Collectors of late 19^th and 20^th century European art wander through the Stern Pissarro Gallery to revel in Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, School of Paris, French Post-War, Modern and Contemporary works. Established in 1964, the international family art business represents five generations of works by the Pissarro family, including masterpieces by Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro.

While the London-based Stern Pissarro Gallery specializes in centuries-old paintings and sculptures, its owners embrace modern technology to enhance collections and visitors’ experiences. Collaborating with environmental consultancy firm SaveMoneyCutCarbon to replace halogen track lights with state-of-the-art LED alternatives, for instance, resulted in a dynamic space exciting the subtlest of colors.

We spoke with SaveMoneyCutCarbon to learn how the firm refreshed the Stern Pissarro Gallery’s lighting approach with one of SORAA’s newest directional luminaires—the SORAA Arc Track—along with SORAA LED lamps and accessories. Read on for the complete story.

How did the client relationship begin?

SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s relationship began with an inbound inquiry from gallery owner Stern Pissarro after he spotted SaveMoneyCutCarbon as a master distributor for SORAA online. The first inquiry was for 50 SORAA MR16 LED lamps, which one of SaveMoneyCutCarbon’s dedicated account managers handled. 

What lighting options did you consider before selecting solutions from SORAA?

This project was developed to launch the new SORAA Arc Track directional luminaire. SaveMoneyCutCarbon commissioned the project in order to demonstrate the new SORAA Arc Track in its most suited application. In return, the gallery provided the location to launch the new product.

When considering gallery lighting, SaveMoneyCutCarbon refers to the most trusted brands and official partners. Account managers take into consideration the application, customer-specific needs (i.e., quality, high CRI and flexibility), requirements and budget.

Why did SORAA lighting match the specific needs of this project?

The client required high CRI lighting to render true-to-life colors and optimize the prestigious artwork, which the SORAA Arc Track directional luminaires provided. As a previous customer of SORAA LED lamps, they knew the quality of light from SORAA products was of the highest standard and from this basis they trusted that the new SORAA Arc Track would be of the same quality. Being an art gallery, they also required flexibility to change color temperatures and beam angles depending on the various types of artwork they display―from oil on canvas to portrait prints. The SORAA Snap System provided the perfect solution for this flexibility.

What was the client’s goal for the overall aesthetic of the space?

The client wanted to achieve an improved overall aesthetic appearance. Previously, the track lights in place were from a number of different suppliers, so the lighting was inconsistent and patchy. The previous lights were also very bulky and unattractive, which didn’t emphasize the art gallery space. On the contrary, the low-profile SORAA Arc Track directional luminaires created a modern, clean and aesthetically-pleasing feel.

What kind of lighting experience did the client want to create for its patrons? How did that impact the lighting solutions you chose?

The client wanted to achieve the same ambience in the gallery they had with their previous lighting systems, though upgraded to a consistent and modern look. Some of the old halogen track lights provided the right color temperature but were inefficient. The SORAA Arc Track directional luminaires provided the same ambience with a much better and aesthetically-pleasing look. They also provided flexibility, so the gallery could easily change artwork and adjust the lighting accordingly.

What were the biggest lighting challenges to meeting the client’s goals? How did you solve them?

The biggest challenge was adjusting the lighting to the customer’s very specific needs on each piece of artwork. However, the SORAA Snap System provided the perfect solution to this with help from one of our dedicated account managers, Justin Hook, and David Smith, director of sales at SORAA. They demonstrated the various SORAA Snap System features to the gallery owner, David Stern. 

How did you work directly with SORAA to determine which solutions would be the most effective for meeting project goals?

SORAA provided various options for the SORAA Arc Track directional luminaire, including the various color temperatures, beam angles and finish, as well as those that would be most suited for a gallery environment. SaveMoneyCutCarbon consulted with the gallery to determine the best model for their needs based on an initial visit from lighting designer Hannah Deeley.

Were there any challenges you experienced with the product? How did you work with SORAA to resolve those challenges?

The single circuit track system in the downstairs gallery seemed outdated and inconsistent compared to the brand new SORAA Arc Track luminaires installed in the upstairs gallery. This wasn’t an initial problem to spec because SORAA offered both compatibility options, so SaveMoneyCutCarbon also replaced the downstairs track system to a 3 circuit track system to ensure consistency throughout the gallery.

Were there any changes to the lighting plan throughout the process that required a different lighting product?

The initial specification was for 55 x ART50-10D940-E-G-W-S3 and 4 x ART100-09D940-E-G-W-S3, which was decided after samples. However, after the installation, the gallery owner felt the new lights looked a little too modern and bright. He wanted to adjust the lighting to resemble the previous ambience, which was much warmer. The SORAA CCT Shifter Snap achieved this by taking the units down from color temperatures of 4000k to 3500k. 

Did the project meet the client’s expectations?

Yes, the client was happy with the overall look of the products and improvement of lighting in the Stern Pissarro Gallery.

The event we hosted at the gallery after installing the lights was a great success, with many people impressed by the stunning gallery lighting and David Smith’s presentation detailing SORAA’s amazing technology.

Did the project match your vision?

Yes, the project made the gallery much more modern while creating the same ambience. The halogen lamps were replaced with LED lamps, providing a much more energy efficient lighting solution while the SORAA Snap System allowed for greater flexibility. After hearing of the updates to the gallery, other galleries were eager to take a look at the new lighting.

In what ways do you see future potential for SORAA lighting to benefit future projects?

We work with various applications that SORAA is perfect for, including retail, museums and galleries who all require high quality, true-to-life color lighting solutions. 

What lighting methods do you use in every project, regardless of the client or space?

Meeting client needs is the most essential requirement for any lighting project. It’s about finding their lighting challenges (whether they are obvious or not), coming up with solutions and going above and beyond to ensure the lighting meets expectations.

What is your reaction to using SORAA today versus using other lighting technologies?

SORAA is renowned for its high quality, clever GaN on GaN™ technology. For applications where color is so important, SORAA is the obvious choice with its brilliant vivid color rendering LED lamps. The ability to present products and displays in their most natural form while highlighting real colors ensures environments always look stunning, which is essential in the verticals we work with.