Multiload

Client
The Wallace Collection

Specifier
Charles Marsden-Smedley
Garden Studios.
0207 379 0344

Products used

VoltMasters

RPS rotary modules

The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, London is a national treasure displaying wonderful works of art collected by the Marquesses of Hertford in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has 25 galleries.

Brief
Creating a significant improvement to the look of the gallery without undertaking a full scale building operation.

Challenges
The Wallace was concerned that the Sixteenth Century Gallery, with its amazing exhibits, had never been properly lit. The challenge was to achieve a significant improvement in lighting within a sensitive historic interior, which was not being refurbished (all the wall fabric was being retained), without the expense of a full-scale building operation.

The Wallace appointed the international museum specialist Charles Marsden-Smedley to design a new flexible lighting scheme with the least impact on the historic look of the gallery, and ensuring all wiring would be hidden. For this Charles decided to use a low voltage system using frame mounted picture lights from Fine Art Lighting. The problem was how to distribute power to the lamps, as there was nowhere to locate transformers. Charles had used the VoltMaster ‘Intelligent Transformer’ system from Multiload extensively when refurbishing the lighting at the Queens House, National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and knew the VoltMaster could be placed considerable distances from the lamps, giving a true stabilised supply, essential for replicating specified lighting levels on works of art.

Multiload personnel attended a number of meetings at the Wallace with Charles and Helen Jacobs, Project Manager at the Wallace. Multiload recommended using the ‘Powerail system’ from Raylight to distribute low voltage power to the frame mounted picture lights. Produced in natural brass, Powerail, with finials, is in keeping with existing picture rails already at the Wallace, giving many wiring design options and ensuring the minimum disruption to the fabric of the building when cabling and re-positioning hangings.

Using the VoltMaster supply ensures the system is future-proof in all circumstances, allowing flexibility in the positioning and number of picture lights. Two positions in the cupboards on either side of the room were identified for the installation of the VoltMasters (together with dimming control). Some secondary cable runs in the Gallery were as long as 20m, so wiring was critical as it needed to be almost invisible, with no perceptible change to the fabric of the Gallery allowed. In view of the delicate nature of the work, especially hiding all cables, it was agreed that David Fitter of Multiload would install all the secondary wiring.

David is the Design and Technical Director for Multiload Technology Ltd and a very talented craftsman, his story follows:

“Powerail is a picture-hanging rail which carries the 12V low voltage power along its length. Power feed connectors plug into contact points along the rail, which are spaced at 140mm intervals (5½”); these allow the feed wire to be positioned at the suspension chain and run down into the picture lights above the frame of the painting – thus achieving minimal disruption to the hanging of pictures.

The walls at the Wallace are plaster-moulded walls and would not normally support the weight of the Powerail and the paintings. It was decided to utilise the existing picture hanging rail and design a special bracket that would slot into the rail and these brackets would have bolted to them the brass Powerail supports, finished off with three brass dome-head nuts.

There were only two suitable hiding places for positioning the remote VoltMaster transformers; these were in the bases of the two central display cases on either side of the room. Between these cases there are two columns from floor to ceiling, which were used to run the cabling up to the ceiling and on to feed the Powerail.

As some of the cable runs were 25 metres in length from transformer to Powerail, flexible tri-rated cable was used, 4mm² or 6mm² depending on the load and length. This was contained in mini PVC trunking 30mm x 25mm. The trunking was run around the room along the top of an existing plaster moulding, the trunking was later painted to match the pillars and plaster mouldings, thus blending them into the fabric of the building.

The installation was completed in two stages. First fix, the installation of the cable and trunking. After this stage the Gallery was thoroughly cleaned and painted.

Second fix, the installation of the VoltMasters, and the assembly and connection of the Powerails. 12 separate rails were used in total and no two were of the same length. Special VoltMasters where also built onto panels, so they would slide into the restricted space of one of the display cases.

The logistics of installation were carefully planned by Helen Jacobs which meant that the Gallery only needed to be closed for a few weeks.”

Charles Marsden-Smedley was able to complete the installation, fixing the picture light fittings to the picture frames, focussing and adjusting the light output, and allowing the paintings to be seen for the first time in many years in their full colour and glory.

Charles Marsden-Smedley commented ‘the beauty of using Powerail is that it fits so well into the look of a traditional gallery, such as the Sixteenth Century Gallery at the Wallace. It was remarkable to be able to install a completely powered system throughout the gallery, which offers full flexibility for future changes in the picture hang, without any major building work.

Result

Helen Jacobs on behalf of the Wallace commented:

“The new lighting scheme in the Sixteenth Century Gallery at the Wallace Collection has received extremely positive feedback from our visitors and from the curatorial team here at the Gallery. We were delighted that the solution provided by the Powerail enabled us to successfully light the paintings without the disruption and delay of building work.The Powerail itself sits comfortably within the style and elegance of the Wallace Collection.Multiload have been a pleasure to work with and David was fantastic in helping us to resolve problems on site, working flexibly at short notice to fit into a tight programme and operating happily within the confines of the sensitive environment of a national museum.

“ Multiload have been
a pleasure to work with and David was fantastic in helping us to resolve problems on site, working flexibly at short notice to fit into a tight programme and operating happily within the confines of the sensitive environment of a national museum.”

Helen Jacobs

The Wallace Collection

16th Century Gallery Wallace Collection London

“ Multiload have been a pleasure to work with and David was fantastic in helping us to resolve problems on site, working flexibly at short notice to fit into a tight programme and operating happily within the confines of the sensitive environment of a national museum.”

16th Century Gallery
Wallace Collection
London

“ Multiload have been
a pleasure to work with and David was fantastic in helping us to resolve problems on site, working flexibly at short notice to fit into a tight programme and operating happily within the confines of the sensitive environment of a national museum.”