House of Social

House of Social is one of Manchester’s most energetic new hospitality venues, combining bold interior architecture with immersive, programmable lighting to create a highly atmospheric social environment. Working to the custom lighting design by Artin. The Light Lab were appointed as specialist lighting contractor to engineer and fabricate a suite of fully bespoke illuminated features across the bar and surrounding interior spaces.

At the centre of the scheme are a series of dramatic illuminated bar columns designed as sculptural focal points within the venue. Each column is formed from stacked glass tubes with domed ends, creating a strong vertical rhythm and a layered lantern-like presence above the bar. Internally, the fittings combine high-output RGBW LED battens with pixel-controlled lighting elements, allowing both rich colour washes and detailed animated effects to run in tandem. The columns are framed with finished metalwork and mesh detailing to add depth and texture while maintaining clarity of the illuminated forms. Power and pixel control are distributed from dedicated enclosures, ensuring stable performance and precise system coordination.

Extending beyond the bar, the wall-mounted installations echo the same glass tube language to create a cohesive visual identity throughout the space. These bespoke fittings are arranged in varied compositions to produce a repeating illuminated pattern that reinforces the architectural rhythm of the interior. Integrated RGBW LED elements provide consistent colour quality and brightness, while pixel control enables subtle movement and dynamic scene changes.

All feature lighting elements are centrally controlled via Madrix, enabling synchronised colour transitions, pixel mapping and animated sequences across the venue. This allows the lighting scheme to adapt to different moods and events, shifting seamlessly from ambient to high-energy scenes.

The result is a fully integrated feature lighting installation that functions as both architectural centrepiece and programmable media layer — supporting House of Social’s identity as a visually distinctive, experience-led destination.