A quiet square, held by light
Rathbone Square balances its garden against the lit windows of the flats and offices around it.
At Rathbone Square, the lighting responds to the time of day, the daylight available and the seasons of the planting1. Light from the surrounding restaurants, flats and offices is treated as part of the composition, and the levels are balanced so that walking in from the street feels effortless1.
The garden is both a destination and a passageway, the studio says, and the passages carry wayfinding details built into their ceramic tunnels1.
From the project
Look at the photograph for the ratio. The planting is lit, but no more brightly than the windows above it. If the garden were brighter than the buildings around it, the square would look like a stage rather than a garden.
- Speirs MajorLighting design
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these public pages. Open the original to check it, or to see more of the project.
- Speirs MajorSpeirs Major — Rathbone SquareUndated page · checked 2026-09-28
Chapter 04 · Squares and yardsRead it in the issue →
