Historic Apartment Complex Receives Lighting Refresh
Built in the late 1930s, the U.K.’s largest privately owned apartment complex has undergone a major refurbishment that provides state-of-the-art lighting to the historic building.
The Dolphin Square apartment complex is a legendary icon in London and reportedly the U.K.’s largest privately owned apartment complex. Recently, the building has undergone a major refurbishment by GRID Architects that marries its historic character with modern living, comfort, and amenities. The lighting design has transformed both the apartments and the communal areas, creating environments that are bright and welcoming by day and dramatically atmospheric by night.
At the heart of the transformation is a two-story lobby with a central reception atrium that flows into dining, meeting, and workspace areas. Lighting manufacturer DesignPlusLight played a key role in reimagining the lighting throughout the building. By day, the atrium is bathed in natural light, but after dusk the lighting guides the eye along the staircase to the reception area and up to the softly illuminated skylights above, creating a visual journey.
The North entrance was reconfigured by cutting through the first-floor slab to establish a more expansive double-height arrival and circulation area. Two staircases wrap around the central elevators, which are clad in fluted timber paneling and illuminated by linear wall-grazers that accentuate the warm tones of the oak. Lighting beneath the stairs gives the impression of a floating structure while softly illuminating the plants below. Wall washers and uplights are strategically positioned to frame sightlines through the space, guiding visitors from the entrance to reception and onward into the building.
The refurbishment also reinstated the grandeur of the riverside entrance, which had been overshadowed following the arrival of Pimlico Underground Station in the 1970s. DesignPlusLight’s products enhance the façade with wall-washer downlights and uplights on the floor that accentuate the bronze arches.
New workspaces and a café terrace open onto the Grade II-listed Moroccan Garden, where DesignPlusLight’s lighting supplies an ambient glow along with focused task lighting. Subtle uplighting on the bronze cladding balances warmth and visual interest while connecting the interior to the landscaped surroundings.
Through this careful and considered lighting design, DesignPlusLight has aided Dolphin Square in revealing its heritage, enhancing its architecture, and creating memorable experiences. From dramatic arrival moments to intimate garden terraces, the lighting demonstrates how skillful design can transform an atmosphere, support modern living, and honor the building’s 1930s architectural character.
Sanjit Bahra, Principal of DesignPlusLight, said, “Rather than treating lighting as a series of isolated moments, the scheme was designed as a continuous journey, where the emphasis of light and shadow subtly shifts as people move through the building, creating a calm and richly layered experience.”
PROJECT CREDITS
Client: Dolphin Square Operator Limited
Architect: GRID Architects
Interior Design: GRID Interiors
Contractor: Galliford Try
Lighting Design and Photography: DesignPlusLight
Lighting Manufacturers: RCL Lighting, Lucent, O/M Lighting, Phos, Architectural FX, Stoane Lighting, DGA
Lighting Controls: Zumtobel
