The Royal Academy of Music Museum in London is known by students, teachers and music enthusiasts for holding some of Britain’s most prestigious historical musical instruments. During a recent refurbishment, the museum has undergone a substantial lighting-scheme upgrade with the aim to improve lighting efficiency and instrument display as well as addressing preventative conservation UV concerns.
Featuring a variety of Concord architectural fittings by Havells-Sylvania, the new design not only highlights the stunning exterior, but discreetly blends into the museum’s interior to show off its renowned collections of instruments, art, photography, manuscripts and scores.
The building, which now houses the Royal Academy of Music Museum, was originally designed by John Nash in 1822 (the same year that the Academy was founded), as part of the main York Gate entrance into Regent’s Park. The interior of the York Gate building was largely destroyed by bomb damage in the 1940s and in subsequent years it was used as commercial offices. In the 1990s the Grade I listed building was leased by the Academy, which acquired a Heritage Lottery Fund grant for its refurbishment and conversion to studios and practice rooms as well as the museum. Today, the museum provides daily inspiration to the Academy’s 650 students as well as to tens of thousands of visitors annually.
Havells-Sylvania’s Lighting Design Consultant, Vic Cieslewicz was approached by the museum to develop a display-lighting scheme that would reduce energy costs, improve instrument preservation while illuminating the collection in its finest form. Specifying high-colour rendering LED spotlights with minimal UV, Vic supplied the museum’s three permanent galleries with 100 of Concord’s Beacon LED Accent luminaires.
“Concord’s Beacon LED Accent Spot/Floodlight luminaires are perfect for these types of applications”, says Vic Cieslewicz. “Designed especially for museums wishing to showcase their collections without exposing them to UV damage, the Beacon LED Accent balances high output with high efficiency LED performance.”