St Helen’s Square

Lighting designers Studio Fractal developed a bespoke lighting system using RobLight Fibre Optics supplied by Light Projects, for an innovative lighting design scheme by Studio Fractal in London’s St Helen’s Square.

120 fibre optic ‘custom reeds’ varying in height between 600, 900 and 1100mm are cleverly woven into the garden of this key public space at the foot of The Leadenhall Building in the City of London. It provides an essential break-out space for nearby workers and a versatile area to accommodate exhibitions and performances.

At night time, the reeds with their glowing acrylic tips sway gentle in the breeze surrounded by a wealth of plants – all beautifully counterpointing the steel and glass of the adjoining buildings. The gently curving raised planters themselves creating seating areas and a guided walkway through the space.

884m of PMMA Optical fibre is routed unobtrusively from the reed tips down stainless-steel rods into underground ducting to four constructed pits which house RobLight FL1000 Exterior LED projectors. Four sets of 40 individual tails are specially site terminated to maximise the optical efficiency making it comparable to a factory-made Fibre Optic Harness. Each rod is anchored to a base plate buried under the planting and incorporates a spring coil that gives the desired balance of rigidity and flexibility to safely produce the swaying effect.

Once in place, the whole system is run from only four 24W LED projectors. The 4000K output with 80+ CRI colour temperature offers a bright crisp light adding to the twilight feel of the installation.