Ancient building sees the light

Six chandeliers in Westminster Hall, the 11th-century building that is the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster in London, now have nearly 1000 LED energy-saving lamps installed.

Gerard Lighting Group’s Pierlite UK won the contract to replace previously installed incandescent bulbs which had a short life and required frequent replacement.

Each lamp installed: is similar in appearance to the lamps that were replaced; uses just 7.5 W compared with 40 W for the incandescent lamps; has a life of 35,000 hours; can be dimmed to 30%; meets brightness and colour requirements.

Westminster Hall is one of the oldest public buildings in the world; the venue for the trial of Charles 1 and the Coronation Feast of James II. It is also where members of the British Royal family lie in state before burial.