Vicar LaneChesterfield

This project was a first for us in terms of the size of the structure. The cubes are 3.7m high x 3.5m wide and have been installed over existing domes on the roofline of Vicar Lane shopping centre, Chesterfield.

The structure is made from steel and aluminium, with polycarbonate panels. The panels are back illuminated with Casambi Bluetooth-controlled dynamic white LED.

The illumination comes from 48 Alphaeus 3 LED luminaires, with CCT range of 2200K to 4000K as per Studio Fractal’s specification. The colour temperature of the cubes can be changed via a simple Bluetooth app. These LED fittings are located along the top and bottom of each elevation to ensure even illumination.

Following several months of design updates, site meetings and testing, we began fabricating the cubes in May 2020. The process took close co-ordination between our team and the suppliers to meet the delivery schedule. To ensure the cubes were structurally safe and secure, a specialist structural consultant was brought in to consider and approve the loadings, including the impact of wind on all surfaces.

We invited the client and GFT to visit our factory and see the illuminated cubes in progress. For GFT, this allowed them to better understand the complexities of the design and relay them to their installation team.

With a design such as this, there are always parts that test us, but our team met every challenge head on and found a way forward. The client was very impressed with the overall look of the project on completion. We must thank Studio Fractal and GFT for their support and co-operation throughout.