Apollo Interchanges Gateshead
Overview
Gateshead Interchange is the name of a transport interchange in the centre of the town of Gateshead, England. It is served by the Tyne and Wear Metro, whose station is underground, as well as local bus services. The Interchange opened in 1981, as part of the third stage of the Tyne and Wear Metro system, which included the main underground sections in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge across the River Tyne.
In the early noughties the bus station was refurbished and re-lit. Apollo Lighting was chosen to supply not only the internal lighting but also the external feature and emergency lighting system. The whole project was run over different phases to allow the interchange to remain open during the refurbishment.
Design Concept
Internal
The internal lighting specified not only had to illuminate the internal space but also be capable of housing the data and communications along the length of the platforms. The atrium area also required illumination. Emergency provision was specified as a centrally run system with out and integral emergency batteries.
External Feature Lighting
Although the external lighting was not covered in Apollo's initial brief, it was deemed a valuable proposal to make a feature of the external steelwork.
Emergency
The entire emergency lighting system in the concourse runs from a central battery unit mounted remotely from the luminaires. This was to aid maintenance and to avoid any undue closures when maintenance was required.
Solution
Internal
The main platform lighting was provided by more than a 100m of tube system in various lengths, all manufactured specifically for this project. This 200mm diameter tube system has an extruded aluminium housing with various internal components and gear trays. The large diameter was chosen so that all the electrical services could be run internally to the tube, this avoided installing more trunking and gave a more aesthetically pleasing result to the installation.
The main source of illumination is provided by 2x58W lamps, these are mounted in their own compartment maintaining segregation from the data and communications cables. T8 lamps were chosen because of their performance at lower temperatures which could be experienced in this type of building. Some additional downlights were required in certain areas to boost the illumination level.
The tube track has various mounting arrangements depending on the location. Some are wall mounted using bespoke mounting brackets and some are suspended from the fabric of the building.
Atrium
The building has two atrium areas, one at either end. Both atriums are lit using the same basic principle of uplighting. The larger of the two has 400W asymmetric flood lights and the smaller has 85 QL flood lights. The QL lamps have an extremely long life (average of 60,000 hours).
External Feature Lighting
Each of the structural supports of the ceiling is illuminated using a 70w metal halide floodlight with a slightly asymmetric beam. This gives a very please appearance to the outside of the concourse and highlights the white paint finish. The floodlights were also supplied in a white finish to match the steelwork.
Consultants
- WSP Group PLC, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Installing Contractors
- Hayden Young Limited, Newcastle Upon Tyne