Turner Whistler Monet

High colour rendering  |  Tungsten halogen  |  Individual luminaire dimming  |  Indirect ambient light

Client

Tate Britain

Location

Tate Britain, Millbank, London

Manufacturer

DAL, Concord, Roblon

Architect

RFK

Awards

2005 FX Awards finalist - Best retail, leisure or exhibition lighting scheme

Working alongside RFK architects, LAPD lit a unique display of works from three masters of impressionism: Turner, Whistler and Monet.  It was a privilege to add this incredible exhibition at the Tate Britain to our exhibition and gallery portfolio.

The exhibition displayed works that traced their artistic dialogue and, accordingly, their contribution to the development of Impressionism.

Divided into six thematic sections, the exhibition features a meticulously planned and executed lighting scheme throughout.  Overseen by the exhibition’s curator, we limited light levels via on-board dimming to ensure the preservation of the artwork.

Ambient light throughout the exhibition was indirect, with new fluorescent lamps casting light upwards into the barrel vaults in each room of the gallery.  This ensured a comfortable level of light for visitors without dramatically increasing the light levels that would reach the paintings.  Therefore, accent lighting was relatively low in power but high in impact.

This was especially true for Whistler’s Nocturnes.  To emphasise the subject matter, they had their own dedicated space devoid of ambient light.

Colour rendering was obviously a crucial element of the lighting scheme.  We sourced the highest quality tungsten halogen lamps available at the time and tested them for their ability to accurately reproduce colour.  Having arrived at the correct lamp specification, the luminaires were selected based on their optical quality and control.

  • art gallery lighting design: Turner Whistler Monet