LAPD created a progressive lighting design that elevated the Percy Thrower garden centre in Shrewsbury to a retail destination.
On approach to the garden centre, an enormous feature greets customers. Illuminated from below by small but powerful fittings, the 15 metre-high spade forms an unexpected and dramatic arrival statement.
The façade design immediately sets this apart from other garden centres. A wall of lush foliage marks the Garden Entrance, lit with wide and medium beam LED floodlights. This combination created a bright ambient level, welcoming customers, as well as a touch of drama on the green wall.
Planar glazing dominates much of the façade, therefore revealing the warmth of the in-store environment. 3000K LEDs and metal halide are in use throughout, within luminaires with excellent optical control. In combination with wooden panelling and display features, the 3000K colour temperature contributed to an appealing, inviting store environment. For this reason, this project distances itself from the utilitarian aesthetic of most garden centres.
In the Main Entrance zone, 5W LED glass pendants with caps in white, chrome or green make a decorative feature. This was an important decision, creating visual interest on top of a layer of ambient light.
For general lighting, we wanted to replace the staple of open metal halide high bays with reeded glass diffusers. We specified a sleek and modern alternative finished in white. Still using a 150W metal halide lamp to ensure good ambient light levels, this high bay featured an internal opal glass shade encapsulated within a clear glass casing. The glass casing prevented dust from settling on the opal shade, so the luminaire would retain its clean aesthetics and output.
