Lighting the way
Lighting sets a mood or atmosphere, displays products and highlights their key selling points, and gives a first impression of a place. When used for car showrooms, their purpose is mainly to show the cars to their best advantage – but also to make the customer feel they have entered a building of class and luxury, and of the future. Think about it – would you buy a car from a dimly-lit showroom?
When lighting is such a key feature in a building, attention must be paid to every detail to ensure the simplicity and clean lines of the showroom are consistent; unwanted shadows and colour variations in walls and ceilings must be reduced or eradicated.
Usually, lighting is designed to fit an existing building, but showrooms are designed differently. Architects plan out how a building will react to light, where to place artificial lighting and where to incorporate natural lighting.
Audi at Tamworth is an example of a showroom that utilises a large amount of natural light. Light enters the building through floor to ceiling external glazing, flooding the showroom. This is achieved through a curved and sloping wall, which we needed to take into account when considering the critical issues while working on the installation.
Graduated arcs and great care to finishing is required, as well as bending dry lining to fit the curved wall.
In 2010 AIS recognised our quality work with the critical natural of light and presented us with an award. Audi Europe said it was “the best showroom under construction” they had seen in Europe.
For more information and a case study click here.