Covent Garden Market by BDP
Covent Garden Market by BDP
The relighting of London’s historic Covent Garden Market by BDP has won both a PLATINUM and GREEN Build Back Better Award in the 2024 lighting category.
The relighting of London’s historic Covent Garden Market by BDP has won both a PLATINUM and GREEN Build Back Better Award in the 2024 lighting category.
Contemporary lighting techniques were key to reinventing the grade II* listed historic market hall. Lighting was rebalanced by increasing the number of lanterns and lowering the power consumption and source brightness of each fitting.
Modern optics with a warm colour temperature deliver a uniform palette of evenly distributed comfortable lighting, maintaining the character of a predominately gaslit conservation area whilst increasing security at night. Existing lamps on the Grade II* listed Market Hall emitted huge amounts of misdirected and high energy lighting and the building-mounted lanterns on all four sides of the building were no longer fit for purpose.
BDP contacted the UK-based manufacturer of the originals and had them refurbished, or produced replicas. The practice used historic photos and old drawings to piece together the original lantern design and locations dating from the time of construction to restore the original design.
There are now eight repurposed lanterns on each side of the building and 12 in the colonnades, set in a zig-zag formation.
Dimmable LED modules designed to replicate the special aesthetics of gas lighting engines replaced the outdated lamps.
The repurposing and restoration of the original hanging lanterns was welcomed by the client who was keen to reduce energy and minimise waste. The portico buildings have been illuminated and the bottleneck balustrade that wraps around the building mezzanine uplit to reveal the warmth of the stone, and the London brick chimneys highlighted to provide texture, height and depth.
Building columns are accented with vertical brightness and contrast at low level. The re-lit piazzas now direct arrivals from the underground station and create a sense of balance, harmony and welcome.
Dynamic RGBW lighting for special events creates a sequence of experiences for this cosmopolitan urban environment. Given the heritage status of the project, all lighting installations had to get agreement from the Covent Garden Area Trust and the conservation team at Westminster City Council. BDP’s practical hands-on approach to design included extensive 1:1 mock-ups which were reviewed with stakeholders.
The team worked with the specialist contractors on the mounting methodology to drastically reduce the impact on the historic fabric; previously there were three or four penetrations per fitting, which it reduced to two. The project improves social sustainability, aiding regeneration, improving safety at night and encouraging footfall.
The specialist lighting contractor was Studiotech. Picture: Tom Niven
