The lighting of Letchworth Garden City was designed by Sutton Vane Associates to restore it as a destination and create a night time economy, whilst preserving its unusual heritage.

The Street Scene scheme includes the creation of a new gateway area and ‘town square’ with lit beacons and water features. Sutton Vane Associates has created a discrete, integrated lighting scheme that draws visitors into the hub of Letchworth and aids way-finding. It includes specially designed lighting columns which have bronze painted bases and are faced with wood that matches the street furniture. These columns support lanterns which can be dimmed remotely and provide energy savings by reducing light levels to a safe minimum during the small hours.

Three beacons set within a water feature form the heart of the scheme. Their design is based on the Garden City’s 1909 ‘Four Square Our City’ processional banner. Luminaires with spreader lenses have been used to illuminate building facades, and fibre optic lighting is used to give the area three ‘gardens’. Trees, including new plantings, are lit up to give the centre an intimate atmosphere. The scheme was a Finalist at the Lighting Design Awards.