Christmas lighting transforms Cambridge
Cambridge is a bustling city with a unique and eclectic retail offer. Our creative experts worked collaboratively with the Business Improvement District to design, manufacture and install a unique Christmas lighting display covering twenty key streets across the city for Christmas. This is the sixth consecutive year we have delivered the contract. Take a look at how we bring the magic for Christmas…
Festive lighting features
The town centre Christmas lighting scheme included a mix of features, the highlights included:
- 53 dazzling crossings including glitterballs, shooting stars and 6 bespoke branded crossings in Rose Crescent.
- 135 motifs, including lamp post and wall mounted features
- 799m of shop front icicle lighting
- 520m warm, vintage festoon lighting with beautiful teardrop bulbs
- 150m of tree lighting
- 1 giant 3.5m x 4.5 illuminated bauble walkthrough selfie spot next to the train station
- 1 feature, 5m high 3D LED colour changing Twinkly Christmas tree in the market square
We also developed a unique architectural façade lighting scheme that framed the Town Hall, providing a beautiful backdrop to the market square.
Design and concept
The festive lighting design ethos blended modern and traditional ques to draw footfall through the city centre. We developed detailed CGI imagery to assist the client with visualising the features in situ. Design revisions were accommodated through a collaborative process that delivered high impact, “wow factor” illuminations that had great daytime, early evening and night-time presence.
tHE STAR OF THE SHOW!
A key element of the scheme and focal point for the display was the provision of a 5m high 3D, LED colour changing Twinkly Christmas tree in the market square. The tree provided the perfect backdrop for lots of family friendly pictures and selfies. The display encouraged shoppers to linger and watch the tree magically change colour.
Installation
Our in-house installation team worked through the night for 13 nights to complete the installation. The scheme was snagged and handed over to the client two nights ahead of the formal activation. During the activation period, we provided a regular check on the scheme and a responsive call out process.
Effective project management was crucial, our team worked with multiple stakeholders including retail site managers, shop owners and high street rangers during the installation to keep disruption to a minimum
Sustainability
Field and Lawn are the only festive lighting supplier to hold carbon neutral accreditation. All decorations are provided with the latest LED lighting technology, reducing energy consumption by over 80% against more traditional methods. Recycled and recyclable materials were used in the display which helped to contribute to the sustainability of the scheme.
Beyond festive: placemaking
In addition to the festive lighting, we also worked with the BID to provide a summer placemaking activation. The bunting was installed at several locations across the town centre and used the festive lighting infrastructure, so the installation was quick and seamless. It certainly brightened up the high street with a sea of colour!
