Alnwick Castle Gardens

Alnwick, UK

The Alnwick Garden in Northumberland is more than a garden, since undergoing a £42 million overhaul it is now a place for the senses to be awakened and adults and children alike to learn and explore.

Visitors can while away the hours in the Ornamental Garden, wind their way through the sinuous topiary in the Serpent Garden, or if they are feeling slightly more adventurous, they can venture into the Poison Garden and discover what lies behind the locked gates. Those who are looking for a more relaxed experience can make their way to the light and airy Pavilion and bask in the panoramic views whilst enjoying a coffee from the Pavilion Café.

UFO was selected by DPA Lighting Consultants to supply and install decorative lighting in and around The Pavilion area. UFO's fibre optic lighting system was chosen due to the flexibility that the system offers and its inherent suitability for use in public spaces.

Internally, thin 19mm UFO lights wands have been used to shine light into the bubble-glass sinks in the washroom creating a colour changing glow in the glass. The light wands are powered by a UFO standard 150W metal halide light source with varicolour wheel that provides the continuous colour change functionality.

Externally, the tiled paving in front of The Pavilion houses more than 6,000 points of 1mm end-lit polymer fibre which has been covered in a protective sheath. The fibre has been embedded in the grout between the tiles to create a beautiful star field effect which twinkles in the dark of night.

The steps leading down to the garden also feature decorative lighting. Here special side emitting fibre has been used to cast an atmospheric and gentle wash of light down each of the step risers. The 150W metal halide light sources used in both areas include DMX 512 which allows the colour of the fibre optics to be controlled and dimmed, set to twinkle or synchronised to change colour in time to music.