Lighting in Design

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Some years ago the Department of PublicWorks bought Innes Chambers, a 1960s
Modernist building that was home for many years to the Johannesburg Bar.
Around 2010, they began the process of restoring it as the Johannesburg offices
of the National Prosecuting Authority. For a variety of reasons the redevelopment took
a long time, but this does not detract from the happy fact that the building – a landmark
in downtown Johannesburg – was treated with heritage respect, though it was not at
the onset of redevelopment quite 60 years old. The Department of Public Works de-
serves congratulations for this stance and for the work it is doing to transform the city.
During daylight hours, the white mosaic of the building’s exterior draws attention to
this landmark but Leane Fernandes of Activate Architects, the architect on the project,
said that a rewarding but unexpected outcome of the restoration was public response
to the sight of light through the Y-column façade screens of the exterior after dark. To
preserve the façade, no exterior lighting was specified for the building, but office light-
ing illuminates the façade; emphasising the structure and providing a warm glow of
welcome light in the city.
Poles apart from this traditional legal setting, MultichoiceCity in Randburg leads the
way in offering technology-driven employees a thoroughly modern work environment,
complete with spaces that allow for ‘spontaneous conversation’ and the ‘creative
exchange of ideas’. With natural light being the core design element, employees are
constantly aware of the movement of the sun and the state of the weather. Leigh Darroll
explains that while lighting was a significant consideration of the interior design it was
selected to complement the high level of natural light within. Mood lighting and purpose-
designed pendants are used for effect and focused task lighting applied where required.
Most of the articles in this issue of Lighting in Design reflect installations that are
designed to make technology intelligible, to facilitate conversation and creative thought
and to expunge the corporate feel. Following this trend that is the ‘Internet of Things’,
intelligent solutions, future-oriented technologies and current design trends that make
a building more efficient, increase its standard of comfort and architecture and improve
the lives of its occupants will be on display at Light+Building 2016, under the slogan,
‘Where modern spaces come to life: digital-individual-networked’. It is the world’s big-
gest trade fair for lighting and building-services technology, with around 2 500 exhibitors
and over 210 000 visitors.
Shortly after the close of Light+Building, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting
Fair (Spring Edition) 2016, opens its doors to offer visitors an overview of lighting trends
while, locally,The Lighting Show, will form part of Power & ElectricityWorld Africa 2016.
Enjoy any or all of these exhibitions if you possibly can – I am fortunate enough to be
going to Frankfurt and cannot wait!
Till next time …
Editor: Karen Grant )
Advertising manager: Carin Hannay )
Layout: Adel JvR Bothma - Circulation: Karen Smith
Cover: Swisscom Business Campus, Photographer: Radek Brunecky
Published by Crown Publications cc
PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 - Tel: +27 (0)11 622-4770 Fax: +27 (0)11 615-6108 - Website:
Printed by: Tandym Print
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1 LiD FEB/MAR 2016