Lighting in Design August-September 2017

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Lansdowne Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
This shopping centre, located in the heart of Karen,
one of the more culturally steeped locations in
Nairobi, was designed by Aleem Manji of Aleem
Manji Architects, a local practice founded in 2010,
which undertakes full-scope services in architec-
tural design as well as interiors.
The project, which consists of small shopping
units on three levels with two basement parking
structures and a rooftop restaurant/lounge area, all
accommodated on a quarter acre parcel in the old
Karen Provisional Store neighbourhood, is a modern
take on the neo-colonial style of design. This was
achieved through a careful selection of the mate-
rial palette, including blue-gumpole walkways with
exposed soffits, coupled with mazeras stone tiling
as opposed to porcelain tiling.
Manji notes that the client's preference in light-
ing was to maximise natural lighting during the
day, especially with regard to the centre’s central
atrium. “While there was anticipated footfall in the
evenings, they expected most of their footfall to
come during normal business hours and wanted
to move as far away as possible from the standard
shopping centre solution of heavy artificial lighting
in common areas during the day,” he explains.
Natural light is brought into the central atrium
from the rooftop level, which was deliberately left
open on the side. The high roof allowed for a flow
of indirect light that filtered into all areas of the
shopping centre’s walkways and circulation spaces.
“We were then left with the option of using specific
ambient and task lighting on the soffits, purely for
task lighting above walkways,” says Manji.
Externally, lighting played an important role as
the architects wanted to accentuate the various
materials they had used on the façade (natural slit
stone cladding, timber boarding and rough textured
render).
When asked how the lighting contributes to
the overall success of the project, Manji says
“Enormously, especially the natural lighting. It
gives the entire design a feel of airiness and light-
ness, almost an uplifting feeling within the central
spaces. Additionally, owing to the rustic nature of
the material palette, the natural light helps highlight
the various colours and textures and enhances the
stark contrast with the brilliant white walls.” The
lighting design, along with the chosen materials,
have combined to create a charming, small shop-
ping precinct which blends in with its environment
but, at the same time, gives it a touch of modernity.
Although the three featured projects are vastly
different, with disparate requirements for the dif-
ferent users, each project took the lighting needs
of the building on its own merits, and delivered a
solution that was project and site appropriate, but
also took into account budget restraints, available
natural lighting and the end user’s prerequisites,
to deliver lighting that not only suited the spaces,
but enhanced them.
Further information:
Inhouse:
MDS Architecture:
Aleem Manji Architects:
21 LiD AUG/SEP 2017