Cast Courts The V&A
The Cast Courts at the V&A are two large halls that unusually for a museum, house copies of some of the most famous sculptures in the world. In some cases, the originals no longer exist so all that remains is the reproduction. The sculptures are incredibly intricate so lighting them so that all of the details are highlighted was crucial to the success of the scheme by Sutton Vane Associates. The pre-existing lighting in the spaces wasn’t suitable as the fittings were too apparent and, in some cases, detracted from the sculptures. SVA were able to discreetly place a variety of luminaires that could pick up the incredible intricacies of the casts. Ambient light was also added giving a warm atmosphere to the space.
By far the largest reproduction in the courts is Trajan’s Column, a 30m Roman column that is split into two halves in order to be accommodated into the space. SVA successfully illuminated this huge cast, greatly enhancing the viewing experience for museum visitors.
Sutton Vane Associates also lit the connecting corridor between the two cast courts, known as The Chitra Nirmal Sethia Gallery. This wonderful space has been skilfully lit so that the stunning artefacts and surrounding space are revealed without dominating the architecture.
“Pleasure to work with you. You have done a beautiful job of the lighting which is one of the really elegant features of the refurbished Cast Courts”