Jewel House | Tower of London, UK

Historic Royal Palaces are exploring the history of the Crown Jewels in an enhanced, elegant exhibition at the Tower of London.

The interior lighting design includes in-case lighting to the new showcases, an upgrade the existing architectural lighting, and an expenditure to include the specification of a new lighting control system to the Jewel House. 

Opened on 26 May 2023, to mark the Coronation year, the exhibition explores the origins of some of the most precious objects for the first time and showcases how historic jewels have passed through different hands. The re-presentation, led by Historic Royal Palaces, took more than four years to prepare. The space has been separated into two distinct areas. The first, the Western half of the Jewel House is home to the new exhibition. And the second — the Treasury, in the Eastern half that houses the Crown Jewels. This transformative re-presentation aims to create an impactful entry moment at the western half of the area. In addition, it aims to highlight significant objects that build anticipation for the Treasury.

This project is the first major change to the display in over a decade. Hence, Ralph Appelbaum, the lead designer, appointed Michael Grubb Studio to create the interior lighting design for this powerful project.

To meet the brief, Michael Grubb Studio focused on the key design principles of flexibility, sustainability, and visitor experience. The new showcases contain various contents supported my media material. Therefore, it was critical for the lighting to be arranged in a way that granted the client flexibility to appropriately illuminate any items inside.

Moreover, the focus on flexibility plays a crucial part in our lighting scheme for this permanent exhibition. Tailored lighting design provides adjustable fittings with variable beam inside the showcases in the Western half. Additionally, the fittings have three control channels per showcase and provide the maximum versatility within the case. The layout of the fittings within the case coordinates with the location of the artefact labels, but not tailored too closely to the contents. In addition, the particular layout helps to ensure the new showcases are future proofed.

“It has been a huge pleasure to work with Historic Royal Palaces on this project. It’s wonderful to work with people who are so dedicated to their individual speciality and role. On a personal level, it was fantastic to be working with so many talented women who were leading the client and design teams and who made the project a joy to be a part of.

We have worked with Ralph Appelbaum on several projects and really enjoy collaborating with them. This project was no exception; it was an honour to work on such a culturally significant project and bring the rich display to light.”

Rachael Flint, Associate of Michael Grubb Studio

This project is featured in the articles below

blooloop  |  The Conversation  |  The Guardian  |  The Jewellery Editor