Yorkshire Post Newspapers' building in Leeds received a complete internal refurbishment when the company was purchased by United News and Media. Following a further takeover, it is now used as national headquarters for the parent company, Candover.

Most recently the ground floor was remodelled. The area, some six metres high, proved a challenge to light in view of the height. This was compounded by the fact that the ground floor, as well as being a public reception area, was now also to be used as office space and occupied with desks and VDU screens. This in itself provided problems in terms of regulations relating to VDU screens whilst striving to produce a visually interesting scheme suitable for a public area.

A further consideration was the maintenance factor: given the actual height of the area and its dedicated use, maintenance in these circumstances would be particularly difficult so any scheme had also to take this factor into account.

A difference in ceiling composition added another dimension to the project. The area in question uses two distinct types of ceiling arrangement: the outer area of the ceiling is plasterboard sheet whilst the inner part is a pre-cast concrete cellular system.

Apollo Lighting overcame these problems using the Philips QL system: a relatively new concept in lamp technology whereby burning hours are dramatically increased thus reducing the maintenance factor.

The photograph shows that in the periphery, downlighters requiring a collar to carry them have been semi-recessed and each supplied with a specially made floating glass diffuser. In the central area, single 85W QL lamps have been positioned into the cells of the pre-cast concrete ceiling.

Also visible in the picture are 2, of 8, purpose made, wall mounted, uplighter luminaires of composite body and reflector with a 250W metal halide lamp.

These luminaires were designed specifically for this project by Apollo and were colour coordinated to blend with surroundings.

Installation

47 randomly placed semi-recessed 85W downlighters with QL lamps, 28 85W QL lamps (placed in cellular ceiling) and 8 wall mounted uplighter luminaires.

Lamps

QL LAMPS - Different in arrangement to any other lamp, there are no filaments or electrodes which normally limit the lamp life due to their eventual burn out. Instead, the outer envelope of the QL lamp carries a fluorescent powder which is excited by the UV generated by an antenna using radio frequency technology.

The electronic circuitry ensures rapid lamp starting, absence of flicker and full light output at switch on.

The end result? Excellent colour rendering together with 60,000 hours of rated life producing a scheme complying with the relevant regulations whilst aesthetically solving a rather complex problem.