AGN

Lighting design for a new library and members lounge within the Art Gallery of NSW.

Our objective was to create a warm, inviting environment where the light is ‘felt’ but not seen. Light sources are integrated into joinery so that gleam is bounced off surfaces, borrowing the warmth of materials and creating a sense of intimacy.

The lighting establishes a language to help with legibility. The vast collection is made more approachable by lighting the documents as a texture. A shift in colour temperature helps differentiate the elements: warm on timber and cooler on walls and floors.

The rhythms and repetition of the fitout are enhanced to help guide and orientate. Sparkling pinspots lead visitors through entries. Low hanging brass beams create a welcoming glow at dwell points. In the library stack, the lighting reacts to users when they approach. Sensors are programmed to pre-empt human movement, as if the gallery is inviting you into its aisles.

Control technology also helps deal with the competing demands of archival sensitivity versus user flexibility and comfort. Dimming reduces the cumulative impact on sensitive articles. Dynamic tuneable-white light is used to shift the ambience.

A key to the success of this project was the early collaboration with the project architect, TZG Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. This allowed lighting to be an integral part of the design, not just an overlay.

Awarded IES Lighting Society 2023 Awards.