Note the word ‘destination’, because it’s entirely appropriate for the modern retail experience. And the Designer Outlet - a project undertaken by Orbit Developments (Manchester) Ltd - is as much a destination as it’s possible to be, as witness its recent opening marked by the imaginative use of exterior colour changers.
Both the exterior and interior lighting scheme for the project was devised by Into Lighting Design’s Northern Studio in Nottingham, and supplied and installed by A.C. Lighting.
The exterior lighting system is built around 32 Martin Professional Exterior 200 colour changers at the heart of which is a powerful 150W discharge lamp. These are rated at IP65 for outdoor use. Control for these is routed via DMX using Artistic Licence’s Grand-Master Flash V4. This was programmed by AC Lighting to provide an ever-changing and dramatic ripple of colour round the exterior of the building - and features a special red and white sequence activated when England football matches are being played at Old Trafford!
Within the centre itself, Astralite trussing has been installed, carrying an array of low voltage fittings. In each of the atrium areas, for example, customised white 8.5m x 3.5m Astralite box truss, with in-built three-circuit track, has been spec’d. Each truss carries 10 ETC Source Four Junior Zoom CDM 150W fixtures and two Optikinetics GoBoPro effects projectors. An additional Optikinetics GoBoPro projector is deployed in the games area.
AV also features prominently throughout the centre: Saville AV has installed a mix of videowalls, and plasma and holographic screens. These are fed by a Cabletime Media Star network and programming is managed via Cabletime’s scheduling system drawing from satellite, DVD, MPEG and VHS sources.
One of the biggest challenges facing A.C. and Into Lighting Design was to complete the lighting in readiness for the Designer Outlet’s busy opening period. Jonathan Rycroft, associate of Into Lighting Design, commented: "The specialist lighting equipment and control systems we specified were technically complex, and the client’s installation and commissioning schedules were very demanding. Everyone involved approached the installation of the lighting with enthusiasm, knowledge and flexibility which ultimately ensured its success."
