Manchester United, a U.K. Premier League soccer team and one of the world’s most widely supported and successful clubs, had a two-month window in which to renovate its hospitality suite before a major testimonial match against the New York Cosmos. This prestigious project required a luxurious ambience to reflect the high-end surroundings, along with a number of creative and decorative lighting features.
Working with Harvard Engineering, the team chose a range of fittings from Gamma. The 700-lumen TTX downlight, powered by Xicato, with etched glass and a 60˚ angle beam was installed in the corridors along with adjustable display lighting to highlight pictures with a 580-lumen output and selection of beam angles (see the figure).
The restrooms and hospitality bar area were illuminated with Buddy M fittings, a low-energy alternative to the old 50-W halogen GU10 bulb with an adjustable and lockable gimbal, 40˚ beam angle, and a warm color temperature of 2700K. Consuming only 7 W compared to a 50-W halogen GU10, this represents a saving of up to 85%.
Further savings will be made from the exceptional lifespan of 50,000 hours (L70) offered by the new corridor downlights, during which time there will be low maintenance costs and no need to refit—really a “fit and forget” solution. All the fittings were supported by the installation of high-performance and high-efficiency CL standard LED drivers from Harvard’s CoolLED range.