Samsung KX was a one-of-a-kind project that shows how lighting can be transformative in terms of architecture and experience.
The inspirational and inviting experience-led retail concept in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, has been conceived under Heatherwick Studio’s “kissing” rooftops and needed a lighting solution befitting its architectural backdrop.
The building’s complex infrastructure and changing functionality of the space required a day-to-night lighting scheme that is constantly visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows and can be modified depending on how the space is used. And, crucially, the lighting had to work sympathetically with the dual formation of the almost identical gabled roofs.
A continuous ribbon of light soars through the east and west retail showcases and serves to unite the two sections of Heatherwick’s masterpiece. The swoop of light travels up through the floor, walls and ceiling to form an architectural feature for Samsung KX while enveloping the space in a layering blanket of light.
Throughout the 20,000 sq ft brand showcase, surface mounted LED spotlights illuminate from the curved ceiling. Positioned across the ceiling in a concentric circular arrangement, the tunable white spotlights work with the building’s curved contours and can be adjusted from cool white through to warm white to create different moods for Samsung KX’s programme of events.
Images © Samsung
— Daniel Blaker
