Philip Payne’s SPECTO automatic self-testing emergency lighting system has been selected for use in The Arts Club on Mayfair’s Dover Street. Discreet LED downlighters and architectural emergency signage will be linked together to centrally report any problems identified in the automatic routine testing regime, such as battery condition or functional issues.
Founded by Lord Leighton and Charles Dickens in 1863, The Arts Club contains many elegant Victorian features, including a marbled entrance hall and original staircase, and is a regular haunt for many of London’s creative community. Similar in prestige to other Payne projects such as the Royal Automobile and Army and Navy Clubs in Pall Mall, the environment at The Arts Club demands that attention be paid to all services installed in such a significant and beautiful building. Usage as an entertainment venue means that on-site emergency lighting must be serviced, tested, maintained and results recorded in order to comply with current regulations. The SPECTO system significantly simplifies this process for the club.
Part of the Philip Payne service is to visit site and ensure that statutory requirements are met with minimal impact on contemporary, architectural or historic environments. Experience of many listed building projects ensures compromises are not required to meet modern demands, as Payne products can always be customised or surface-finished to complement their surroundings. As a result, many specifying architects and designers have unofficially become members of the ‘Philip Payne users club’.