In May this year, Harrods celebrated 150 years of chocolate by reopening the renovated Chocolate Hall. The Chocolate Hall, designed by David Collins Studio, is the fourth and final of the store's world-famous Edwardian food halls and was the fourth collaboration between Lighting Design International and David Collins Studio for the food halls at Harrods. The teams had previously collaborated on Roastery & Bake Hall, Fresh Hall and Dining Hall before reaching new heights in lighting integration for food retail with the remarkable Chocolate Hall.

The Chocolate Hall has its own character governed by the halls historic architecture and the product being sold, but it is part of the same overall vision from David Collins Studio, working together with the previous halls to deliver its own glamorous role in the Harrods food revolution.

The lighting was envisaged as being brighter than the previous food hall projects and brighter than the previous Chocolate Hall, allowing the visitor to appreciate the impressive architecture of the space while still providing higher illumination and contrast to the product on sale in the ambient shelving and refrigerators.

As with all previous food hall projects, Lighting Design International began by testing lighting on the product being sold, and fortunately for the design team, this meant eating the leftover chocolates! It was key that the colour temperature of the lighting used was suitable for all shades of chocolate, from white chocolate through to dark chocolate. The high colour rendering of the light also made decorations or colourful confectionary such as Bonbon vibrant enticing. Once the right light sources were selected, the real challenge was providing the same quality of lighting effect across the hall, from fridges to gondolas and perimeter shelving, without disrupting the beauty of the halls architecture and interior design.

LDI developed many fully bespoke and unique lighting details throughout the hall to place the light exactly where it was required, with lights concealed and seamlessly integrated into furniture, fridges, structures and architectural details to layer up the effects and create the perfect ambience. The lighting is high CRI and balanced in colour temperature, even within the fridges, giving the space a truly consistent and pleasing lighting composition.

If you have a sweet tooth and love chocolate, the new Harrods Chocolate Hall is a must-visit, where you can even witness the magic of the chefs making fresh creations and impressive bonbons in full view daily. If this retail theatre is not enough to excite your taste buds, the whole hall has a sumptuous aroma of chocolate, and this, in combination with the luxurious interior and lighting design, whisks you away to a place of true decadence.

Interior Design: David Collins Studio
Architect: Woods Hardwick
M&E: Dowling Blunt
Project Management: Emmaus Consulting
Main Contractor : Jaysam
Fixturing Contractor: Dula
Electrical Contractor: AM Electrics
Photography: Andrew Beasley