The Light Lab Ltd

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The Light Lab Ltd

The Light Lab are specialists in the manufacture and installation of bespoke architectural lighting.

Our History
Established in 2002, The Light Lab has spent the past decade bringing together combined experience in specialist lighting design, new lighting technology and project management to deliver high end architectural lighting installations. Based in London, The Light Lab has worked on many of the capital's landmark buildings, and has a strong national and increasingly international presence.

Directors Phil Riley & Marcus Cave; friends for the past 20 years, join together their wealth of knowledge in the industry and passion for lighting, to build The Light Lab to the successful business it is today. Director Marcus says: “It has always been the philosophy of The Light Lab not to oversell ourselves. The key has been to grow slowly, collecting knowledge and expertise over time rather than claim to have the answer to everything overnight. This has led to the development of an experienced network of designers and manufacturing partners – who all have an excellent level of product knowledge.”

Our Approach
We believe that lighting should be an integral part of the building design and we therefore encourage creating bespoke project-specific solutions rather than compromising around existing lighting products. This allows lighting elements to be as discrete as possible whilst maximizing their impact in achieving the designer's ambitions for the space and environment. As our features are usually the last element to install on site, we tend to be the stressful end of construction projects, so our aim is to deliver projects on time, to the highest standard, and always with a smile on our face. We focus our lighting solutions on specialist lighting design, bespoke lighting manufacture & specialist lighting installation. Alongside this we offer a wide range of lighting products , designing and manufacturing our own fittings and providing the highest level of quality and performance in our final installation. The growth of The Light Lab has brought with it new opportunities for us to take on larger global projects; resulting in projects across the Middle East, China, Africa and Australia. Meanwhile we continue to work with such a well of talented designers and architects from the UK, meaning the basis of our work is incredibly enjoyable and we look forward to the next decade of The Light Lab and its continued growth.

30/06/2026

From concept to installation: Glowrail at CamLIFE

CamLIFE is a major new life sciences and innovation campus in Cambridge, delivering 245,000 sq ft of workspace across a 42-acre development for organisations spanning biotech, healthcare, fintech and research sectors.
As part of the project, we delivered bespoke Glowrail illuminated handrails across the feature staircases within Buildings 1, 2 and 3. Working alongside the original lighting design by 18 Degrees Degrees and gensler_design interior vision, the system was developed to integrate seamlessly within the contemporary architectural language of the campus.
The installation combined American Walnut handrails, custom powder-coated brackets and fully integrated LED lighting to create a warm and refined architectural feature throughout the stair environments.
With multiple interfaces across structural steelwork, timber finishes and fixing arrangements, close collaboration was essential
Taunton Fabrications led the design, manufacture and installation of the feature stair structures, with coordination across Wates Construction and the wider project team helping maintain the design intent through to installation.
As Dave Baverstock of Taunton Fabrications commented: “Their clear and timely communication helped keep everything run smoothly.”
Projects like CamLIFE demonstrate how early collaboration between specialist teams helps deliver seamless architectural solutions.

LifeSciences LEDLighting

27/05/2026

Project focus: Union 2, Manchester
The Light Lab were appointed as specialist lighting contractors for the fabrication and installation of a dynamic Halo feature wall at Union 2, Manchester — Vita’s co-living development within the wider St John’s neighbourhood.
With the full lighting concept & design by .in.light , the installation features 50 bespoke Ø400mm Halo rings, each integrated with individually controllable RGBW LEDs to create precise colour and movement effects across the feature wall.
Mounted across sleek black wall panels within the communal spaces, the installation is fully programmable via Madrix control, allowing for an endless range of dynamic lighting scenes and immersive visual sequences.
This project marks another successful collaboration with Luke Artingstall and the team at Artin. continuing a growing portfolio of bespoke feature lighting installations delivered together across Manchester — and the second major feature element The Light Lab has delivered within the Union development.

Find out more on The Light Lab website 🔗 in bio

Photos by

19/05/2026

Delivered as part of the new Copenhagen Metro development, The Light Lab was specified by Eliministeren to manufacture and supply bespoke Glowrail48 LED inserts for a series of external staircase handrails.
Designed to integrate within stainless steel handrails fabricated by others, the system incorporated IP65-rated 3000K LED illumination, DALI dimming, and emergency conversion integration to suit the demanding transport environment.
The project was delivered through our global manufacture and supply model, with our production team travelling to Copenhagen to oversee installation onsite and support local contractors throughout the integration process.
A great example of coordinated international delivery for bespoke architectural lighting systems.

Find out more on The Light Lab website 🔗 in bio

04/03/2026

.workspace Kings Cross is the new flagship 80,000 sq ft flexible workspace by , designed by and targeting WELL Platinum certification.

Working to lighting design by The Light Lab were appointed to fabricate and install bespoke Glowrail LED handrail system in both timber and brushed stainless steel finish.

The custom timber-faced LED handrail combines natural warmth with precision-engineered LED integration, delivering subtle ambient illumination to enhance circulation routes and key transitional spaces throughout the building.

Fabricated and installed by our team, the result is a refined, seamlessly integrated solution that supports both wayfinding and the architectural vision.

Find out more on The Light Lab website 🔗 in bio

02/03/2026

Featured in Issue 150, the LinkedIn Experience Centre, London highlights a considered lighting approach, with the new centre functioning as a ‘portal for connection, knowledge sharing, and hybrid collaboration’.

With lighting design by the team specified The Light Lab to fabricate & install a bespoke curved, Glowline Inground fitting in the Theatre zone — seamlessly integrated around the auditorium perimeter to provide subtle architectural definition and ambient illumination.

As Emilio Hernandez of Lighting by Ström notes in arc, the linear detail “fills a difficult junction without any interior features to riff off of… the detailing within the stone floor and width are important for it to feel like part of the interior, as opposed to an extra piece of lighting stuck on.”

Original interior design concept by , with additional design by , the result is a lighting intervention fully embedded in the architecture.
Read the full article @ link in bio

26/02/2026

The Light Lab were appointed to fabricate and install a bespoke Glowrail LED handrail system within Conductor, a new commercial building in the Westfield complex defined by refined materials and architectural precision. Working to lighting design by , the system delivers a fully integrated illuminated solution within the steel stair cores.
Fit-out contractor DBSJ led the technical and manufacturing delivery in line with the original concept by , including the complex staircase environments. The brushed stainless steel handrails follow tight curves and directional changes, with custom brackets fixed into pre-formed steel apertures to maintain a clean, uninterrupted finish — with all metalwork and welding completed in-house by our team, allowing full control over detailing, alignment and finish quality throughout.
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06/02/2026

The Light Lab fabricated and supplied over 300 metres of bespoke Glowline LED linear luminaires, for the Westfield Černý Most retail development in Prague, based on lighting design by

Individually sized Glowline fittings were fabricated to create clean, architectural lines of light forming strong vertical bands across the façade.
Delivered via The Light Lab’s coordinated global supply model, this project demonstrates how UK-manufactured, fully custom lighting solutions can be successfully integrated by on-site teams overseas, supporting complex international developments with consistency, precision, and reliability.

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Photography by Match Lighting

Address

The Light Lab, 22 Holywell Row
London
EC2A4JB

Website

http://www.thelightlab.com/, http://www.twitter.com/thelightlabltd, http://www.vimeo.com/thelightlabltd, http://www.pint

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