement for human-scale mounting heights, Windsor Street lanterns are on 5m columns, promoting views to landmarks and are fitted with an Urban Control discreet puck antenna, which allows the City to control the luminaires remotely, via their CMS and without impact to the aesthetic of the luminaire.

To complete the scheme wall mounted Kirium Pro lanterns provide unobtrusive functional lighting along the sides of the buildings.

The finished result directs light to exactly where it is needed, creating more character, ambience and atmosphere for the area.

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