SLL GUIDE | RETAIL customers in any part of the space, making it more difficult to provide a lighting design that addresses their needs. The guide recognises that energy reduction is a fundamental part of any design project though retail lighting, like other leisure areas, has always been recognised as having rather different needs than, say, an office environment. There will always need to be a balance between appropriate use of energy, the use of lighting to highlight merchandise or sales banners, and the need to offer an inviting environment for customers, says Robinson. Hopefully, LG17 addresses these issues while recognising the need to allow designers to be creative in the use of lighting in retail spaces. LG7, on office lighting, was the first lighting guide to introduce examples of how various spaces could be illuminated. This approach has been carried through to the retail guide, which includes 10 examples of retail spaces, ranging from a small to medium-sized, general-purpose retail space to a fully glazed car showroom. Robinson draws an analogy with office spaces, in that retail tends to be associated with large shopping complexes, supermarkets or department stores. In reality, however, the vast majority of retail outlets are small, general-use spaces, often repurposed or occupying space not suitable for any other use which is why the practical examples begin with a generalpurpose shop. Such spaces make up the majority of retail establishments, so the uses to which they can be put is extensive and the example discusses two approaches, says Robinson. The first acknowledges that many shop owners simply want a flexible, general-purpose space that can maximise their opportunity to sell merchandise. The second considers the use of display The flagship Dolce & Gabbana in Aoyama, Tokyo, with interior lighting by Curiosity, is designed around the themes of light and shadow Good lighting design is critical in differentiating the real shopping experience from the sedentary and sterile online transaction lighting for sales promotions, or to highlight particular parts of the space or merchandise on sale. Internet-based retail is also considered in LG17, with an example examining the lighting approach for a collection point in a store front. For many segments of the retail sector, there is no doubt that business now is literally a hard sell. However, as LG17 affirms, good design specifically good lighting design is critical in differentiating the real shopping experience from the sedentary and sterile online transaction. CJ LG17 Lighting for Retail Premises is available through the CIBSE Knowledge Portal. Members of the SLL receive unlimited online access to all SLL publications. For information about becoming a member, email sll@cibse.org Lush lighting design by Michael Grubb Studio, with a characteristically high-contrast interior QUESTIONS EXAMPLE Pre-design stage questions to ask the client: n Is daylight to be optimised or excluded? n What tasks are to be performed by staff? n Will staff be located in set positions or mobile? n How critical is good colour representation of merchandise? n Will merchandise have small text that needs to be read by customers? n How important is the vertical surface? It is key in a bookstore, for example, but perhaps not so much in a bakery 6 December 2018 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Dec18 pp04-06 Supp LG17.indd 6 23/11/2018 12:51