Category: Landmarks

Installing Festoons and Christmas Lighting for Kerb Food at  Seven Dials Market

Islington Assembly Hall – exterior Lighting 2017 

Brief:  To provide exterior lighting to give this well-loved local building a real face lift. 

 The installation:  we provided  durable outdoor accent lighting to highlit  all the features of the building  

working alongside Theme Traders for the NSPCC Little Stars campaign on Oxford Street.

The Brief

Celebrating the centenary of World War One, HMS President was repainted using the Dazzle effect, a camouflage first used in the war. Halo was asked to design and install a lighting system that would illuminate the camouflage and ship. Halo won the competitive tender from the Imperial War Museum for this installation as we were the only ones to find a viable solution to the many challenges.

The Installation

To fully light up the ship, our team installed sleek black PVC extrusion channels around the ship on three levels outrigged with discreet black metal rods fastened to the sides of decks with flange clamps. Ultra high-powered LED tape was then fitted inside these extrusions and set to a very cool white colour to highlight the patterned camouflage. These were controlled via a photocell on the roof of the ship so that they would come on when it got dark but conserved power during the day.

The Challenges

The first challenge was to install an electrical system aboard a ship with all the restrictions and H&S issues it presented. The second and most formidable one was to provide bright and even illumination over curved shapes without resorting to heavy handed rigging solutions which would have affected the integrity of the ship’s design. The third challenge was to provide lighting which would be safe and resilient within a public area.

The Brief

To add a Christmas-y feel to the historic arcade while still complying with the style of the building.

The Installation

We installed warm white fairy lights to keep a vaguely authentic feel and to tie in with the festive garlands. These were draped and grouped over the stores, between and around the plants. This was installed at the same time as the trees and plants, over one day with two technicians.

The Challenges

The real challenges came from the age of the building. As the building is listed, no fixings are allowed to be used to hold the lights in place and nothing can be used that would damage the lead paint or the building itself.

Hugh Turvey blowing a giant 36000W pulsating kiss to London at the OXO Tower for Valentines day 2014

The Brief

Commissioned by Southwark Council under the ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel’ (LET) Programme, as part of the Cross-River Partnership, the general brief was to transform a dark tunnel into a bright and interesting route for people to walk through and enjoy. It was important to Southwark Council that the tunnel brick work should still be seen, however local residents should not be affected by the lights or late-night revellers. As such, the design had to convey the concept of a ‘diversion’ rather than an attention grabber.

The Installation

Using the Lightbox @ Fire Nightclub as an inspiration for the design, we attached 9,600 led nodes to a galvanised steel mesh framework. The mesh was then attached to the arch using 50,000 cable ties to cover 135 sqm are, 7 meters in the air. The installation took place over 6 weeks and involved 6 engineers. We then programmed the mesh, using several 5-minute sequences to create a fireworks effect which increased intensity at busier times of the day.

In addition to the LED installation, we also improved pedestrian lighting along the footway by placing some Powercore downlighters. This was used both for aesthetic lighting during the day and functional lighting in the hours of darkness.

The Challenges

To our knowledge this is the first installation of its kind in the UK. The primary challenges were working with the old brick work, which still had to be visible despite the mesh, and make sure everything was geometrically aligned despite the curved nature of the tunnel.

The Brief

Prada organized a huge party in the Central Market of Valencia to celebrate Luna Rossa on the eve of the start of the selection regattas of the XXXII America’s Cup. The market is a perfectly conserved twentieth-century building covering five thousand square meters and we were asked to provide ambient and specific lighting to create a party atmosphere when the entire space is transformed into a Prada world after business hours. The stands were reinvented, with fruits, vegetables, fish, and ham on display alongside Prada bags, leather items and accessories, perfumes and sunglasses, all with matching lighting effects. The market set-up project was designed by AMO, Rem Koolhaas’ think-thank.

The Brief

In partnership with designers Free Alps, we were asked to provide Christmas Lighting throughout the old Market.

The Installation

To create classic Christmas lighting, we used different types of fairy lights, adapting the idea of a Winter Wonderland, tying in with Free Alps design ethic. The fairy lights were shaped and installed to look like plants crawling up the building. We also installed several bespoke chandeliers in the smaller areas of the market. The effect created a truly magical experience for all the festive visitors.

The Challenges

The main challenge was the age and size of the building as all the fixtures had to be installed safely without damaging the iconic building.