INTERNATIONAL lighting design studio Nulty has completed a lighting scheme for Bromley Old Town Hall, part of a £20 million project to restore the architectural and cultural significance of the historic site.
Nulty’s lighting design response supports the wider goals set by architecture practice Cartwright Pickard and interior design studio Fusion Interiors Group, to reclaim the heritage of the Grade II-Listed architecture and breathe new life into the flexible co-working space and all-day dining restaurant that now occupies the building.
The scheme balances the need for contemporary lighting interventions and a sensitive design narrative that prioritises reuse. Nulty reviewed archive photographs of the 1906 and 1939 sections of the building, then refurbished and reinstated traditional light fittings to honour the original aspirations of the old town hall.
The contrast of old and new plays out in the reception area, where suspended glass pendants have been used to create a focal point above the desk and seating area. The composition forms a welcoming path of light, which pulls guests through to the more historically significant areas of the scheme where the traditional lighting language begins.
Across the main circulation areas, original decorative fittings were reinstated or replicated to complement period features such as vaulted domed ceilings, cornices, and archways. In the building’s iconic central hall, artificial skylights were used to flood the space with light and pay reverence to the 1930s skylights that were removed when the floor above was extended. The backlit ceilings are inherently modern and provide dynamic white light that accurately reflects the colour temperature and intensity of external light levels.
A new restaurant takes up residence in the old Courthouse, a historic part of the building that has been opened to the public for the first time. Here, integrated perimeter lighting accentuates the wood panelled walls and uplights illuminate artwork and help to elevate the space. Decorative glass pendants were reintroduced to ensure that the original design intent has been honoured and supplemented at a lower level by globe pendants to evoke a sense of intimacy.
In the shared Club Lounge, housed in the former Council Chambers, the lighting is unapologetically restrained to allow the large stained-glass windows, domed soffits, and columns to sing. Bowl pendants were reinstated at a high level and teamed with discreet uplights that highlight the rhythm of the architecture.
A new flexible co-working space from Clockwise resonates the spirit of the local authority building, yet every attempt has been made to elevate the building’s performance to that of a contemporary workplace. LED technology was integrated in all the workspaces and meeting rooms to deliver the required quality of light for focused work, video conferencing, and face-to-face meetings.
The basement has been repurposed to form a new thread of the building and features a dramatic circulation corridor come bike storage area. To compensate for the lack of natural light in this space, linear profiles were positioned along the length of the corridor to reinforce the curve of the exposed concrete walls and improve permeability by leading occupants along a soft cadence of light.
