Guinness Storehouse

At the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, light has helped create a unique brand experience - thanks to LED luminaires from Lumenpulse.

The Guinness Storehouse - part of the famous brewery - is known as "the home of Guinness", and is Ireland's biggest tourist attraction. Welcoming more than a million visitors every year, it was voted best tourist attraction in Europe at the World Travel Awards in 2015.

The storehouse aims to let fans experience the story of Guinness for themselves. And light is one of the key tools they've used to tell that story.

Lighting for the storehouse was devised by renowned lighting design practice Michael Grubb Studio. The design team wanted to bring to life the famous Guinness brand, the history of the brewery, and the architecture of the building. "Lighting can be an effective marketing tool, not unlike graphic design, print, or architecture," says Grubb.

The iconic black-and-white colour scheme of Guinness' branding provided the perfect starting point for the lighting design. The logo, branding and the drink itself (affectionately known as "the black stuff") feature contrasting blacks and whites, and Grubb wanted the lighting design to reflect this.

This required very careful control of light, so Grubb opted to use Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade luminaires from Lumenpulse, whose precision optics created clear, bold contrasts, with brightly lit focal points punctuated by deep shadows.

"We lit every surface but not the spaces between," says Grubb. "We had to be careful what products we selected to be certain the optical control was precise. It would be easy to lose that contrast of light and dark if we weren't confident in the products we were using."

Areas of light and darkness guide visitors around the attraction, taking them through the story of Guinness.

With many of the luminaires mounted in narrow spaces and hard-to-reach spots, maintenance was a key concern. The constant flow of visitors means displays always need to look their best, and maintenance work needs to be kept to a minimum.

The long life of Lumenpulse's LED fittings means they can safely be installed in hard-to-reach areas without having to worry about maintaining them.

The result is a visitor experience that is completely imbued with the Guinness brand. "When you walk in," says Grubb, "it feels like a Guinness environment. Rather than a museum that has Guinness content in it."

EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED

8 x Lumenfacade Interior Color-Changing, 4', 10°x60°
6 x Lumenfacade Interior Color-Changing, 1', 10°x60°
26 x Lumenbeam Medium Color-Changing, 20° optic
12 x Lumenbeam Large Color-Changing, 10° optic
6 x Lumenbeam Large Color-Changing, 20° optic
8 x Lumenbeam Grande Color-Changing, 10° optic

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Location: Dublin, Ireland
Market: Arts + Culture, Sports + Entertainment, Urban
Client: Diageo
Lighting Design: Michael Grubb Studio
Architect: RKD Achitects
Project Management: MKF
Interior Design: Bompass & Parr , O'Donnell O'Neil Design Associates, LOVE
Photographer: James Newton

We had to be careful what products we selected to be certain the optical control was precise. It would be easy to lose that contrast of light and dark if we weren’t confident in the products we were using.

Michael Grubb
Creative Director
Michael Grubb Studio
Because of Lumenpulse’s precise optics, the shadows remained intact while the focal points were brightened. – James Newton
Because of Lumenpulse’s precise optics, the shadows remained intact while the focal points were brightened. James Newton
The optics of the Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade luminaires chosen allowed this contrast to be realized without spillage of light. – James Newton
The optics of the Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade luminaires chosen allowed this contrast to be realized without spillage of light. James Newton
They had to illuminate, but just as importantly, they had to help narrate the brewery’s story, narrate the architecture and the building’s history, as well as perpetuate the iconic Guinness name. – James Newton
They had to illuminate, but just as importantly, they had to help narrate the brewery’s story, narrate the architecture and the building’s history, as well as perpetuate the iconic Guinness name. James Newton
Pleased with the Lumenpulse performance, Grubb acknowledges that the Guinness Storehouse is no longer just an information center but the embodiment of the Guinness brand. – James Newton
Pleased with the Lumenpulse performance, Grubb acknowledges that the Guinness Storehouse is no longer just an information center but the embodiment of the Guinness brand. James Newton
"We were working with a limited range of colors due to branding constraints” said Grubb, “and we were able to get accurate color palettes with Lumenpulse products." – James Newton
"We were working with a limited range of colors due to branding constraints” said Grubb, “and we were able to get accurate color palettes with Lumenpulse products." James Newton
The design team had to illuminate, but just as importantly, they had to help narrate the brewery’s story, narrate the architecture and the building’s history, as well as perpetuate the iconic Guinness name. – James Newton
The design team had to illuminate, but just as importantly, they had to help narrate the brewery’s story, narrate the architecture and the building’s history, as well as perpetuate the iconic Guinness name. James Newton
Michael Grubb Studio’s lighting concept aimed to juxtapose the two opposing elements of the Guinness brand, the black and the white, the dark and the light. – James Newton
Michael Grubb Studio’s lighting concept aimed to juxtapose the two opposing elements of the Guinness brand, the black and the white, the dark and the light. James Newton
The optics of the Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade luminaires chosen allowed this contrast to be realized without spillage of light. – James Newton
The optics of the Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade luminaires chosen allowed this contrast to be realized without spillage of light. James Newton
The designers at Michael Grubb Studio were tasked with using light to enhance the visitor experience, to craft the Guinness story and communicate the brand. – James Newton
The designers at Michael Grubb Studio were tasked with using light to enhance the visitor experience, to craft the Guinness story and communicate the brand. James Newton
With such a constant flow of visitors, it was important that the equipment Michael Grubb Studio chose to enhance the brand would be durable and resilient. – James Newton
With such a constant flow of visitors, it was important that the equipment Michael Grubb Studio chose to enhance the brand would be durable and resilient. James Newton
Knowing the Lumenpulse luminaires would last without the awkward and frequent re-fitting shutdowns that traditional lighting caused, gave both the client and the designer peace of mind. – James Newton
Knowing the Lumenpulse luminaires would last without the awkward and frequent re-fitting shutdowns that traditional lighting caused, gave both the client and the designer peace of mind. James Newton
"We had to be careful what products we selected to be certain the optical control was precise. It would be easy to lose that contrast of light and dark if we weren’t confident in the products we were using." – James Newton
"We had to be careful what products we selected to be certain the optical control was precise. It would be easy to lose that contrast of light and dark if we weren’t confident in the products we were using." James Newton

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