Sutton vane Associates has lit a number of permanent exhibitions at the National Museum of Ireland including the award-winning Soldiers and Chiefs, which is a permanent display over eight galleries, covering 1,700sq m in Dublin’s Collins Barracks. The conversion of the original barracks building into a gallery ensured that the exhibition had an appropriate setting but it also meant that the ceilings were relatively low, which presented one type of lighting challenge. Another arose from the need to protect light-sensitive artefacts such as uniforms in the modern glazed extension of the museum.

Sutton Vane Associates worked closely with the exhibition team to assist with the layout of the exhibits to keep them out of direct daylight. Where mitigation was required blinds and window film were added. The glazed extension also houses aircraft and tanks. Blue uplighting was not only used for the aircraft but also to highlight the architecture. Graphic panels were hidden within drawers and backlit using LED lightboxes, helping to give visitors a sense of discovery.