 |
|
|
The brief for M&S Bluewater was to create a unique
and identifiable M&S brand environment that would boost the number
of destination shoppers, increase product choice and drive sales. The
interior of the store had to be contemporary, easy and enjoyable
to shop and incorporate different atmospheres and speeds. |
Taking the store into a new shopping experience was the desire and as the store was a large flagship, several wow factors had to be introduced to excite the customer. Lighting was a major element of this solution. | |
 |
||
| Ambient levels had to be reduced
to allow for the dramatic implementation of accent lighting to create
a different feel to the shopping experience. Wow
factors included the central atrium, the entrances and the vertical
circulation. Key to this was the perimeter lighting, which
framed the store and gave a scale and layout of the store which was
immediately understandable to customers. |
Entrances off the mall captured the imagination of shoppers through the use of ribbons of light running through, directly to the main atrium. Once within the store, the atrium had large projectors lighting the catwall displays in the central space while the ambient lighting within this area was daylight linked to ensure a sustainable solution. |
|
|
||
| At dusk, additional lighting would wash down the atrium walls from discreet locations below the high glazing, adding theatre to the experience. External Encapsulite fittings lit the top of each small window reveal, accentuating the architecture while the escalators were lit from above with a cascade of light. | We needed to maintain the architectural feel of the atrium and to do this, we utilised discreet, high-level lighting to retain the volume of the space. Loadings were a particular problem and we managed to achieve 35 watts per square metre, which for a store with a ceiling height of over 3.5 metres was considered an admirable achievement. | |
|
||
With the existing ceiling constraints, we decided to maintain the 600x600 background lighting, using 2x55w compact fluorescent luminaires and interspersing these with 35w metal halide fittings. Business units and destinations were defined by lighting the vertical surfaces between. The whole feel of the store achieved modulations of light to entice the customer to enter and to buy, using 4000° kelvin as background lighting, with 3000° K accent, which warmed the product at the point of sale. |
The Foodhall required additional accent lighting to penetrate into the food displays as the black flooring created a quieter feel. Food Initiatives such as Eat Over Deli, Hot Food To Go and Bakery were fully integrated, providing islands of delight. |
|
|
||
