An interesting solution to lighting a spiral staircase

Photo by James Newton

A column chandelier developed by Spiers and Major, and LDN Architects has presented an attractive solution to provide both aesthetic and functional light to this spiral staircase in Usher Hall, Edinburgh.

The new stair is a part of a heritage refurbishment to the original building and links it to a modern extension.

The chandelier is approximately 14m long, and uses fluorescent tubes encased within double acrylic cylinders. The inner cylinder is frosted, so as to diffuse the light, and the outer cylinder is etched with a ring pattern, which picks up the light. The tubular sections are separated with shorter sections of acrylic rings, up-lit using leds.

The form of the luminaire has also resolved issues regarding installation within a heritage site, and reduces the need for mounting and cable routing.

The beauty of this solution lies not only in the column of light itself, but also in the way that the light paints the edge of the spiral stair, highlighting the architecture and creating a strong graphic impression, whilst integrating well into the framework of the building itself.

http://www.speirsandmajor.com/work/product/usher_hall_chandelier/

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/12282/speirs-major-usher-hall-edinburgh.html