August 24, 2017 Illuminating London Luton Airport’s New Multi-Storey Car Park

Project Focus: London Luton Airport Multi-Storey Car Park
Designer: Stuart Price
Completion Date: November 2016
Location: Luton, Bedfordshire
Luminaires: Duro ABI IP65 Batten

Project requirements

Having handled 14.5 million passengers in 2016 and experienced the largest passenger growth of any London airport, London Luton Airport (LLA) is currently investing over £110 million to transform the airport and increase capacity from 12 million to 18 million passengers per year by 2020.

The redevelopment plans include a complete redesign of the terminal, bringing in new and exciting retail and dining options, and major upgrades to transport links, including better road access to the M1, new car parking facilities, a remodeled bus and coach interchange and improved rail links to Luton Airport Parkway station.

As part of this ambitious strategy, a new 1,700-space multi-storey car park has been built to provide secure on-site under-cover parking with a covered walkway linking it directly to the terminal entrance, enabling passengers to walk from their cars to the terminal in minutes.

To ensure that the car park’s lighting would meet the high standards demanded by LLA, Lighting Designer Stuart Price, who designed the LED lighting scheme to deliver on efficiency as well as performance, called upon Gamma Illumination to supply the high quality products required to complete the project.

The luminaires would need to be secure, sealed and easy to maintain with exceptional life expectancy. Rather less straightforward was the need to mount them onto trunking using traditional 20 mm conduit mounting points rather than the quick-release flush mounted fixing clips, which are featured on the majority of such products as standard.

Project solutions

With an ingress protection rating of IP65, vandal resistance rating of IK10, the highest rating possible, and a choice of 5 ft and 6 ft versions, the vapour-proof, anti-corrosive Duro ABI provided the ideal solution.

As an LED luminaire, this would fulfil the need for a product that would operate effectively in low ambient temperatures, with a highly efficient Tridonic system to ensure that the luminaires would achieve the life expectancy demanded of a 24 hour car park. Meanwhile, the light quality and distribution would help passengers find their vehicles quickly and easily.

As well as being installed throughout the car park, ABIs were also placed in the stairwells complete with emergency conversion (EMi) to facilitate the safe evacuation of the car park in the event of a power outage or an emergency.

Gamma was chosen not only for the quality of its luminaires but also for its ability to deliver them on schedule, with the products provided in six phases to meet the clients’ budgeting requirements. Even more integral to the decision was Gamma’s ability to modify the product in-house by providing a pre-drilled body ready to mount rather than supplying it with standard fixing clips.

Project results

London Luton Airport was delighted with the standard of Gamma’s products and its ability to provide a tailored solution on time and on budget in accordance with its demanding development plans.

Rupert Lawrie, Commercial Director at LLA, said: “Gamma’s lighting solution for our new multi-storey car park has provided us with bright effective illumination in modern, neat fittings which enhance the finished look of the structure”.

Gamma Illumination is a UK designer and manufacturer of complete project lighting solutions. Based at a purpose-built factory in West Yorkshire, Gamma manufactures a wide range of high quality luminaires for the industrial, transport, commercial, retail, healthcare, hospitality and leisure sectors. For more information, visit www.gamma-uk.com or call +44 (0)1924 482777.

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