How Inventronics solutions, delivered through Penn Elcom, helped bring heritage architecture to life
Details:
Location: Oxford, UK
Year: 2023
Overview
For the sensitive refurbishment of Exeter College’s iconic dining hall – an atmospheric space whose history dates back to 1314 – dpa lighting consultants were appointed to design a well thought-out lighting scheme that would elevate both functionality and ambience while preserving the cultural integrity of the Grade I–listed interior.
Through its VAR partner Penn Elcom, Inventronics supplied a range of high-performance linear lighting solutions, including flexible LED strips and professional LED drivers, supporting the design team’s vision of discreet integration, robust performance, and architectural storytelling through light.
Design challenge
The dining hall serves not just as a refectory for daily meals, but also as a venue for formal dinners, academic ceremonies, weddings, and special performances. The lighting system was expected to fulfill the following requirements:
- Enhance architectural detail without intruding on the historic building fabric
- Deliver multiple layered light scenes for various uses and atmospheres
- Combine modern controllability with visual coherence rooted in tradition
- Provide energy efficiency and reliability in a heritage context
dpa lighting consultants approached the project with a commitment to subtlety, precision, and respect for the hall’s long-standing character.
Lighting strategy and architectural integration
The scheme uses layered, discreetly integrated lighting to support daily use and special events with minimal impact on the Grade I–listed interior. Concealed linear uplighting immerses the timber roof in warm light, while custom wall-mounted fixtures and discreet track spots provide precise portrait illumination.
Linear lighting in window reveals and stone mullions reinforces the hall’s rhythm and highlights carved details. Additional spotlights enhance the high table, gallery, and key architectural elements. Existing table lights were retained and upgraded with warm-dim lamps, allowing a smooth transition from functional brightness to a soft, atmospheric evening glow.
Inventronics contribution
Inventronics delivered reliable, high-efficiency linear lighting components that were instrumental in bringing the design vision to life:
- Flexible LED strip solutions for discrete integration into coves, reveals, and heritage architectural details
- High-performance Inventronics drivers ensuring stable, flicker-free illumination and compatibility with advanced controls
- Robust component durability suited to heritage buildings
Our solutions ensured that the lighting scheme could be executed with the required precision, longevity, and seamless controllability – critical elements for a project of such historical significance.
Outcome
The refurbished dining hall now offers a richly layered, immersive lighting experience that highlights the craftsmanship, artwork, and storied architecture of Exeter College. The new scheme supports a broad range of functions with elegance and flexibility, demonstrating how sensitive lighting can elevate heritage environments while remaining entirely unobtrusive.
| Project partners | |
|---|---|
| Exeter College, University of Oxford | Client |
| Jessop and Cook | Architectural firm |
| dpa lighting consultants | Lighting design and photography |
| Penn Elcom | VAR partner |
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