The RIBA Award-Winning revitalisation of L’ecurie at Dorfold Hall
At the 17th century Jacobean manor Dorfold, TM Lighting worked with Dorfold’s owners, the Roundells; architect Zoë Polya-Vitry; and conservation specialists to beautifully illuminate L’Ecurie, which was awarded the RIBA North West Award 2023 as well as the RIBA North West Building of the Year Award 2023.
Polya-Vitry’s vision was to merge the architectural heritage of the disused stables with an extraordinary revitalization of its interiors, creating a contemporary-styled event suite for weddings, exhibitions and conferences.
With Polya-Vitry’s vision guiding them, TM Lighting’s luminaires seamlessly blend contemporary lighting techniques with the venue’s traditional aesthetics. TM ZeroSixty LED accent lights are mounted on recessed tracks affixed to the vaulted ceiling and are custom finished in gold to match the existing brass details. The mounting system is entirely hidden from view allowing the architectural design to stand unimpeded. At eye-level, the original brickwork is illuminated by the TM Linear Graze, enabling the light to catch on the subtle textures and hues of the brick emphasising the structure’s historic fabric.
Attached to the main event space is the newly converted Tack Room which takes on the feel of a modern New York City loft with its striking sleek grey interiors that are complemented by TM Lighting’s suspended art mains track which was left exposed and painted black to engage in a dynamic contrast with the space. The interiors are entirely lit using TM’s GalleryOneThirty spotlights offering the highest possible colour rendition in LED (98+ CRI) that enable a balance between artificial light and the natural light provided through the room’s porte-fenêtre windows.
Photography by Christopher John
