Smart, high-efficiency lighting refurbishment for London office building

Fluorescent tubes have been replaced with state-of-the-art LEDs, providing efficient and human-centred office lighting at Fetter Yard, a highly attractive office building in London’s Borough of Holborn. Undergoing a major refurbishment between 2019 and 2022, led by ORMS Designers + Architects, the goal was to create a fresh, contemporary look and update the building infrastructure to cater to existing tenants and attract new customers. Zumtobel’s LED lighting solution not only ensures a uniform look throughout the building and reduces energy consumption but also offers flexible use of the premises, providing high-quality light in every corner of the office.

Fetter Yard comprises a ground floor and five floors of lettable office space, a 24/7 staffed reception, a newly designed courtyard for outdoor breaks, two fitness studios, and easy access to the city centre. The fully modernised building caters perfectly to the needs of London’s working professionals. Traditionally housing law firms and lawyers, the Holborn district now thrives with restaurants, cafés, and bars, enriching the neighbourhood.

To achieve a consistent, contemporary look in the comprehensive modernisation of Fetter Yard, ORMS Designers + Architects faced the challenge of calming the building’s irregular shape and unusual historic floor plates. Zumtobel’s SLOTLIGHT light line and the multifunctional SUPERSYSTEM LED lighting tool played a decisive role in providing aesthetically pleasing lighting and brightness to the rooms, accommodating any future spatial solution and desk arrangement.

Despite challenges like the Covid pandemic and the need to accommodate different ceiling situations, Zumtobel and ORMS successfully met the project’s requirements. The variable luminaire length of SLOTLIGHT light lines provided a strategic advantage, catering to a wide range of spaces. From the first to the fifth floor, the continuous look of SLOTLIGHT light lines provided uniformity, complementing the building’s architectural shapes. In addition to SLOTLIGHT, other lighting solutions like SUPERSYSTEM, PANOS downlights, and CARDAN evolution were strategically employed.

“The reception has been upgraded to a stylish, welcoming space, including track lighting and pendant fittings to add warmth. On the upper floors, the office spaces receive a contemporary upgrade with new linear lighting and ceiling rafts that offer flexibility for future tenant layouts”, says Celia Holmes, project lead at ORMS Designers + Architects.

The lighting refurbishment revitalised Fetter Yard, making it an attractive rental property in the elegant Holborn district. The use of modern LED technology not only enhanced the building’s appeal, but it also resulted in significant energy savings of up to 70 per cent compared to fluorescent tubes. Zumtobel’s holistic lighting concept caters to the demands of tomorrow’s working world, offering high performance and satisfaction for tenants.

For the complete case study, visit: https://z.lighting/en/zumtobel/inspirations/fetter-yard/