Weston Park

Shropshire

Project background

Rako, a leading manufacturer and supplier of wired and wireless smart lighting controls and systems, has lit up the gardens of Weston Park, an opulent 17^th century mansion in Shropshire, enhancing the natural beauty of the environment and bringing the elegant features of the building into focus.

The property, now owned by a charitable trust, hosts a variety of events, from business conferences to weddings, providing a stunning setting for all who visit. A recent lighting renovation project focused on replacing the outdated flood lights spilling from the roof with a bespoke solution tailored to highlight the impressive historical architecture and its surrounding grounds. Designed and installed by Noon Lighting Ltd, with fixtures provided by Lighting of London, the main entrance, south facing wing, orangery and Italian gardens have all been beautifully lit to emphasise the long-standing splendour of Weston Park.

The purpose of the lighting scheme was to provide suitable visibility of the exterior of the building and its gardens, whilst also allowing the team at Weston Park to personalise the space and curate the perfect atmosphere for any event.

Challenges

An important factor for consideration was that due to the historical importance of this Grade I listed building, there could be no interference or damage to the original structure. Additionally, to be in keeping with the property, the fittings needed to be as discrete as possible.

To overcome these unique challenges, Noon Lighting selected Rako for its ability to provide an entirely wireless solution, which allowed for complete control over the extensive lighting system, without requiring any invasive work to the building. The Rako Hub as well as a wide variety of wireless modules were utilised within the project and Rako boosters ensured seamless communication across the project’s vast landscape.

Project Solution & Features

Steve Noyes, creative director at Noon Lighting, comments, “it had to be Rako for the level of reliability and communication needed. The distances across the grounds meant that there were long ranges from transmitter to receiver. To ensure the system would be reliable once installed, Rako visited the site to carryout tests and check signal range to address any challenges raised by the 300 year old building and its sprawling grounds.”

Rako not only supported Noon Lighting through the practicalities of installation, but its products also made it possible to create personalised lighting effects, adding immense value to the client. Steve Noyes talks through the design process for the lighting, “we wanted to provide a lighting display which was not just an aesthetic addition, but also a tool to use, to give value to guests when they hire out the space for a multitude of different events. We designed it so the lighting colour could be tailored to a specific client, for example, it could match the colour of a specific brand. This subtle feature can provide a personal touch to these impressive grounds, whatever the occasion.”

Initially, the Rako system was programmed with 16 bespoke colours to be used throughout the year. This feature received such positive feedback from the customer, they requested more options. The Rako system was then adapted to allow the customer to scroll through a continuous colour system, providing easy control over the lighting system and the ambience desired.

Steve Noyes concludes, “the customer was delighted with the results we achieved at Weston Park; it really wouldn’t have been possible without Rako. We are so pleased with what we were able to deliver to the customer, it couldn’t have been a more stunning location to design.”