A custom linear solution for one of Australia’s most recognised media companies, ABC

High ceilings and a brief that blew past every standard option

The ABC Studios team at Ultimo brought us a well-considered brief for their office. Tall ceilings gave the space a great feel. But delivering focused office lighting at desk level meant thinking beyond the standard. The ceiling was too high for recessed or surface-mounted options to do the job well. Fixtures at that distance usually throw light outward and wide rather than down onto the surface where needed. For a team that spends long hours at their desks, that’s a real problem. They wanted focused, direct light landing on desks rather than washing the walls. The finish was preferred in black they also wanted dimming capabilities.

Altogether, these unique requirements didn’t fit any product in our standard range:

• Tall ceilings ruled out ceiling-mounted and recessed installation
• A suspended solution was needed to close the gap between the source and the desk
• A black finish was a firm requirement
• Dimmable lighting control was essential for a busy environment

Taking a proven product and making it something entirely new

As a Sydney-based lighting manufacturer, we work a lot on customised products. For example, we create fully custom products like the bathroom wall lighting in the Sofitel. Or alter existing products, like the lengths and configurations of the facade strip lighting at Porsche.

We always start with whether we need to build from scratch or from a smarter starting point. For this project, the SL8550 Linear LED Mounting Profile gave us the right foundation. It’s a robust, proven system that handles high-output linear LED products well. And it can be refinished in multiple colours. So our team focused on building a new product from this base fixture.

While we have luminaires that can direct light in specific ways, such as:

• Track with spotlighting for agile and adjustable light direction. However, this would require more infrastructure, which wasn’t possible.
• Adjustable downlights that have gimbals and controllable beam angles. Yet the ceiling was too high to make this a viable option.
• Surface-mounted downlights with special-purpose asymmetrical optics. These would sit too high above the desks.
• Swivel features like the SL2862 or HW295 wall fixtures. However, not all desks are against the wall.
• The LUS558A linear is an asymmetrical linear solution that was a contender. But it only throws light on one side, rather than narrows it down.

From the SL8550, a custom hinged visor wing was designed and added to the profile. The wings redirect the light beam downward rather than letting it disperse outward. And the beam angle can be set precisely above desks whenever needed. For the light source, we integrated the SL7209 Superlight VRX LED Strip at 3200K. With a CRI greater than 95, the warm white tone keeps the space comfortable rather than clinical. To complete the system, we added suspension kits and dimming controllers.

A luminaire that fits the space as well as the brief

The finished installation delivered on every point of the original brief. The custom visor wings push focused, high-quality direct light down onto the desks. Staff now have direct control over the light brightness, too, with dimming controls. The thin suspension wires are minimal and hold the luminaire at the right height. And the black powder coat finish is sharp and intentional.

Rather than fighting the architecture, the lighting system works with it. The result is an office that feels considered rather than compromised. It reads as a deliberate design choice rather than a functional afterthought. What started as a brief without an obvious solution became a custom-built luminaire. Superlight’s manufacturing capabilities enable projects like this to succeed.

Further reading:

• Visit the ABC Studio’s website

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