ING Bank, UK


12th December 2017

The new interior lighting design for the ING Bank UK London office, designed by Nulty, blends the old and the new, bringing a modern flair, while delicately illuminating the fine art on display.

Nulty has completed the interior lighting design for ING Bank UK London office (ING), delivering a concept that balances the bank’s heritage with its drive for innovation, and blends the delicate illumination of art and craftsmanship with a reference to the vibrancy of today’s modern working practices.

From subtly illuminating the prize pieces of art, to washing light on a flat white, this new office space made use of every architectural lighting design technique in Nulty’s repertoire. The London-based design firm was given a brief to create a lighting scheme that worked seamlessly with the tp bennett-designed interiors, adapting the latest in lighting technology to illuminate the quality of materials while complementing the natural light that floods through the expansive glass frontages of the client areas.

An integral aspect to the lighting concept was to deliver a scheme that carefully balanced the illumination of the impressive pieces of art with precise conservation requirements.

In order to get this just right, Nulty collaborated with ING’s art curator, delivering an in-depth study on the impact of natural light ingress and light quality on the different potential hanging areas.

With the intention to regularly rotate the pieces on display, Nulty applied its expertise of gallery design to perform a daylight analysis study, monitoring fluctuations in the direction and levels of daylight throughout the office space across all four seasons, as well as at different times of the day. The findings enabled Nulty to help ING identify the best positioning of the artwork to align the most appropriate pieces to specific display areas.

An important part of the lighting scheme on this project was to deliver an integrated system using methods in harmony with the clean lines and high quality of the client-facing spaces. To do this, Nulty installed XAL’s Move It magnetic track system, adapting it to encompass four different lighting capabilities, creating flexibility and a vessel where a variety of light sources could be used across the space.

The discreet magnetic system has minimum visual impact and provides the four key layers of the lighting scheme: down lighting, ambient light, wall washing light and spotlighting. The individual spotlights are magnetic and can be repositioned to provide different variations of light, which can be perfectly matched to enhance the art and provide ambient illumination to the surroundings.

A challenge for the Nulty team was to create a sense of cohesion across the client, reception and break-out areas, all of which have their own identity. On entering the reception area, a large suspended luminaire consisting of interconnected rings, constructed from Optelma’s Quad continuous linear profile draws the eye through the expansive area, the permeability of the pendent enabling an uninterrupted view of the surroundings.

As the lift doors open on the fifth floor to reveal the entrance to the Zest café, the craftsmanship of the solid-wooden slatted wall design is enhanced by illuminated Linea Light Group strips embedded within the grooves; an engaging contrast between a traditional sense of craftsmanship and materials and bright illumination.

It is within the café that Nulty teamed up with its sister company, Nulty Bespoke, to create one-of-a-kind pendant luminaires. Positioned above the canteen tables, the personalised pendants provide intimacy for diners and the use of company colours in the design reinforces the ING brand to visitors.

Phil Copland, senior lighting designer at Nulty, said: “Working closely with tp bennett and the client, we have designed an energy efficient and visually stimulating lighting solution.

“The variations of light enabled us to create different identities for different areas and the result is an integrated lighting concept that is at the same time subtle, yet stimulating. It also creates a sense of cohesion across all floors and reinforces the ING brand character, delivering a London office that, alongside the interior design, creates atmosphere and engagement from employees, clients, partners and those who visit.”

www.nultylighting.co.uk