Royal Holloway, Uni of London

As part of the RHUL Building Entrances & Bourne Theatres Refresh Project, The Light Lab undertook the custom manufacture and installation of Glowrail™ Stainless Steel Illuminated Handrails, working to the lighting design by Stride Treglown.

Installed throughout the building’s ramps and circulation routes, the bespoke stainless steel Glowrail™ incorporates continuous integrated LED illumination within the handrail, combining functional lighting and architectural metalwork within one streamlined system.

The installation features extensive continuous runs following the changing levels and geometry of the building. Bespoke corners, transitions, returns and mounting details were carefully developed to maintain a consistent handrail and continuous line of light throughout the space. The integrated illumination washes light across the distinctive green balustrade panels and surrounding floor surfaces, helping to clearly define the accessible circulation routes while complementing the building’s exposed concrete, steel and glazed architecture.

The stainless steel handrails, bespoke metalwork and brackets were manufactured in-house at The Light Lab’s Shrewsbury fabrication workshop, allowing the metalwork, lighting integration and project-specific detailing to be closely coordinated before installation on site. The complete Glowrail™ system was then installed by The Light Lab, providing a coordinated package from manufacture through to final installation.

Glowrail™ is particularly well suited to universities, schools and other education environments, where durability, accessibility, lighting performance and architectural appearance all need to work together. Its smooth, contemporary stainless steel finish provides a robust solution for high-traffic ramps, staircases and circulation areas, while the integrated LED system provides continuous illumination and can incorporate emergency lighting functionality where required.

The Royal Holloway installation forms part of The Light Lab’s growing portfolio of bespoke illuminated handrail and architectural lighting projects for the higher education sector, alongside recent projects for London College of Fashion, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Edinburgh and Brunel University.

Custom manufactured and installed by The Light Lab, Glowrail™ integrates architectural handrail, specialist metalwork and LED lighting into a single bespoke system, providing a practical and visually clean solution for contemporary education environments.

Project: RHUL Building Entrances & Bourne Theatres Refresh Project
Lighting Design: Stride Treglown
Product: Glowrail™ Stainless Steel Illuminated Handrail
Scope: Custom Manufacture, In-House Metalwork Fabrication & Installation
Application: Internal Ramps & Circulation Areas
Sector: Higher Education / University Lighting
Location: Royal Holloway, University of London