Pharos supports Cutty Sark’s sensitive lighting upgrade
Posted by: electime 3rd November 2026
Advanced lighting control technology from Pharos Architectural Controls continues to play an important role at the iconic Cutty Sark at Royal Museums Greenwich, where a sensitive lighting upgrade has enhanced the visitor experience while retaining the control infrastructure already trusted to manage the historic ship’s lighting.
Completed in early 2026, the project saw lighting specialists Architainment Lighting work alongside DHA Designs and SI Electrical to refresh the existing lighting installation throughout the vessel. The upgrade focused on the ship’s main deck, hold deck and external dry berth supports, carefully balancing improved visual impact with the operational requirements of a busy museum and the conservation needs of a nationally significant heritage attraction.
Originally launched in 1869, Cutty Sark is the world’s last surviving tea clipper and one of London’s most recognisable maritime landmarks. Today, the ship is displayed within a purpose-built dry berth, allowing visitors to explore both the vessel and the dramatic space beneath its hull. Lighting is integral to that experience, revealing the ship’s structure, craftsmanship and historic details while helping visitors navigate and experience the different spaces.
A key consideration for the project was how the lighting could be upgraded without unnecessarily replacing infrastructure that continued to perform effectively. The existing two-universe Pharos Designer LPC lighting controller was therefore retained and integrated with the refreshed lighting installation, allowing the team to introduce the new scheme while minimising disruption and making effective use of the technology already in place.
The Designer LPC 2 now controls both DMX-controlled RGBW feature lighting and DALI-controlled functional lighting across the areas inside the hull and within the dry berth beneath the vessel. This enables the different layers of light to be managed through a single established control platform, from the feature lighting that reveals the character and architecture of the historic ship to the functional illumination required for everyday museum operation.
The Designer system from Pharos also integrates with the museum’s customised centralised management system, giving the team straightforward, coordinated control of the entire installation. Architainment Lighting carried out the commissioning of the upgraded scheme, ensuring the new lighting worked seamlessly with the existing Pharos platform.
Neil Gamble, Sales Director at Architainment Lighting, said, “One of the key considerations for this project was making the most of the infrastructure that was already performing reliably. The existing Pharos controller gave us a strong foundation for the upgrade, allowing us to integrate the new lighting without introducing unnecessary complexity or disruption. For a site such as Cutty Sark, where both the visitor experience and the historic environment have to be carefully considered, that continuity was particularly valuable.”
Ryan Sainsbury, Regional Sales Manager for the UK, Ireland, N. Europe & Benelux at Pharos Architectural Controls, added, “There is something particularly significant about seeing an established Pharos system continue to support a landmark such as Cutty Sark as its lighting evolves. Lighting technology and the demands placed on visitor attractions continue to change, but a robust control platform should provide the foundation to adapt alongside them. Retaining the Designer LPC for this latest upgrade demonstrates the long-term value that can be brought to a project.”
For historic attractions such as Cutty Sark, upgrading the visitor experience does not necessarily mean starting again. By retaining an established control platform and integrating it with the refreshed lighting scheme, the project demonstrates how existing technology can support the continued evolution of an important heritage site, while helping preserve the character and experience that make it unique.
Project Credits
Lighting Supply and Commissioning: Architainment Lighting
Lighting Design: DHA Designs
Installation: SI Electrical
Lighting Controls: Pharos Architectural Controls
Photography: Courtesy of DHA Designs
