The Mound – Bank of Scotland Building

Formed from excavating foundations in New Town and Nor Loch, The Mound is a prestigious cultural area in central Edinburgh, connecting Old Town and New Town. The magnificent Bank of Scotland building - now Scottish Headquarters for Lloyds Bank and home of the Museum on the Mound - is prominently located at the top of The Mound.

Lloyds Banking Group wanted a new, dynamic color-changing lighting solution for their headquarters to help bring The Mound to life and enhance its status as a hub of art and culture in Edinburgh. Due to the historic nature of the listed building and its iconic location, an exterior-only lighting solution was planned.

Following several lighting trials, over 180 Color Kinetics luminaires were selected for the spectacular façade project. Color Kinetics Burst Powercore gen3, RGBW; Blast Powercore gen5, RGBW; ColorGraze MX4 Powercore, RGBW; and Vaya Flood were selected to create a dynamic color-changing lighting effect, controlled remotely so the project team would not have to enter the building during installation.

Blast luminaires (19 pcs) placed on the ground in yellow metal cages illuminate the lower, brick portion of the building, while ColorGraze fixtures, 3 ft 10° x 60° (9 pcs) graze the lower-level windows. On the roof – including the dome – Burst (11 pcs), Blast (17 pcs) luminaires highlight the architectural details of the building and the sculptures. The balcony is illuminated with Blast (7 pcs), Graze, 1219 mm (4 ft) fixtures (2 pcs), and Burst (16 pcs). On the sides of the building, Graze luminaires 610 mm (2 ft), 10° x 60°, 30° x 60°, and 914 mm (3 ft), 10° x 60° (52 pcs) light up the windows. Burst (40 pcs) mounted on the ledges shine colorful light up the side of the building between the windows to highlight the structural details and flags. Blast fixtures in black metal cages (2 pcs) also illuminate the west façade.

The result is an innovative and dynamic façade lighting solution that brings modern, color-changing LED lighting to an area steeped in rich history and traditional architecture – the effect is particularly striking at night. End users have complete control over the lighting color to display unique light shows for special occasions. Moreover, the new lighting solution is far more efficient than the previous system, reducing. the overall carbon footprint, as well as maintenance and running costs.

“LITE exceeded our expectations upon commission of the project. We were delighted with the result, and The Mound is now one of the best lit buildings in Edinburgh! Our Scottish HQ truly stands out for a striking, stunning effect that adds to the prestige and renowned location and history of the area. We were particularly pleased to light up The Mound in rainbow colors in support of Pride celebrations, and to show our solidarity with Ukraine on Ukrainian Day of Independence.” - Emma Johnson, Sustainability Programme Manager, Lloyds Banking Group