Arding & Hobbs Lights Up For Christmas
Illuminating the Grade II listed shop in a swathe of colour
December 17, 2019
Clapham Junction icon Arding & Hobbs has been wrapped in a spectrum of coloured lights for the festive season. The LED installation forms part of a Clapham Junction Business Improvement District (BID) initiative aimed at showcasing the “trading environment and shopping experience for both residents and visitors”.
A second sequence of colours will appear on the December 31st to celebrate the New Year and will remain on display until 2 January 2020.
Arding and Hobbs is a Grade II listed building at the junction of Lavender Hill and St John's Road. It was built in 1910 in an Edwardian Baroque style by the architect James Gibson whose buildings included the Middlesex Guildhall in Parliament Square and the London County Council hostel in Drury Lane.
The building was run by Allders from the late 1970s until the group went into administration and was subsequently broken up and sold. It is now split between branches of Debenhams and TK Maxx.
The Clapham Junction BID – a not-for-profit organisation founded in June and run by a voluntary board of directors – has ensured that best architectural practice and the latest generation LED technology have been utilised. Twenty five linear fixtures were carefully installed by illumination experts, EPS Lighting, with great sensitivity to the aesthetics, history and use of the building. The temporary lighting products are mounted to weighted plates placed on the building.
Junction BID Manager, Roz Lloyd-Williams, said, “We’re incredibly excited to see a project come to life after months of careful planning. The Arding & Hobbs building is an iconic landmark in Clapham Junction and the stunning display of hues will colour-wash this much-loved historical building, illuminating it in all its glory.
“Our aim is to showcase this vibrant area and encourage more locals and visitors to discover our hidden gems. The illumination spectacle will truly shine a light on Clapham Junction and all it has to offer.”
EPS Lighting’s UK projects include Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing and London’s County Hall as well as The Institute of Contemporary Art on The Mall. Internationally they have lit up the Al Jaber Hospital in Kuwait.