The Light

A brighter future.

Originally built in 1930 by local architect C.W. Atkinson as the Headquarters for the Leeds Permanent Building Society, Permanent House is now listed and sits as part of a wider retail and leisure destination in the city. The wider development, undertaken in the 1990s by DLG Architects, includes an underground car park, cinema, gym, nightclub and retail units, all designed and situated next to the existing buildings. The listed buildings were also transformed into a Radisson hotel and restaurants, and two former streets running through the centre were enclosed to create the leisure and retail centre that was rebranded ’The Light’.

Relighting The Light.

We were appointed with a brief to redesign the lighting, lighting control and BMS for The Light. It needed to create a dynamic environment that would give a step change to the appearance of the existing development, while providing some real depth of meaning to the name – The Light. Importantly, the redesign of the lighting had to be done with minimal architectural intervention, as the intent was to raise centre’s profile rather than refurbish all surfaces, fixtures and fittings.

Non-invasive upgrade.

We made use of existing wiring, circuitry and mounting positions whenever possible, and lighting designs were created to reduce the impact on existing surfaces, such as wall and soffit finishes. By carefully specifying and positioning lighting products to meet the appearance and performance requirements, we ensured that minimal invasive construction work was necessary.

The centre now features a light show at set intervals, with pulses of light dancing through the space. Lighting is also utilised to help visitors with wayfinding by highlighting entrances with contrasting cool white light… With all of this, The Light has reduced its energy cost – not only a brighter place to spend some leisure time, but a beacon for sustainability too.