Airport retail

Energy-saving lighting helps boosts Duty Free

New lighting by Lighting Design House has helped increase retail revenue and save energy at Toronto Pearson International Airport

Travel retail design specialist The Design Solution and Lighting Design House worked together to remodel the airport’s duty free area to secure upmarket concessions such as Burberry and Tissot. Massively improved lighting was crucial to attracting the luxury brands, while moving to LEDs also cut energy consumption by around two thirds.

Toronto Pearson is Canada’s busiest airport and the main hub for Air Canada. The upgraded Tax and Duty Free retail area operated in Terminal 1 by Nuance has undergone a complete renovation that included expanding the retail area from 15,000sq ft (1400sq m) to 20,000sq ft.

Nuance and the airport’s owner, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, asked The Design Solution to develop a world-class shopping environment that enhanced the architecture of the building while respecting the architectural integrity of the Departures Lounge and preserving a sense of place. The Departures Lounge is home to the famed Richard Serra sculpture ‘Tilted Spheres’. Before the upgrade, the retail area was surrounded by food and beverage outlets beneath voids.

‘Our primary objectives for this project were to create a space that both respects the design of the terminal and delivers an unparalleled retail experience for passengers. We wanted to ensure the new retail space complemented the building’s interior volume, responded to its structures and datums and the Richard Serra installation,’ says TDS director Nick Taylor.

A major part of this strategy was to improve the lit environment. Lighting Design House’s scheme included introducing an LED wire lighting system that spans the space, raising the quality of the lighting at a comfortable level of 600- 800 lux. Simultaneously, 90 per cent of the lighting in the existing Duty Free shop was changed to LED, reducing the watts per metre squared from over 100w to under 35w.

Nuance has incorporated its signature concepts and creative ideas throughout the expansive shopping space with easy browsing facilities and clear brand visibility, allowing customers to meander through the store. The impressive core offer includes a range of sought-after and leading brands for Perfume & Cosmetics, Liquor, Tobacco and Confectionary, which captures a distinctive sense of place. ‘We used a pared-back design and palette of finishes to showcase the brands, allowing them to express their signatures through personalised furniture and generous space allocation.’
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