National Trust: Belton House “Illuminating Stories Exhibition”
Project Information
National Trust’s Belton House is a renowned country estate in Lincolnshire.
The National Trust’s Belton House is a renowned country estate with formal Italian and Dutch gardens and a historic deer park. Belton House has earned a reputation as one of England’s treasure houses since its construction in 1665–1688. Over time, the collection was augmented by members of the family. The National Trust now manages Belton House and its extraordinary 35-acre garden. Did you know this remarkable stately home is one of England’s most visited National Trust properties?
The National Trust asked us to deliver a variety of lighting design solutions. The project for the Belton House’s new Illuminating Stories exhibition included lighting fine art paintings and objects. The idea behind the Illuminating Stories exhibit was to illuminate objects within rooms on a Pathfinder tour uniquely. The exhibit takes visitors on a spectacular illuminated tour of this magnificent stately home in Lincolnshire.
Due to the building’s age, there was a total lack of existing lighting or mains power where the objects were to be displayed. With this in mind, our exhibition lighting designers were asked to step in. Initially, we attended a lighting consultation meeting at Belton House with the management and curatorial team. At this stage in the project, we explored and suggested numerous lighting solutions to overcome these complex restrictions.
Furthermore, we were equipped with various battery-powered LED fine art lighting mock-ups. In addition, during the meeting, several mock-ups were tested. Some of these lighting design mock-ups were battery-powered. After implementation, the effects were striking, as you can see.
Our lighting designers had to carefully consider the lighting balance for the next phase. Due to the sensitivity of the materials on display, National Trust properties are usually kept on the dark side, trying to achieve a 50-lux ambient light. Once we agreed on possible display solutions for all the objects, the Belton House team asked us to return and work with the National Trust volunteers to realise these unique lighting design suggestions.
Uniquely, some of these bespoke lighting techniques have not been used before by our lighting designers.
This included designing the battery-powered art lighting on the fly and adjusting the designs to suit the fixed environments. The various lighting solutions were produced and installed in time for the Belton House grand opening.
Afterwards, we were delighted to hear that the battery-powered art lighting for the four sconces mounted on the panelled walls worked seamlessly. Subsequently, this National Trust project paved the way for incorporating battery-powered lighting solutions in the future. This will be especially true where building conservation does not allow for mains electricity to be run to various locations. Watch this space!
- Belton House is located at High Road Belton, Grantham NG32 2LW, UK.
- Thank you to Belton House for providing some of the project images listed here.
Renowned country house Belton House, held by the National Trust, features traditional Italian and Dutch gardens along with a mediaeval deer park. Ever since its construction between 1665 and 1688, Belton House has gained a reputation as one of England’s treasure mansions. Family members added to the collection over time. The National Trust currently oversees Belton House and its remarkable 35-acre garden. Did you know that one of the most popular National Trust sites in England is this magnificent stately home?
The National Trust asked us to provide a range of lighting design options. Lighting fine art paintings and items was part of the proposal for the new Illuminating Stories exhibition at the Belton House. The Illuminating Stories exhibit’s concept was to use Pathfinder tours to illuminate artefacts in rooms in a new way. This lovely stately home in Lincolnshire is illuminated to provide tourists with an amazing tour.
Due to the building’s age, there was a total lack of either existing lighting or mains power where the objects were to be displayed. With this in mind, our exhibition lighting designers were asked to step in. Initially, we attended a lighting consultation meeting at Belton House with the management and curatorial team. At this stage in the project, we explored and suggested numerous lighting solutions to overcome these complex restrictions.
We also had a variety of battery-operated LED fine art lighting mock-ups. Additionally, several mock-ups were tried throughout the meeting. A few of these mock-ups for lighting designs were battery-operated. As you can see, the results were remarkable after installation.
The lighting balance for the following stage required significant consideration by our lighting designers. Owing to the delicate nature of the items exhibited, National Trust establishments typically strive for an ambient light level of 50 lux. The Belton House team requested us to return and collaborate with the National Trust volunteers to implement these creative lighting design proposals when we reached a consensus on potential display solutions for each object.
Interestingly, our lighting designers have never before implemented some of these creative lighting techniques.
This involved creating the battery-operated art lighting designs on the spot and modifying them to fit the stationary settings. The several lighting options were formulated and put in place in time for Belton House’s official opening.
We were happy to learn later that the four sconces set into the panelled walls were powered by batteries and operated flawlessly. This National Trust project therefore cleared the path for future integration of battery-operated lighting options. This will be particularly true in cases where building conservation prevents the distribution of mains electricity to different sites. Keep an eye on here!
- Belton House is located at High Road Belton, Grantham NG32 2LW, UK.
- Thank you to Belton House for providing some of the project images listed here.
