IN 2010, STUDIOFRACTAL ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF CREATING A LIGHTING DESIGN FOR THE FIRST NEW PUBLIC SQUARE IN LONDON IN 150 YEARS, SITUATED IN CENTRAL KINGS CROSS.

The project brief also called for the rejuvenation of the Grade I listed Cubitt Façade.

Brightening up the day for 140,000 passers-by was no mean feat. From moving shops to rehoming vents, team work made the dream work.

StudioFractal and its group of partners created a functional space with heaps of character.


Think inside the square

It’s the cleverly designed (and expertly hidden) LED lighting scheme which defines the furniture and structures in the square at night.

But it’s the one-off, specially designed columns that make sure the Cubitt Façade stands out from the crowd.

The result? A perfect blend of functional and accent lighting. The bonus? It’s highly sustainable, too.

acdc worked with StudioFractal to realise their design for this historic piece of architecture.

Light from IGLU in-ground luminaires grazes up the ground floor of the building to reveal the brickwork.

Higher up, acdc’s INTEGREX surface mounted luminaires subtly and gradually wash light upwards, fading out.


StudioFractal’s Chris Sutherland explained:

“As well as highlighting the broad expanse of the façade, we also wanted to gently pick out the small niches and cornices with the same lighting effect. The product we used needed to be available in a range of lengths to suit the variation in space available. Being grade listed meant that the luminaire fixings had to be located in existing mortar lines to ensure no damage was done to the façade.

INTEGREX allowed us to achieve the even and gradual wash of light onto the façade we wanted. 3000K warm white LEDs reflected the warm tone and bring out the texture within the brick work while acdc’s dual binning process gave us confidence that all products would be colour consistent, right across the façade, for both the IGLU and INTEGREX products.”

The overall effect is spectacular, yet elegant, with the façade forming creating the perfect backdrop against which the new square and station sit.