Old Gramophone Works

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Location background

Old Gramophone Works is a new commercial development steeped in musical heritage and situated in the heart of West London’s creative district. It offers 19,892 feet² of office accommodation and four outdoor terraces, spanning an impressive 1200 ft².

Adjacent to the Grand Union Canal in Kensal Rise, the building opened in the early 1920s. and went on to house Saga Records. Saga acquired Trojan Records in 1975, making the Old Gramophone Works the epicentre of reggae music in London.

Phi’s solution

The unique architectural design required a lighting solution that was highly efficient but also had a visually lightweight and complementary appearance. The architects at Studio RHE and consultants, Atelier 10, felt that a new, super-performance product by Phi Lighting called ‘Momentum’ was the answer. Linear in form with the flexibility to be installed as individual or continuous ribbons of light, its minimalist proportions hit the spot.

Momentum’s flexibility also proved to be of particular value here. As the project developed, we needed to completely change the lighting layout to meet the building reconfiguration – a hurdle which versatile Momentum was able to take in its stride.

Buildings of this generation create other challenges that, in this case. required wall-mounted products to be fitted in an irregular way. Working hand-in-hand with Dowds Group, Graham Group and all the stakeholders, our engineering experts skilfully modified the standard product into a derivative solution to accommodate the new requirement. In solving the problem, Phi needed to maintain the integrity and aesthetic of the solution– box ticked.

The OGW project was constructed during a period of worldwide supply chain upheaval and component shortage which certainly added to the challenge, as did several unexpected twists along the way. However, our close working relationship with Dowds, the electrical installation contractor and the other contractors enabled us to avoid all potential delays successfully by offering a flexible and sympathetic service solution.

Environmental prize winner

We are also very proud to have played our part in the Old Gramophone Works being chosen as the Environmental Prize Winner at the New London Awards 2021. Benjamin Prosky, from the international jury, enthused: “The large CLT structure draws me to this. Sets a precedent as an important example for materials we’re trying to explore.”

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