The architect, Ashton Raggatt McDougall, has said that the experience of listening to music in the Recital Hall is like being inside a violin. It was our contention that the lighting should enhance and extend this experience. We worked closely with ARM in the design of the lighting to the Recital Hall, considering how the volume of the space should be rendered with light and how any light fixtures should work within the space. We defined the behaviour of light within the space with a series of computer renders which suggested that large scale chandeliers would be the best method of providing the correct light to the space. ARM responded with the form of the chandeliers, a series of plywood shapes which form an extension of the walls and ceiling of the spcae.
The lighting from the chandeliers provides a combination of direct and diffuse light to the auditorium which can be balanced as necessary, depending on the requirements of each individual performance.
The Salon
The Salon is an intimate flexible space for smaller music performances. The architect’s concept for the space involved a starry night ceiling effect as well as complex wall surfaces. We tested options and arrived at a wall washing technique to bring out the texture of the walls without flattening them too much. The starry night effect has become a series of glowing jewels in the ceiling with a random arrangement of luminaires
