Elevate commercial spaces with creative lighting design
Written by
26 July 2023
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5 min read
Lighting design has been scientifically proven to hold immense significance in commercial spaces. Beyond illumination, it affects cognition, emotions, and behaviour.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services found that a well-designed lighting scheme can positively affect customer satisfaction and increase the likelihood of purchase. Further to this, a 2018 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that employees in office environments with higher illuminance levels experienced better cognitive performance.
“We are extremely conscious of the aesthetic that lighting can offer both through its light spectrum to enhance our spaces, but also the visual impact that a fitting can have on team mood and morale.” shares Peter Lancaster, Director of Sarsfield Brooke, a leading importer and wholesaler of fine furniture, lighting, and artwork.
With 25 years of experience and exclusive representation of 13 globally recognised European brands, Sarsfield Brooke is an expert in lighting design. In recent years, it partnered with Italian lighting designers, Antonangeli Illuminazione. Founded in 1977 and famed for its unique, innovative designs, Antonangeli focuses on a concept of light that is ‘functional and emotional at the same time’.
“To achieve quality, design and sustainability, we start by choosing the correct partner. Antonangeli was a very simple choice for us as they are using high-quality components and materials to achieve their amazing range and selection,” explains Peter. “Antonangeli are constantly innovating and at the core of their thinking is sustainability.”
“One of our architectural clients expressed to me some time back, that all architects are fundamentally walking around with problems and are looking for solutions,” Peter shares. “Suppliers that can solve problems and enhance spaces at the same time are companies that architects and designers are interested in. The Antonangeli lighting Archetto collection consists of lighting solutions.”
The Archetto collection is a series of lighting designs that stand at the intersection of art and function, illuminating both the room and the ideas of those within it. As the name, which means ‘bow’ in Italian, would suggest, the Archetto designs form soft, ductile lines of light.
Each product is constructed with high-performance silicone and graphene using patented technology. While they stand alone confidently, Antonangeli describes their collective use as an ‘articulated and integrable series of innovative architectural light proposals’.
“The Antonangeli Archetto collection consists of lighting solutions such as Twist, Freedom, Custom, Flexible and the Space lighting system. All of these individual lighting designs are playful and inspire creativity in their use and most importantly inspire the users of the spaces,” Peter adds.
The Archetto range has proved popular, most recently selected as a lighting solution for the main entrance of a nationwide healthcare business. “The architectural brief was very specific,” shares Peter. “We needed to achieve task lighting yet at the same time deliver a creative element that incorporated the healthcare company's branding and more specifically their brand colour, which is highly identifiable. To achieve this we proposed the Freedom light solution by Antonangeli, as this gave the architect and the client the ideal outcome.”
“Twist was used very successfully in a recent residential apartment development in the Auckland central area,” Peter adds. “It was recessed into the ceiling, achieving long runs of LED task lighting and then other freestanding decorative lighting was used in addition to create more mood and divide spaces.”
Since 2007, Antonangeli has been growing an outdoor lighting range guided by the ethos ‘we must respect the dark’. “It has some of the most beautiful lighting solutions I have seen, such as Soffio, CuBox, and Concreta, just to name a few.” adds Peter.
Soffio, described as a ‘discreet protagonist in the darkness’, consists of a spherical diffuser which holds the light source, supported by a tall copper rod. Over time, patina occurs as the surface reacts with elements in the surrounding environment, strengthening the support and uniquely shifting its colours.
“One of the best ways to span the space between indoor and outdoor is with the use of creative lighting,” shares Peter. “Lighting softens the darkness between the two spaces and reveals to us some of the secrets of the night.”
The Antonangeli Miami range is evocative of an intimate summer’s evening in Italy. Designed to bring the atmosphere of the interior outside, it features a waterproof, heat-resistant white resin glass shade that is reminiscent of those found indoors. The collection has wall lamps, floor lamps, and suspended options.
Sarsfield Brooke’s comprehensive in-house design, delivery, and installation services provide the necessary support to bring each element together seamlessly. “We have expanded our in-house services using CAD and Revit, traditionally focused on furniture concepts, to include lighting presentations and recommendations for both residential and commercial projects,” adds Peter.
Inspired by the words of American businessman Ray Kroc, Sarsfield Brooke is driven by a desire to elevate design through innovation. “Ray Kroc said ‘When you’re green you grow and when you’re ripe you rot’,” notes Peter, “We would like to think of ourselves as being green enough to see new ideas and opportunities.”