Material Lab is a unique Design Resource Studio and Materials Library located in Mayfair, West London. Founded in 2006 by Johnson Tiles, the UK’s leading tile manufacturer, the building was designed to meet the request of the architect and the design community.

Today it provides a thriving, innovative hub at which to discover inspirational design tips and trends from some of the biggest global surfacing brands, and explore all kinds of creative and experimental material-based ideas.

In keeping with their forward-thinking and inventive ethos, Material Lab sought to install new bespoke lighting as part of a more considerable refurbishment to certain areas of the building. In particular, the client wanted to highlight specific areas within the Material Lab resource studio. The new lighting needed to match the existing aesthetic of the interior and enhance various product displays and materials. This meant the lighting also needed to be flexible to adjust to different size displays and events.

“The project was a great success and was completed in good time. Dextra’s Hi-Track lighting significantly enhanced the aesthetic of Material Lab’s resource studio. ”

THE SOLUTION

Material Lab’s Studio Manager, Richard Baskerville, was responsible for the project, and the contractor for the project was Mega Electrical North Wales.

Dextra Lighting attended the site to conduct and produce a detailed survey for the client. Following this, we were pleased to learn that we had been successfully chosen for the project, due to our range of products which could help highlight product displays and materials within the Material Lab resource studio.

The client sought to light three particular areas in their studio product and display areas, with special track lighting – some in white and some in black – to match the colour of their ceilings and backgrounds. A dimmable light source with a colour temperature of 3000k was required as well as different outputs to adapt to the inconsistent ceiling heights in different areas.

To achieve these aims, the Dextra team opted to install our Hi-Track lighting. This product we selected due to its versatility and flexibility, as it can be easily moved or adjusted to accommodate changing studio product and material displays.

Our Hi-Track lighting was chosen over competitor alternatives as it offers different colour track and fittings, available in the desired 3000k dimmable, and complete with dimmable scene plates. This made our product the most favourable as it suited the client’s desired design and purpose.

The Dextra Hi-Track range is one of our most popular solutions for retail and display lighting. Manufactured from robust, die-cast aluminium with a powder coated matt finish, our Hi-Track luminaires are ideal for clients seeking sturdy, durable lighting with an attractive, contemporary appearance.

The Hi-Track’s ability to meet the needs of a wide range of display lighting applications made it the optimal solution of choice when assessing which lighting would be best for the client. We are able to offer this product in a range of LED variants to suit specific areas, plus all luminaires come with a 40-degree beam angle, and provide a choice of either vertical or horizontal style housing.

Furthermore, all Dextra Hi-Track luminaires feature a three-circuit adaptor with a rotary dial, which allows individual lights to be switched on and off as necessary. The Hi-Track also offers a further range of features, including easy rotational and pivot adjustment, enabling lighting displays to be quickly and conveniently adjusted to suit studio displays with minimal time and expense.

46 fittings were supplied in all, with a 65m track in mixed colours with corners, and 3 scene plates. The product was customised with a simple operating scene plate to control the three separate dimmable areas, allowing the display lighting to be altered on different event days.

The project was a great success and was completed in good time. Dextra’s Hi-Track lighting significantly enhanced the aesthetic of Material Lab’s resource studio while providing a customisable lighting system to highlight the various displays, thereby also adding to the atmosphere of this innovative and imaginatively purposed building.