The new Flower Bowl Complex in Preston has recently installed Anolis’s Ambiane LED RGBW downlights.
The lighting scheme brings colour and vibrance to this three-cinema screen complex, part of a new multi entertainment and leisure destination concept developed by the team behind Barton Grange Garden Centre, designed to entice customers to spend more time having fun in one space.
The single storey building has an undulating ‘living’ grass roof designed to blend into the surrounding countryside. It is a ‘mixed leisure’ venue which offers three premium cinema screens, a four-ice sheet curling rink, an 8-lane ten-pin bowling alley, golf simulators and several food and restaurant outlets.
Russell Winteridge, general manager for Barton Grange and MD Guy Topping contacted Anolis and asked if they could design and supply a colour-changing and sustainable lighting system for the cinema screens.
The contractor had first suggested a traditional white light scheme, but as the project progressed, the theme of flowers and changing seasons evolved and became ever present and vital in the overall ambience.
At this point, it was decided that colour changing lighting was the route to be taken.
Phil Howard, Anolis’ business development manager for the Northern region commented, “We’d been in touch with the client previously and quoted for lighting at the garden centre. They were impressed in particular by the quality and potential of the colour mixing fixtures in the Anolis ranges”.
Ambiane is a new product from Anolis which came onstream at a perfect time for the Flower Bowl project.
The client liked the smooth colour mixing, the striking bold saturates and the delicate pastel ranges that Ambiane can achieve. They were impressed by the even light coverage and smooth 18-bit dimming which fades seamlessly down to zero. This enables the subtle fade up and downs required for the start and end of each film.
The Ambiane’s emergency backup facility runs from a secondary power input connected to the central battery system, so no additional emergency light fixtures were needed.
Each of the three cinemas has twelve Ambianes recessed in the ceiling which are tagged by colours rather than numbers. They are set up to match the required lux levels of CIBSE cinema guidelines and illuminate the room and the screen beautifully in its designated colour.
Being DMX controlled, the Ambianes integrated seamlessly with the main Eaton building and cinema lighting control systems.
With the cinema part of the project successfully underway, Russell started talking to Anolis about lighting the Curling Rink.
He also wanted to add some colour and funkiness to this space. The final installation contained twelve Anolis ArcSource 48MC Integral RGBWs spaced down the long sides of the rink walls, pointing up at the curved roof ridges.
They create an attractive rainbow effect on the white plasterwork or bathe the whole room in a single colour. Colour chases are activated at various times, and the colour can be switched to white when professional players are using the rinks.
These compact floodlights were selected for their high output, control, and – again – excellent colour mixing. The client first trialled them on site together with other Anolis products after which they were selected as the best option.
“We really enjoyed working on this project” concluded Phil, “Russell and his team clearly appreciate the importance of creating the right atmosphere. They also understand the effect of colour on people’s moods, which gave us the chance to show just how much good quality lighting can completely transform a space.”
ANOLIS is an architectural lighting division of ROBE lighting s. r. o.
Photos: Courtesy the Barton Grange Group Ltd
