Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 26
Beckford’s Tower
and Museum
Whilst not the largest of buildings, Beckford’s Tower is a fascinating collection of spaces and offered
the QODA MEP and QODA Light design teams some very interesting challenges in achieving the
correct environmental conditions for the museum spaces and historic building fabric, and visual aesthetic
throughout the variety of spaces.
The project brief for services installations was largely
focused on maintaining stable environmental conditions
within the museum spaces, while also reducing the heating running costs and associated carbon emissions. The
existing oil-fired heating system was removed, with the
external area previously taken by the oil tanks cleared and
used to house new air source heat pump units, serving
radiators throughout the museum spaces.
Another key element to reduce carbon emissions is the
installation of a roof-mounted photovoltaic array on the
second-floor roof.
Due to the limited plant space available, conservation
heating control has been used to control internal humidity levels while significantly reducing the plant requirements. This allows the room temperatures to be elevated
slightly above the outside conditions to reduce the relative
humidity internally. As the temperatures required to
maintain these humidity levels in winter are too low for a
museum space, a hybrid approach has been taken where
local standalone humidifiers can be provided during winter months, allowing the temperature to be raised while
not lowering the relative humidity too far.
With the building undergoing a complete refurbishment,
an entirely new lighting installation could be developed.
As part of the wider full refurbishment of the building,
small power and data services were renewed throughout,
and upgraded fire and security alarms and CCTV
installations were provided.
The design broadly fell into three main areas, display
lighting for the museum spaces, internal and external
lighting within the tower and external lighting for the
newly excavated grotto tunnel.
Flexibility was key within the museum rooms to allow for
a variety of different hangs and artefacts being displayed.
To facilitate this, a simple track system was employed
ensuring the spotlights could be easily re-located. Furthermore, each spotlight has local on-board dimming control
allowing the illuminance levels within the rooms to be
easily balanced.
Colour rendering is also critical when displaying artwork,
so luminaires with excellent colour rendering properties
were selected. These all had a colour temperature of
3000K which best complements an historic environment.
Tower lighting…. As the name might suggest, the tower
is highly visible from the surrounding area. Internally a
fabulous spiral staircase ascends to the higher levels of the
tower. Located at the base of this are a number of
spotlights. A set is used to light the artwork which is to
be located at the bottom of the tower. A second set of
spotlights are used to light into the staircase void, reflecting light from the interior surfaces, to visually lift the
interior.
The Belvedere offers fantastic views across the surrounding area. To light this space a simple ring of light has been
introduced, wrapping around the staircase enclosure. Not
only does this light the space but it additionally offers a
view in from the outside adding a further presence for the
tower at night.
Conservation & Heritage Journal
24
