At the heart of the Strand Campus, the Quadrangle serves as the exterior link between multiple campus buildings, including the listed King’s Building and the SHEW (Sommerset House East Wing) building. Accessible from street level, the courtyard’s surface is, in reality, the roof of the Quadrangle Building, extending across the two basement floors below. Light Bureau adeptly illuminated the heritage buildings surrounding the courtyard to enhance the space’s character, aid navigation, and provide subtle ground illumination at a lower intensity for daily use. Concealed luminaires in the light wells maintained an unobtrusive appearance. To ensure courtyard flexibility and unobstructed surfaces, Light Bureau designed a bespoke wall arm for a precise array of spotlights atop the SHEW building elevation. Employing non-intrusive fixings, these luminaires were configured with multiple pre-sets corresponding to events in different sections of the courtyard.

Given that the teaching and learning areas within the Quadrangle Building span two basement levels and have limited exposure to natural light, the project demanded a lighting strategy that could imbue these spaces with an engaging and comfortable ambiance for students. Light Bureau struck a balance between a light quality that keeps the space lively during the day while facilitating intimate group work or one-on-one discussions. Preserving architectural character was vital, with elements like historic fabric, texture, and detail remaining prominent rather than getting lost in diffuse light. A highly sensitive and tailored approach guided lighting choices, involving varying colour temperatures and diffusion levels for different features within the space.