Peak Performance, Peak Illumination: Lighting Arc’teryx Chadstone
Arc'teryx Chadstone, 2026
Another collab with State of Play and EMAC.
How ambience brought precision, geometry, and a showstopping illuminated ceiling to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Arc’teryx destination
When Arc’teryx opened the doors of its new Alpha Store at Chadstone Shopping Centre in June 2026, it wasn’t just another retail launch. Spanning 608 square metres on the ground floor, the flagship is the largest Arc’teryx store in the Southern Hemisphere, a complete brand destination bringing together technical performance, craftsmanship, community, and the brand’s ReBIRD™ repair and circularity philosophy under one roof. Lighting such a space required equal ambition. ambience delivered a scheme that was precise, purposeful, and unmistakably Arc’teryx.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
State of Play
SHOPFITTER
Emac
The product palette was both considered and comprehensive. Black 240V track with andro S trackspots anchors the main retail floor, while white track and andro S fittings define the ReBIRD™ area, a deliberate contrast that visually separates the brand’s circularity zone from the broader retail environment. The andro Adj SM, specified with a longer base extrusion, adds a quiet visual sophistication to the scheme. Medley fittings handle the cove lighting, Bravado Twin brings warmth and drama to the fitting rooms, and Decibel takes care of point-of-sale detail (a fitting choice for a brand that prizes precision at every touchpoint). Every fixture across the space was specified at 3500K, Arc’teryx‘s brand standard colour temperature, ensuring consistent warmth throughout.
The undisputed centrepiece of the scheme is the ReBIRD™ illuminated ceiling at the store’s entrance. The ReBIRD™ Service Centre is dedicated to washing, repairing, restoring, and maintaining garments, and physically anchoring it at the storefront demanded lighting to match that significance. Using a multi-layered ceiling solution combining FAB illuminated ceiling with the geometric track layout nestled amongst the FAB ceiling’s inner channel for services. ambience created something that commands attention. “It’s located at the store front, and the final result is really impactful and eye-catching,” says Helia. “The FAB ceiling is amazing,” adds Viv. A shoutout is due to Chenie from State of Play and EMAC, whose construction expertise brought the ceiling’s ambition to life.
Equally striking is the treatment of the store’s planting scapes. Sharp-eyed during the design process, Helia noticed natural plants featured in the renders and made sure the lighting brief accommodated them. The result is a combination of spike lights and andro S fittings with grow modules, a detail that animates the greenery and adds an unexpected layer of warmth to the space. “Amazing real planting scapes with grow and spike lights,” says Viv. It’s a small touch that speaks to the level of care invested throughout.
The project wasn’t without its technical nuances. The team noted that vertical LED surfaces, (particularly around the point-of-sale area and the linear double runs near the Veilance signage) behaved differently to horizontal applications, raising questions about wattage calibration for consistent brightness across orientations. It’s the kind of detail that separates good retail lighting from great retail lighting. Otherwise, the project ran with impressive smoothness: “Pretty straightforward, we had no issues we couldn’t solve,” says Viv.
At Chadstone, Arc’teryx has its most ambitious Australian store. And the light inside it was built to match every square metre of it. In a word (or a few) we’re straight up peaking. To take your brand to its absolute peak, reach out to our team today: ambience contact details
