dbell

T Galleria, Macau

City of Dreams is an entertainment resort, leisure and entertainment destination located on the Cotai strip in Macau, China. Developed, owned and operated by Melco Crown Entertainment (MCE) the property currently features a 420,000sqft casino, with 450 gaming tables and approximately 1,300 gaming machines; over 20 restaurants, various entertainment options including the House of Dancing Waters, one of the largest aquatic themed live theatre shows in the world, soon four luxury hotels with 2,200 rooms and, since December 2016, a 400,000sqft luxury shopping experience exhibiting an impressive array of some of the world’s most sought-after retail brands. This retail experience, T Galleria, is a sophisticated department store concept created, managed and operated by DFS, a leading international luxury travel retailer.

Opened in phases between April and December 2016, the City of Dreams’ T Galleria - the one-mile-long retail complex consisting of two beauty and fragrances halls, two fashion and accessories floors engulfing a central male and female shoe salon and the watches and jewelry boulevards - surround the central casino and create a 24/7 pedestrian link to the hotels, leisure and public areas, forming the largest luxury retail complex in southern China.

The lighting design development started in 2013, leading to a nine-month staggered opening throughout 2016. DFS’ client brief asked for a contemporary, high-end, sophisticated department store with a residential feeling throughout different neighbourhoods - focused zones of related merchandise - as coined by the interior architect team of Charles Sparks. To deal with the immense scale of the property (with ceilings up to 21-metres) the first steps of the lighting concepts were to apply urban planning principles of vistas, landmarks and elaborating the sense of space. Large light feature objects and walls were developed and strategically placed, creating a sense of rhythm established by deliberately darker zones in portals, dissecting the long boulevards into a navigable human scale of smaller side streets. Each neighbourhood has been distinguished by special ambient light colours and different lighting methods in contrast to the neutral piers between the shops. This visual dramaturgy for an intuitive, relaxed and free orientation through the multi-storey retail complex has been further expressed in a design language unifying the different brands by architecturally integrated shop frame lighting, which establishes warmth, rhythm and vertical lighting. Combining architectural lighting integration with continuous perimeter cove lighting and low glare, minimally intrusive, non-technical looking pinhole downlights, a relaxed peripheral perception and intuitive orientation of the customer was promoted.

Most theme-based lighting integrated landmarks and features, allowing further differentiation of the various neighbourhoods, were developed until detail design but for budget reasons were superseded in the building process by more flexible visual merchandise, art and design installations. Also, the lighting was adapted post opening to a mainly track and spot approach, serving the intended visual merchandising retail theatre.

Due to the nine-metre corridor ceiling height in the fashion area, and the wish to simplify the electrical installation throughout all parts of the store, Lichtkompetenz designed an LED pinhole downlight family (bespoke by iGuzzini) to further help a uniform, non-technical and glare-controlled appearance, safeguarding visual comfort and residential feeling in all ambient and retail areas. ‘‘Designing our own visually consistent downlight series was a necessity,’’ said Jörg Frank Seemann, Lighting Design Director, Lichtkompetenz. ‘‘Not only to react to budget constraints and different lumen packages provided by the same outer fixture appearance over the different ceiling heights from two, seven to nineteen-metres, but mainly to allow for well-balanced contrast ratios of artificial product, ambient and natural lighting to help guide attention (lux levels & light temperature).’’

The nature of the collaboration between MCE and DFS required an immense amount of coordination, clear budget control and five months of alternative lighting reviews with Chinese lighting manufacturers. This involved a lot of budget weighing and the celebration of the luxury goods with excellent quality of light for true colour and material perception, enhancing and respecting the human perception with mild colour temperature contrast and high colour rendering in mind. After all, lighting a Jimmy Choo with CRI 80 is simply not an option.

‘‘These bespoke work horse fixtures also allowed Lichtkompetenz to keep within the lighting power density standards of the LVMH sustainability requirements for each ‘maison’, i.e. the standards our client DFS has to meet,’’ explained Seemann. Whilst reducing maintenance and energy costs, it further supported the dimmable day and night scenography (control system) in the clock-free casino environment under the burning sun of Macau.

Where during day time the three-storey main atrium - housing southern China's largest male and female shoe salon and a restaurant arranged around a grand staircase - receives up to 16,000lx of daylight through a curved glass roof, designed by the base built and coordinating architects Woods Bagot, the ground floor woman’s shoes department display still needed to attract attention and not appear like a cave. Therefore artificial lighting intensities double during the day, whilst at night time less light is needed to cross the significant contrast threshold.

For its psychological and energy saving benefits, Lichtkompetenz embraced the intent to use daylight as part of a well balanced visual atmosphere and developed light guiding and shading louvers with integrated artificial lighting under the twenty-metre-long skylight, which had to be omitted in construction stage due to cost savings.

Moving towards a consistent day and night appearance, promoting a sense of height and luxurious spaciousness, the 21-metre high Esplanade ceilings day lit via clearstory windows were intended to show the same effect during night time with the help of concealed indirect artificial uplights. Provided in different light qualities and intensities, these luminaires enrich the space throughout the evening, starting at a 6,000K and ending at 2,700K at sunset, uniting with the overall ambient lighting.

Indirect cove up-lighting at the lower levels void perimeter balances the brightness of the day-lit Esplanade ceilings.

In other daylight openings, the artificial lighting was intended to mimic the naturally given direction of light (central court glass roof), or vertical emphasis, to pattern walls, simulating a daylight effect by the employment of light slots and floating ceiling effects to create suggested architectural lightness.

Upon reflection, Seemann concluded: ‘‘Throughout three and a half years of budget and concept changes of sixteen tender addendum packages, our testing and ongoing physical testing and virtual lighting mock ups, it was ensured that the product is the most important element; illuminated in appealing colour temperatures and in line with human perception of visitors and workers so that the slots can keep ringing, fountains flowing and lights beaming - outside.’’

www.lichtkompetenz.com

by dbell

Théâtre de Sénart, France

The new Théâtre de Sénart is both a national stage and a major cultural centre for the region of Grand Paris Sud in Évry on the outskirts of the French capital.

Designed by chief architect of the project Atelier d’architecture Chaix & Morel et associés, an astonishing silhouette of 10,600sqm (6,400sqm footprint) that rises 29 metres in height emerges from the retail park Carré Sénart.

In plan, the building respects the square geometry of the site yet breaks out in volume through its differing heights and its diagonals. The theatre envelope adheres to the internal volumes, like a sculpted block, to give the building its identity and unity whilst revealing its constituent parts. The main forms that emerge are recognised by the space they accommodate: the large auditorium with its fly tower (29m high) alongside the simple shape of the open stage, small auditorium.

This single form unites the volumes to create a coherent and strong image within the site. The theatre possesses a morphology, at the same time complex and hierarchical with its reliefs in balance, whilst playing with the dynamism of the diagonals. This architectural device imposed itself; an independent, iconic building that serves as a new landmark, a signal within the landscape. From a distance, like a large ship in full sail, the isolated theatre silhouette punctuates the horizon.

The envelope of the building is a fundamental and emblematic element of the Théâtre-Sénart project. When seen from afar on the vast Carré Sénart plain, it needs to be given special attention. Nothing should emerge from this spectacular volume. Installed between the waterproof roofs and the external perforated skin, the technical plant and ventilation ducts remain invisible.

The envelope fabric, whose joints fold continuously in façade and roof, gives form to a monolith that suggests the volumes of the auditoriums within. The square, the structuring geometry of the Carré Sénart and its grid, has been exploited in three ways: two perforations and one stamp size. When deployed in eight configurations applied to each side of the cladding, the dispersion of the different perforation sizes projects graphic variations.

The grey pre-lacquered aluminium skin is randomly stamped and perforated with a grid of 1500x1500mm panels. Stemming from standard metal cladding techniques, this system has been adapted to the entire envelope. The size and spacing of the perforations were studied so as not to weaken the panels whilst, conversely, the stamps reinforce its rigidity. The soft, grey shade is very close to the natural anodized colour.

A pre-lacquered PVDF layer gives a reflective finish. As the indirect LED lighting system is installed under the skin, the grid of small perforations lets light pass to create a vibration. These scattered sequins give movement and vibration to the envelope to metamorphose the building at night.

Focused on an energy efficiency strategy, the Chaix & Morel sustainable development approach for the project addressed two issues: a bio climatic approach that, in priority, naturally achieves as many building functions as possible: building orientation, quality outdoor spaces, natural lighting, sun shading and natural ventilation; and an energy support systems concept that favours the use of a high performance plant - insulation and energy consumption controlled primarily by a high performance thermal envelope with external insulation.

Enhancing the sustainability, the lighting concept was a collaborative effort between French lighting design practice Atelier H. Audibert and Chaix & Morel. The exterior lighting design is delicately dynamic. The façade reveals a myriad of abstract cloud-filled skies. To create this effect, Atelier H. Audibert designed a set of dynamic LEDs between perforated double-surfaces. The massive scale of the façade is large enough to give the illusion of creating movement as that of a giant low resolution video screen. By showing faint, yet readable images for those who stop and take a moment to look, Atelier H. Audibert wished to bring a poetic vision to the new Théâtre de Sénart at night.

The idea behind this project is to transform the façade into a transparent-like structure through which a cloud-filled sky crosses. The sheer mass of this diurnal vision turns into an empty envelope welcoming the sky.

The exclusive use of Philips Color Kinetics iColor Flex LMX, flexible strands of large, high-intensity, full-colour LED nodes designed for extraordinary effects and expansive installations without the constraints of fixture size, shape, or space, make for an uncommonly simple implementable installation and very easy to maintain. Each iColor Flex LMX strand consists of 50 individually addressable LED nodes, featuring dynamic integration of power, communication, and control. The flexible form factor accommodates two- and three-dimensional configurations, while high light output affords superior long-distance viewing for architectural accent and perimeter lighting, large-scale signage, and building-covering video displays. The overall power used to create the façade lighting is 2,000 watts, equivalent to the energy consumed by just two household irons.

An extensive island of greenery of almost 500sqm that provides light and natural ventilation, the patio area is located in the centre of the complex. It serves as a transversal, light-filled lobby within this deep building. Located between the public and performer spaces, it is accessible from either the foyer or the corridor alongside the small auditorium.

Located within the Théâtre-Sénart complex, the 227sqm partitioned restaurant area that operates independently from the theatre, is extended by a large, protected outdoor terrace on sunny days. The restaurant kitchen is 97sqm in area.

Depending on the chosen configuration for each service, the restaurant accommodates up to 100 persons seated, excluding the terrace space. Both bars are integrated within the theatre foyer and on the first floor concourse to operate before and during performances.

The foyer that comprises different functional spaces (reception desk, bar area, restaurant and bookshop corner), on the south façade opens onto the parvis (the enclosed area in front of the building). Designed as an architectural promenade, this linear and fluid space is planned as a gallery, an internal street 80 metres long, about ten metres wide. Internally, rough concrete is dominant, punctuated by contemporary way finding. The space is homogeneously illuminated by recessed LED fixtures producing a subtle, delicate scheme accentuated by spotlights and natural light. The different elements of the space are highlighted with LED spotlights that provide a depth of field.

www.chaixetmorel.com

www.atelierherveaudibert.com

by dbell

Galaxy, Macau

Located on Macau’s Cotai Strip, the Galaxy is a resort of great stature, providing a luxurious gaming experience and a number of amenities for visitors. With the concept, design and masterplan devised by Gary Goddard Entertainment, the resort was one of the first to bring a themed hotel experience to the strip.

The Galaxy phase I and II consisted of 3,600 rooms (JW Marriott & Ritz Carlton), and a total gaming space of 450,000sq-metres.

Executive architects Simon Kwan & Associates were tasked with the exterior façade detail, of which the lighting played a key role.

Opened 15 May 2011, Galaxy Phase I consisted of 2,200 rooms (1,500 Galaxy Hotel, 460 Okura Hotel and 240 Banyan Tree Hotel), which equated to a total resort space of 550,000sq-metres.

With the lighting design scheme carried out by Lighting Design Alliance, Creative Lighting Asia (CLA) was involved with the project to supply and install on a design and build contract in order to illuminate the crests and uppermost architectural features of both buildings.

Based on the success of the installation, CLA was invited to tender for the façade lighting for the Galaxy Phase II project.

As a design and install project for CLA, Project Manager Tony Ryan was the man on the ground doing the mock-ups for the project.

The challenge facing Ryan was to match the sodium lighting with the existing RGB ColorReach Philips Color Kinetics (CK) had at the time. Nothing was working until CK’s Head of Engineering, Nadya Piskun who was coincidently over in Shenzhen, China at the same time was invited to Macau to work together with Ryan to find a solution.

As head of engineering for CK, Piskun is also an expert in colour science and LEDs.

While working together with Ryan and his team on site, she was able to determine the LED combination needed to make this happen.

Once CK were informed of this, they were able to get a sample made up, successfully complete the final mock up and secure the project.

Opened 27 May 2015, Galaxy phase II followed the owners’ desire for a more advanced lighting solution instead of the sodium fixtures that were currently installed on the Phase I façade project.

CLA, in partnership with Scott Dellaire from Philips CK and US lighting design practice Francis Krahe & Associates (FKA), developed a solution to meet the demanding requirements of the project.

The client was looking for the same light and colour intensity that the existing sodium fixtures had provided plus the product needed to be able to illuminate the 70-metre high façade columns.

Through extensive collaboration and various trials, the trio developed a customised ColorReach solution, which simulated the required colour temperature and effect the client was looking for.

By placing a 5° and 13° ColorReach luminaire within a GRP architectural detail, a narrow beam and colour consistency was achieved to meet the client’s specification.

With this solution agreed for the Phase II façade, the client then requested that the current sodium lighting on the Phase I façade also be replaced with the ColorReach products.

In terms of added value to the Galaxy, the introduction of the CK ColorReach product reduced electricity, operating and maintenance costs, provided a higher level of colour consistency and the ability to add a show element to both phases using dynamic controls.

In addition, FKA was involved with the scheme for the 3F landscape, pool areas and interiors of the Galaxy phase II expansion, including the mass gaming hall, VIP Junket, Noodle restaurant, Pak Loh and Jinmen.

The team’s challenge was to design the lighting to match the light quality of the existing Phase I, which was illuminated by a variety of sources, including HID, fluorescents, induction lamps and LEDs.

It was clear from the beginning concept stage that LED technology would be implemented to illuminate the various architectural and site elements of the project. As mentioned, for the 35 storey tower, FKA worked along with Philips Color Kinetics to develop the precise colour temperature for the powerful LED uplights to match the HPS sources used to illuminate the Phase I tower. The use of LED provided the opportunity to illuminate the various details at the podium level in slightly different colour temperatures and light outputs, allowing for a hierarchy of illumination at the pedestrian level. The use of metal as the architect’s choice for the building cladding allowed for the creation of various details for the concealment and access to the various LED sources, thus allowing for the expression of the architecture through light without the fitting being visible.

For the 3F landscape and pool areas, the top level of the new podium is home to an artificial beach pool, various swimming pools, jacuzzis and a lazy river that snakes around the landscaped deck with various exterior free standing permanent F&B structures and an artificial rockwork with three water slides. The lighting for the 3F deck was designed with the view point of the guestrooms of the new tower at nighttime, along with the experience of the guests using the deck during the day. The various pools, and especially the lazy river, were the main features visible from the guestroom windows. Two independent lighting systems were designed for the pools, one of which being a standard pool lighting system using low-voltage, high wattage, PAR56 sources to achieve high lux levels required by local Macau code. A second LED colour changing system has been designed to be part of the night show when the pool area is closed. With the landscape, circulation pathways and structures illuminated in static white light, the movement of colour light within the body of water contained in the various pools creates a striking contrast to the visual seen from the guestrooms of the new tower.

Moving on to the interiors, with a ceiling height much lower than the existing Phase I gaming space, the lighting within the expansion space has been used as a tool to create a comfortable and inviting space for the guests.

Linear low-wattage, LED tape light has been concealed within ceiling molding profiles to create up light on to the coffered ceiling planes and wall washers used to illuminate the perimeter walls adorned with decorative padded upholstery panels. With architectural ceiling and wall planes illuminated, the perceived brightness and hence the spatial envelope is increased as part of the visual experience of the space. The tape light used for the ceiling cove was specified as a RGBW programmable system to allow for the introduction of coloured and colour-changing light to the space to commemorate special events.

In addition, decorative light fittings, designed by Paul Steelman Asia, were located at key locations within the coffered ceiling design as a visual cue to guide guests to the various areas of the gaming floor.

The centre bar, featuring a floor to ceiling brass element, now resembles a peacock thanks to back-lit red crystal jewels within the design. White 2,700K LED light was installed by the custom manufacturer to illuminate the crystals so that when turned on, the red crystals turn orange. A recommendation was made to paint the inside brass cavity of the frame behind the crystal red instead of the natural yellow colour of the brass which, together with the white light of the LED, was affecting the red colour of the crystal turning orange.

At the Northern Noodle restaurant designed by local interior design firm Millwork Inc., the ceiling design was created using suspended wood planks mimicking chop sticks. Red lattice work and decorative pendant lights are used throughout the space to create visual interest. Single circuit track with adjustable LED heads are used to pin spot tables and for general illumination. Track heads fitted with dichroic red lenses are used to illuminate the red lattice wall panels, creating a dramatic effect with the shadow play of red light upon the lattice.

With views of the kitchen ceiling from the main dining areas, custom pendants were designed by FKA to block the view of the open ceiling and provide adequate lighting for the kitchen. In addition, cylinder pendant downlights with 3,000lm output have been designed to be fixed to the inside of a traditional stainless steel Chinese wok and hung from the open ceiling, providing adequate lighting as well as visual interest in an otherwise utilitarian space.

www.cla.asia

www.fkaild.com

by dbell

Dubai Opera, UAE

Set to become one of the most significant, vibrant and successful performing arts and entertainment centres in the Middle East, Dubai Opera is a 2,000-seat, multi-format theatre designed by architects Atkins to captivate its visitors.

Officially opened on 31 August 2016 with a sold out performance by Placido Domingo and located within The Opera District in Downtown Dubai, the building is unique for a venue of its size, in that it has the ability to convert into three modes; from a theatre into a concert hall and into a ‘flat floor’ form, offering 2,000m² of space for events such as exhibitions and gala events.

It is set to become a hub for cultural activity, entertainment and artistic expression, while playing its part in creating a vibrant local community for residents.

Dubai Opera aims to transform the emirate’s cultural footprint and establish the city as a part of the elite global theatre circuit – providing a vital new draw for the tourist industry – a cornerstone of Dubai’s economy.

With regards to the lighting design, neolight were appointed in early 2014 and given a brief to create a fully flexible environment that showed off the stunning architecture and interior, designed by WA International, in the best manner during the evenings, whilst still being energy and cost efficient.

‘‘This design intent remained broadly consistent throughout the lifetime of the project and allowed us to develop our design and ultimately deliver a successful lighting scheme,’’ explained Gary Thornton, Senior Project Designer, neolight.

neolight were employed from the full concept stage through to completion for the lighting design at all front of house and landscape areas, plus the completion of the auditorium lighting scheme, which was designed by Light + Design Associates.

‘‘We have worked with both Atkins and WAI on previous projects so it was an excellent fit working alongside these consultants and building on previous relationships,’’ said Thornton. ‘‘Likewise we are currently working on multiple jobs with Mirage Leisure at the moment so that was a great opportunity to extend our working relationship together.’’

The brief required an emphasis on the strong architectural elements such as the ‘dhow’ feature. This was taken as an opportunity by neolight to consider this as the main beacon and focus of the façade lighting design.

A beautifully creative solution was produced using diffuse light located within the main structural columns that bathe the wooden walls of the auditorium dhow in a golden softness, bringing it to life at night. The LEDs hidden in the columns are high output, high efficiency RGBW for a lovely warm white output and have the potential for full colour change to meet any specific show requirements, which has already been used to excellent effect in conjunction with the recent performances of Les Misérables.

The lighting experience starts on the approach to the venue. From the external perspective it is the interior glow of the dhow that provides the beacon and focus of the building. Recessed LED marker lights draw you towards the entrance, guiding you along the plaza and through the gobo projections that create a dynamic and visually exciting lead up to the building, enhancing the expectations of what the public will experience once inside the Opera House.

“After numerous concepts and iterations for the façade lighting we made a bold decision to have no specific façade lighting on the exterior of the building,’’ explained Thornton. ‘‘Instead we focused on the interior space and having the impressive dhow shape of the architecture accentuated by allowing it to fall into silhouette and letting the interior lighting sing out through the special anti-reflective glazing designed by Atkins.’’

Around the full circumference of the building the dhow is illuminated by internal columns that appear to run full height and are lit through with a series of bespoke lighting fixtures. They allow seamless glows of light to resonate throughout, piercing the building levels and complimenting the interior material finishes.

The glass allows anyone in the vicinity to look through and see the interior promenade space of the building, “effectively transforming theatre-goers into performers for the local community by blurring the lines between the interior and the plaza”, commented Janus Rostock, Design Director and Head of Architecture, Urban Design & Masterplanning, Atkins Middle East. In comparison, traditional glazing would only allow you to see the reflections of neighbouring buildings.

With an emphasis on indirect lighting there were no downlights used for the general lighting in the promenade space, but instead cold cathode within the ceiling slots and coves is supported by integrated LEDs that illuminate the escalators, main lift structures and bars in an elegant yet subtle manner. These layers of light combine to provide the general ambient lighting as well as highlighting elements of the interior design to retain a strong visual aesthetic for the guest experience.

All areas are lit using highly efficient light sources. LED was primarily used for its low power, high output and compact form factor for detailing, but the ceiling coves throughout the promenade levels are homogenously lit with cold cathode so that the project was produced in good balance with the budget constraints and the requirements of Dubai Green Building Code.

‘‘In doing so, we managed <5W/m² for the front of house areas (for architectural lighting), adhering to all requirements whilst providing a visually stunning solution that successfully delivered on the brief,’’ added Thornton.

A lighting control system allows for the dimming of all light fixtures to create programmed scenes of varying intensity and mood, altering the look and feel of the space for different occasions and scenarios.

The neolight team faced an initial challenge within the auditorium when they took on Light + Design Associates’ lighting design. ‘‘We were met with a number of constraints and features, including the ever-changing advancement of the auditorium space that required constant coordination and development of multiple design layouts across all disciplines,’’ explained Thornton.

Although there were changes and some fine tuning elements to be made to the scheme, neolight were able to see the concept through to construction and retain the excellent design intent.

Coordination between multiple consultants based in multiple countries was paramount and, at times, proved challenging. In addition to neolight’s architectural lighting scheme, coordination and collaboration with the theatre consultants Theatre Projects was required to resolve the over-arching challenge of providing a lighting scheme that was flexible enough to cater for a multi-format venue.

‘‘The lighting details, fixture locations and control circuits that we designed and executed had to work across all modes,’’ continued Thornton. ‘‘This meant working out all of the logical control circuits for the light fixtures to feature in any of the format modes, as well as working with manufacturers to design a number of bespoke light fixtures that could meet the requirements.’’

As the project developed, virtually all the lighting details within the auditorium space were iterated and improved in line with the increasingly complex site conditions, having to amend circuiting, manage DMX cable routing, and design plug-and-play style cable management systems to allow for a number of flying walls, rotating mobile boxes, seating wagons, staging sections, and a proscenium arch, which all to need to move seamlessly depending on the required mode.

The Vexica linear uplights that graze the wall panels from within the skirting all around the auditorium, and the Remote Control Lighting remote control spotlights within the moveable ceiling are particularly great examples of the fixture customisation used on this project.

Another challenge neolight faced was the timeframe required to complete the project. ‘‘Throughout the project we found ourselves being forced to react to site conditions and detailing much quicker than we would have liked, whilst trying not to compromise on the design intent,’’ said Thornton. “The flip side of this speed is that you get to see your design realised extremely quickly, with the site developing and growing each day that you visit.’’

Although well versed in the fast-paced construction industry of the UAE, this project had its own fixed schedule of events that put tremendous pressure on the construction site, which meant that neolight and most other consultants and trades were working to the very last day.

On opening night there was a very small window of opportunity for commissioning and programming of the lighting once the lighting control system was installed and working. Much hard work from the neolight team and many late nights spent testing and commissioning the final lighting levels and scenes paid off and meant that the space could open looking and feeling great.

The list of sell-out shows and events following the opening night meant that there was no real time to go back in and amend things, even after the opening night. This added further pressure to ensure neolight delivered a successfully functioning project until the team could get back in for the final adjustments, which it carried out January 2017 when there was a break in the performance schedule.

Reflecting on the task, Thornton commented: ‘‘We have worked on many high-end and prestigious projects, but this was one of the most high profile and eagerly anticipated from the general public and Middle East region as a whole. The building is the central focus of a newly defined Opera District in the already impressive Downtown area of Dubai and has been dubbed ‘one of the most prestigious square kilometres in the world’.’’

Dubai Opera opened to huge success and critical acclaim, with the lighting playing a huge role in that. It reinforces the architectural vision of the venue and complements the interior for both function and aesthetics.

Simple where needed and more creative where the situation allows, the majority of the lighting is indirect to provide maximum comfort and minimal glare for all visitors, whilst balancing carefully with the spectacular FF&E lighting to provide the ultimate visual aesthetic and ambience.

The dynamic and flexible design demonstrates a creative interpretation of the architecture, serving to define the building as a world class venue for the performing arts.

‘‘The project for us is still ongoing. Since opening night over six months ago we have supported the construction of the new rooftop restaurant that is opening, as well as making some minor adjustments for the final scenes within the auditorium earlier this year,’’ concluded Thornton.

www.neolightdesign.com

by dbell

City of Dreams, Macau

On 1 June 2016, City of Dreams opened its 17,000sqm retail expansion overlooking the Cotai Strip in Macau, significantly expanding the existing integrated resort that opened in June 2009.

The new structure dramatically enhances the sense of arrival for this integrated resort, in which illumination Physics was entrusted with the lighting of the façade. This is the second major property on the Cotai Strip in which illumination Physics has been responsible for the design and build of the façade lighting, having completed Studio City in October 2015. Both properties are owned by Melco-Crown Entertainment’s Lawrence Ho.

The City of Dreams retail expansion links world-class entertainment and gaming facilities to dining and exclusive luxury shopping brands. The illuminated façade needed to promote an alluring invitation in a style befitting the luxury brands awaiting the customers behind it.

illumination Physics has designed and built the lighting for many high end retail stores in recent years – Tiffany, Louis Vuitton Frankfurt, Giorgio Armani and Ermenegildo Zegna. However City of Dreams is in Macau, not Europe, Hong Kong or Melbourne and the expectations of a predominantly PRC clientele requires a little more excitement. The trick was to find the balance between sophistication and showbiz. In addition, complicating the creative process, there were a number of technical and practical limitations, which the final lighting design needed to address and solve.

At City of Dreams there are a number of classic elements to the lighting surrounding one dominant, unconventional and innovative centrepiece.

The new structure is dominated from the outside by a curving colonnade 250-metres wide and 20-metres high. Behind the columns the façade is constructed of 90 tall light boxes. It was clear from the conception of this expansion that the lighting of this centrepiece would be the key to the success of the design as it dominates the streetscape it overlooks and directly faces the competition across the road, the sprawling Venetian hotel and casino. This led to several cascading decisions; some animation of the lighting effect was required, the large colonnade would seem too monolithic without movement, and rather needed to resemble ripples on water stimulated by a breeze.

RGB colour mixing was rejected at the outset because it does not sit well with the purpose of this building and there is already a great deal of colour on the Cotai Strip. illumination Physics proposed the use of a mix of very warm white and cool white. Very warm white resembles gold and by association makes the use of cool white resemble silver; this was the beginning of the metaphor.

The next step was to make the concept into a practical and maintainable system. Challenged by access, the light box dimensions and basic characteristics had already been determined and had acquired momentum prior to the team’s input. In the event of a maintenance problem, it would be impossible to get access from the front or the back of the panels. This is a common problem in retail façade lighting in Asia and it is often the case that the practical LED ownership issues are not commonly understood during the architectural design.

Placing forward facing LED strips on the back pan was impractical and impossible to maintain, so this idea was discarded in favour of a unique genre of illumination Physics products developed for the ‘Artwall’ light feature at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Specifically, illumination Physics created a linear luminaire in which two colours of LED were installed alternately along its length. The luminaire was installed vertically on one edge of the light box as a grazing wash light across the back pan. The critical design feature was that the focused angle of colour one was 20° different from colour two, meaning that the two colours would come into focus at different places across the surface, making it possible to emphasise the far side or the nearest side to the luminaire or, by using both colours under dimming, create a transition from one colour to another. illumination Physics call this ‘IP Double Graze Linear’.

The team now had a concept for the project, which was then successfully tested in mock-ups. The aesthetics were essentially solved but the maintenance issues remained. It was determined that the light fixture would contain no electronics at all, greatly simplifying the luminaire the way illumination Physics do with all of its high temperature resistant ‘Gulf Spec’ luminaires. The drivers have been remotely located on cat walks above the ceiling spaces where they can be easily accessed. The possibility of a technical issue with the luminaires themselves was greatly reduced by their simplicity.

At the Marina Bay Sands project illumination Physics designed a cassette into the mullion detail of the light boxes that could be removed from the outside, allowing access to the luminaires, but this was not an option at City of Dreams.

Instead, the luminaires would now be installed in a similar vertical row located at the mullion that separated one light box from the next. This solution was compact and it worked optically, but maintenance access was still a concern if the need arose.

To achieve vertical access, illumination Physics created a removable access panel in the back pans of the light boxes above the ceiling spaces. The luminaires were mounted in a custom rail within which the light fixtures could slide up or down and a draw wire was attached to each one in addition to the low voltage cable. Should there ever be a failure it is now possible to remove the access panel and fish the light fixtures out of the light box one by one and lower them back into position following repair. Numerous tests were performed and the rail system perfected; a highly unusual solution to a common lighting problem in retail façade architecture.

The installation of 1,500 illumination Physics Double Graze luminaires was completed as an integrated task within the façade build program.

The team had ample time to test prior to the opening because the internal fit out lagged far behind the construction of the building envelope. The original intention was to control each of the 90 light boxes as one object, a pixel containing very warm white and cool white, using just two DMX addresses to control sixteen pieces of illumination Physics Double Graze Linear. During the testing and commissioning stage the team suggested to the client that they could greatly vary the programming of the lighting by taking individual control of each luminaire, creating sixteen pixels in each light box instead of just one. Since every luminaire had its own dedicated cable and driver output, the change was made with a control system upgrade. Two dozen test programs were produced so that the owner could participate in the process of content creation. Ho is an expressive and decisive client; his vision was clearly delineated and a preferred pattern quickly emerged.

The result is a constantly changing façade in which the lighting patterns evolve organically from one animated scene to the next.

For control of the main façade illumination Physics chose the LSC Clarity PC providing overall control of the 1,440 fixtures distributed across six universes. Seven DMX Splitters were used to distribute data to the fixtures via Artnet, which is then converted into DMX 512 via an Artnet to DMX Converter. The patch has been configured to allow for conventional FX programming via a Pixel Map. Playback occurs nightly via the inbuilt scheduler that exists in LSC Clarity. Currently, there is a show with three sequences that is replayed every 30 minutes. In addition to the inbuilt schedule the team also installed an xkey control panel allowing the operator to manually select preprogramed sequences as required. The system is protected via a UPS and there is remote access to the control system via Team Viewer.

The façade lighting was completed using just four other types of illumination Physics products. Its IP65 rated CL180 LED downlights were used in large quantities at Melco-Crown’s other property on the Cotai Strip, Studio City. They were used just as effectively in the soffit of the main entrance at City of Dreams and avoided the need for another type.

Each of the seventeen square columns that comprise the colonnade have a full height rebate in each face that are illuminated top and bottom with illumination Physics’ compact CR80 mini wash light using the 10W 5° warm white version.

The colonnade supports a wide arch in which there is a horizontal rebate running the full width of the façade. This is illuminated using one of illumination Physics' many Rigid Series low power linear LED strip lights.

Lastly, the architectural language used for the light boxes in the grand colonnade continues on the other flank of the main entrance but here the panels are vision glass. The mullions and transoms are illuminated from the sills using a pair of illumination Physics IP Wash 48 wash lights fitted with two types of lenses to effectively cope with the optical requirements of such a long throw grazing specification.

In conclusion, the completed centrepiece is a vision in white, establishing the City of Dreams façade lighting treatment as another step in the development of Macau’s vibrant nightscape.

www.illuminationphysics.com

by dbell

Elbphilarmonie, Germany

The Elbphilharmonie on the Kaispeicher A marks a location that most people in Hamburg know about but have never really experienced. The Kaispeicher A, designed by Werner Kallmorgen and constructed between 1963 and 1966, was originally used as a warehouse for cocoa beans until the end of the last century. The new building, designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, has been extruded from the shape of the Kaispeicher A and is seamlessly congruent with the brick of the older building on top of which it has been placed. The top and bottom of the new structure are, however, entirely different from the plain, blunt shape of the warehouse below. The broad, undulating sweep of the roof rises to a total height of 110-metres at the Kaispitze (the tip of the peninsula), sloping down to the eastern end, where the roof is some 30-metres lower.

In contrast to the stoic brick façade of the Kaispeicher A, the new building has a glass façade, consisting in part of curved panels, some of them cut open. The glass façade transforms the new building into a gigantic, iridescent crystal whose textured appearance changes as it catches the reflections of the sky, the water and the city and transforms them into an intricate puzzle on its façade.

Upon reaching the top of the Kaispeicher A, visitors find an open space, a public Plaza above the city. Between the top of the Kaispeicher A and beneath the new building – at the joint between old and new – is a new public space that offers panoramic views. Along its edges, vault-shaped openings offer theatrical views of the River Elbe and the City of Hamburg. Further inside, a deep vertical opening creates constant glimpses of the foyer areas of the Grand Hall above. A café and the hotel lobby are located here, as well as access to the foyers of the new concert halls.

The design for the new Elbphilharmonie is a project of the 21st century that would have been inconceivable before. The principle design idea of the Grand Hall as a space where orchestra and conductor are located in the centre of the audience, is a well-known typology, along with the arrangement of tiers that take their cue from the logic of the acoustic and visual perception. Here, this logic leads to another conclusion. The tiers are more pervasive; tiers, walls, and ceiling form a spatial unity. This space, rising vertically like a tent, is not determined by the architecture alone but by the 2,100 listeners and musicians who gather in the space. The towering shape of the hall defines the static structure of the building and is reflected in the silhouette of the building as a whole.

Not only is the Elbphilharmonie a display of outstanding contemporary architecture, but it also features a complex and artistic lighting scheme developed by Hamburg-based lighting designer Ulrike Brandi.

Brandi has created an understated and subtle scheme, leaving the architecture at the forefront. ‘‘The architecture of the Elbphilharmonie is powerful enough,’’ explained Brandi. ‘‘So we didn’t want to create a secondary spectacle with the light.The artificial light is modest and works with simple optical principles.’’

In the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg where the Elbphilharmonie is situated, there is sufficient illumination provided by the surrounding area. As a result, the concert hall is easily visible without its own spotlights. The lighting concept also corresponds to the Federal Emission Protection Act, which regulates light pollution. The port city is a residential area, therefore the light emission of the Elbphilharmonie is designed so that it doesn’t interfere with the immediate environment.

Special lighting accents fill the gap between the old and the new building parts as well as the large arches, which are cut into the façade. They are illuminated in the evening and add rhythm to the entire picture, while during the day they carry daylight deep into the building. ‘‘During this time, a dialogue between daylight and artificial light begins to dominate the artificial light until the end. The result is a variety of effects from the light refraction, play of illuminated and unlit windows, and the printed grid glass of the façade,’’ added Brandi.

During planning it was ensured that the sky, the water and the panorama of the city can be experienced from within. That is, in the plaza or in the foyers, it is never so bright that the view outside would be hindered.

One notable area of Brandi’s lighting scheme can be found behind the entrance above the escalator. ‘‘The escalator is not linear but slightly curved,’’ explained Brandi. ‘‘The curved upward movement is a special experience. The light is reflected from the walls and the ceiling into the room, while glossy spots on the matte plaster provide additional special effects. They dazzle like sequins on evening dresses and thus form the prelude to a celebratory evening.’’

An interesting detail of this area is that the lights are installed at the bottom, hidden beside the stairs. This ensures wonderful indirect light and is important for subsequent maintenance.

In the plaza the artificial light comes from the ceiling, where it is reflected from 750 spherical lamps, which were customised by Zumtobel. These LED solutions are grouped in diamond shapes and provide pleasant warm-white general illumination with a colour temperature of 3,000K. These luminaires can be found throughout the building. Sometimes grouped into diamonds, sometimes randomly distributed over areas, they are something of a musical motif, which is repeated in variations.

Over 3,400 lamps were installed according to Brandi’s plans, including: 750 glass ball lamps in the plaza, 650 mouth-blown glass ball lamps for the large hall as well as 750 linear lamps for the foyer. These radiate out from the ceiling around the concert hall - a symbolically charged positioning that was a requirement of the architects.

In the concert hall itself, the illumination emphasises the grandeur of the space. Here, Herzog & de Meuron, Brandi and the glass designer Detlef Tanz have referenced the architectural philosophy of combining old and new by working closely with Zumtobel to craft 1,200 hand-blown glass ball luminaires. Decorating the grandeur of the space, the fittings emerge from the undulating acoustic ceiling, in which the luminaire housings are discretely concealed from view. The result is a luminaire with an especially attractive appearance, which uses a colour temperature of 2,700K to create an emotive atmosphere in the room. The microshaping of the walls, which was created for the acoustics, provides playful optical effects, where the lighting, with its many small light points, emphasises the wave-like and irregular structure.

Furthermore, there are lights placed on top of the large acoustic reflector on the ceiling, which illuminate the vault above, avoiding the impression of a dark cave. On its underside, stage lighting is installed along with additional stage lights that are discreetly situated behind a slit in the ceiling.

An integral part of the lighting design are the windows, whose thousands of dots create a pixelated effect used for sun protection. In contrast to usual sun protection glass, however, the light is not filtered uniformly over the entire window surface. The dots become denser along the edges, while in the middle, the view is free. This weighting makes the façade livelier and the view to the outside more interesting. The dots are coated in silver on the outside so that they reflect light. On another layer, there are points inside that are black to avoid reflectivity and to allow visitors to look outside without sun glare. At the same time, the round dots take on the festive sequined motif, which can be found in the tunnel as well as the ball lamps.

Brandi concluded: ‘‘The location of the Elbphilharmonie is unique in terms of light conditions. You see the wide sky, the water with its reflections of light, and last but not least the sunset in the west. With the façade the architects have designed something exquisite. From each viewpoint, new and agitating lighting effects are explored.’’

www.ulrike-brandi.de

by dbell

C3A, Spain

Four years after completion, the museum and artistic education centre C3A in Córdoba, Spain, designed by architects Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, was officially opened on 19 December. The building’s artistic façade installation implemented by realities:united showed the German studio for art and architecture’s animation sequence BREEZE during the opening ceremony.

The original concept for the building by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos proposed the integration of a low-resolution light and media façade on the building surface, facing the Río Guadalquivir. realities:united was commissioned to further develop the conception and the design for this media skin in close cooperation with the architects.

As part of its competition design for the C3A, Nieto Sobejano had proposed a medial enhanced design that was inspired by realities:united’s very first dynamic façade design (BIX Communicative Display Skin for Peter Cook’s Kunsthaus in Graz, 2003). The competition design featured a concrete façade with a regular grid of circular openings, each one to be equipped with a circular fluorescent light tube.

After winning the competition, Nieto Sobejano contacted the studio to get the team on board for further development of the project.

‘‘In this way we were first commissioned by the local government (Junta de Andalucia en Córdoba) in 2006 for the concept development and design of the façade, followed by a commission by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos for the planning and artistic site supervision, and a commission by the general contractor FCC Construccion S.A. for the development of the artistic software,’’ explained Tim Edler, Co-Founder of realities:united.

Following a period of collaboration and cooperation with the architects, C3A’s façade has now been transformed into a light and media display, whilst maintaining  its solid appearance as envisioned by the architects.

The resultant exterior has been designed to deliver a tactile and solid appearance in the day, while turning into a unique and dynamic communication wall that reacts very specifically to the architecture at night.

The starting point for the media façade was an analysis of the significant inner structure of the building, which is made up of a tessellated pattern of polygonal rooms.

This inner motif is translated to form a characteristic outer topography on the façade, a system of irregularly shaped, hexagonal indentations of varying density, size and scale.

There are 1,319 of these pre-fabricated ‘bowls’ scattered over the 100-metre long fiberglass-reinforced cement (GRC) façade. Each of the bowls serves as a reflector for an integrated artificial light source. By controlling the intensity of each lamp individually, the bowls turn the façade into a low-resolution grey scale display.

Three different scales of bowls are employed and distributed in huge patterns over the total exterior, thereby subtly echoing the building’s architectural elements. Additionally, each bowl appears to be unique in shape and size; and their distribution appears to be irregular, with only the distribution density remaining consistent.

‘‘The effectiveness of façade lighting is dependent on the quality and efficiency of the luminaires used and designing the right lighting control system,’’ said Jan Riha of Lledó Lighting Group, the company that developed the fixtures, wiring and control scheme for the project.

Each of the bowls is illuminated from the side and serves as a reflector for the integrated LED mini spotlights, of which the intensity can be controlled individually. One of the challenges faced was the uniformity of the illumination, as the bowls vary in size. In relation to this, the mini spotlights used have been applied in relation to the size of bowl in which they are situated. The innovation lies in Lledó’s inhouse developed optical concept which combines lens and light-shaping diffuser film and the flush mounted frosted cover glass.

‘‘For this project we have chosen mini spot lights equipped with a single high power LED with 2.1W 86 lm/W, and a special oval lighting distribution to obtain the adequate distribution for each bowl type,’’ explained Riha.

The square shape of the heat sink provides an optimal heat disipation for the LED. In addition, the IP65 fixtures are telescopic and the fact that it is easy to swivel and tilt, aids the aiming of the light.

Just like the human eye’s retina, this composition allows the definition of areas of varying density or sensitivity on the façade. This analogy offers a certain artistic freedom: the resolution of the displayed images can stay low, fitting the blown-up scale of the screen, creating a mode of display in which the motifs are hinted at, rather than unambiguously presented.

‘‘We could never verify that this principle would work on the scale of the façade without building a one-to-one prototype,’’ commented Edler. ‘‘Of course we tried to simulate the anticipated effect to a certain degree and we developed an advanced software to run the façade, but testing it for the very first time remained a very exciting moment.’’

During the day, the exterior shows a three-dimensional landscape with no sign of being a media façade. Additionally, this tectonically modulated surface topography is characterised by a playful composition of light and shadow that constantly changes with the movement of the sun. The thorough immersion of the pixel-bowls – like negative impressions – in the volume of the façade turns the architectural scheme itself into a digital information carrier.

The studio’s interest in the aspect of visual acuity stems from earlier projects and extensive research on the process of visual perception. For visualisations with very low resolution, the precognition of the brain determines whether an image or animation can be recognised. A motif that has been displayed at a higher resolution can be shifted to much lower resolution and still preserve its readability.

The C3A project was the studio’s first commission to transform a non-transparent façade to become dynamic. ‘‘In comparison to all other dynamic façades we developed, this was a game changer. At least if you want or need to work with light as a medium – it was tricky to preserve the building’s solid appearance as a concrete block, as planned by Nieto Sobejano, while turning its main façade into an urban communication tool,’’ said Edler.

For that reason, realities:united changed the basic principle of the façade by transforming it into a tactile topography made out of recesses to be illuminated from the side rather than perforating it like Swiss cheese as proposed by the architects. In conclusion, this works very well; when you approach the building during the day, you discover a solid concrete façade with a playful texture of sunlight and shadow. Only at night the special qualities of the façade are revealed.

When asked about the role lighting plays in this project Edler responded: ‘‘I believe it’s not so much about the right lighting but about the identification of a suitable artistic concept to match the architecture.’’ For instance, besides the solid appearance of the façade, the decision to make use of the building’s significant inner structure and its tessellated pattern of polygonal rooms.

Upon reflection, Edler and the realities:united team claim their biggest challenge was to trust their own concept until the very end. ‘‘We proposed different scales of pixels on the façade in order to engineer a façade that could display images with as little pixels as possible that are still decipherable by the observer,’’ concluded Edler.

www.realities-united.de

by dbell

La Fondation Louis Vuitton, France

Standing in the heart of Bois de Boulogne, Paris, in October last year La Fondation Louis Vuitton opened the doors of its first commissioned stand-alone building, dedicated to the display of artistic creations in all forms.

Commissioned by Bernard Arnault and designed by Frank Gehry, at the heart of the space the public is invited to discover the permanent collection made up of works belonging to the Fondation and drawn from Arnault’s personal collection, as well as temporary exhibitions – two per year – and musical events in the auditorium.

Twelve mainsails, made up of 3,600 glass panels, shape the building, housing a total surface area of more than 11,000m², including 7,000m² available to the public. The building holds eleven galleries dedicated to the collections, along with a 350-seat auditorium featuring a modular design.

The visionary collaboration between Frank Gehry and Bernard Arnault inspired architectural lighting designer Herve Descottes, Principal of L’Observatoire International, to add his poetic vision and infuse La Fondation with the luminous vitality that the structure commands. The building has a very different presence during the daytime compared with at night because of the layering of the glass sails and the way the lighting works within it. During the day the exterior of the building feels more opaque – the glass and the frit embedded on it, reflects the daylight giving a sense that the exterior is more of a definitive shell with subtle cracks in between, which are felt in the shadow.

As night falls however, the structure undergoes a breathtaking transformation from opaque shell to glowing lantern, as the central core of the building begins to glow with warm light and the glass sails, made transparent by the night sky, take on a delicate, almost diaphanous quality. The lighting allows the glass to become cloud-like and the architectural layers behind it become more present. In this sense, elements that were in the shadows during the day are bathed in light at night. The lighting has been designed to allow the spaces in between, to glow subtly behind the glass while not completely losing the presence of the glass itself. It is about seeing and experiencing the building as a cloud-like object, but also as a series of moments that are woven together. The architecture is present and at the same time not present, with the lighting trying to evoke this.

“His architecture is of course very distinct and dramatic,” comments Descottes on his collaboration with Frank Gehry, “so in turn, the lighting has to follow the movement of the architecture without overpowering it.’’

“With La Fondation we wanted people to see and experience the architecture as a series of moments woven together, creating a beautiful suspension of material reality.”

Working within such a magnificent architectural structure naturally brought about challenges when implementing an appropriate lighting system. According to L’Observatoire International, when working with the Gehry team, lighting is always a challenge – but one that the practice loves to embrace. The intensity of the forms and spaces of the building mean the lighting needs to find a way to feel like it is coming from the architecture, not simply applied to it. There also needs to be an honesty about the presence of the lighting fixtures themselves and as such, the Gehry team often exposes the building materials for what they are… steel members, glass and its systems etc and so the lighting needs to do the same. The fixtures are exposed, not over designed individually, but they blend with the honesty of the architecture in which they are integrated.

At the most basic level, the main challenge is often where the fixtures can be located in such a complex architectural geometry while still being able to illuminate the necessary floor surfaces and so on. Luckily, having worked with the Gehry team over many years (including Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003 and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, due to open in 2017) L’Observatoire International was able to work with the team digitally to get the fixtures in the right spots.

In the project’s infancy, LED technology wasn’t exactly at the point it is at today in terms of efficacy and refinement; the offering from the lighting industry was much more traditional, meaning comparisons with more mature technologies were recurrent and under serious consideration at points. However, as time has gone on and products have developed, dimmable integrated LED fixtures were chosen in the final design, aided by French practice Ingelux, which was tasked with the detailed lighting design, allowing for a degree of sustainability that exceed the most stringent energy policies. The outdoor pond and glass sail lighting however, was designed using more conventional fixtures but in a creative and subtle way - either concealed or sometimes voluntarily and blatantly exposed.

The lighting in the galleries and various public spaces needed to be of the highest level of energy efficiency while maintaining excellent colour renditions. A broad range of fixtures were considered and tested for the gallery spaces, evaluating intensity, colour rendering, uniformity, contrast ratio, room cavity ratio, daylight harvesting, energy use and all associated control systems. The fixtures used in the galleries are extremely practical – a system that offers both a base uniform and smooth light level over the vertical surfaces and complemented by an additional layer of more focused lighting, offering extra accentuations when and where needed. Developed by L’Observatoire International and the Gehry team over a number of years, they call it the ‘powerbar’ – it has many incarnations and allows for gallery fixtures to be installed via a clamp mechanism on a bar that is suspended from a single point in the ceiling. When not in use, the bar can be removed and the point in the ceiling closed up with a trim plate. The points also serve as structural hanging points for gallery installation purposes.

The complexity of the project was increased as very little was known in terms of the curatorial experience and so a flexible system was required – one that would allow for versatile exhibition content.

Another challenge faced by Descottes and his team was designing lighting for completely off the charts spaces with room proportions and shapes rarely seen or studied before, with the integration of lighting. Both inside and out, Descottes has struck a balance between integrating the fixtures into the architecture and complementing Gehry’s precise revelation of structural and material elements.

The warm light from within highlights the astonishing architectural detail of both the central core and the sweeping sails wrapped around it, while never losing a sense of the structure as a singular, holistic entity.

Descottes’ elegant lighting design gives this monumental structure buoyancy and movement, as light from the reflecting pool dapples the billowing glass sails that weave around La Fondation’s prow, drawing it westward to the Arc de Triomphe. Floating, ark-like amidst the green, the luminosity of La Fondation provides it with an arresting sense of ethereal grace.

“La Fondation Louis Vuitton opens an exciting new cultural chapter for Paris,” states Arnault. “It brings the city a new space devoted to art – especially contemporary art – and above all a place for meaningful exchanges between artists and visitors from Paris, from France, and from the entire world. By encouraging spontaneous dialogue, the new Fondation seeks to inspire both emotion and contemplation.”

www.foga.com

www.lobsintl.com

by dbell

Fondazione Prada, Italy

The new Milan venue of Fondazione Prada, conceived by architectural firm OMA and led by Rem Koolhaas, expands the repertoire of spatial typologies in which art can be exhibited and shared with the public. Characterised by an articulated architectural configuration, which combines seven existing buildings with three new structures: Podium, Cinema and Tower, the new venue sees a gin distillery dating back to the beginning of the 20th Century restored and transformed.

The expansive project came with two conditions – preservation of the existing building and the creation of new architecture, which although separate - confront each other in a state of permanent interaction. Located in Largo Isarco, in the south of Milan, the compound covers an overall surface of 19,000m². Working alongside OMA, lighting practice Les éclaireurs was responsible for the lighting throughout, providing a flexible and powerful tool for Fondazione Prada to exhibit modern and contemporary art pieces.

For the renovated elements there was a strong desire to retain traces of the intervention and restoration that took place and so reinforcement beams have been exposed and painted with contrasting colours; the plaster refection has been left raw; and breakthroughs and doors are clearly identifiable through the use of brushed aluminium and large windows. Haunted House, a permanent exhibition in the space, takes up a four level section of the renovated distillery. Designed with gold leaf cladding it displays masterpieces from the Fondazione Prada collection and required complete concealment of all technical equipment. Lighting was realised by three phase tracks featuring ERCO Parscan 24W spotlights - used with wide flood distribution to achieve uniform ambient lighting in the exhibition spaces, while ERCO Parscan 12W with spot and flood lenses allow the exhibits to come to the foreground of attention. The minimalist design of the grey Parscan spotlights blends unobtrusively into the structural steel work of the existing building, directing the focus entirely on the illuminated exhibits. The flanking galleries feature Parscan 12W spotlights and 12W lens wall washers for perfectly uniform illumination of the paintings, emphasising their expressive colours.

As well as delivering the building lighting, Les éclaireurs designed and commissioned the lighting of one of the opening exhibitions - Serial Classic, which focuses on classic sculpture and takes place in the Podium and Beam spaces. The Podium forms the central museum section and features glass facades on three sides; the lighting presents the statues in a mineral and artificial landscape composed of marble-travertine slabs laid on transparent acrylic slides. The lighting had to present the sculptures at every angle and seeks to avoid imposed views on the meaning or aesthetics of them. The sculptures are illuminated to minimise shadows and provide a complete reading of the details. Directions of light are specifically designed to reduce the shadows and allow light to penetrate into the sculptural volumes. ERCO Optec contour spotlights and Pantrac lens wall washers are combined in the space to deliver superb professional LED lighting tools. Parscan 12W with Spherolit lens with spot and flood distributions complement the Parscan 4W with narrow spots to illuminate and accentuate the ancient masterpieces, bringing out even the finest of details for a three-dimensional effect that is delivered with absolute photometric precision.

On the first level of the Podium, Pantrac LED lens wall washers 24W, 4,000K, illuminate the wall surfaces in a uniform manner in neutral white light resembling daylight a lighting concept that produces a wide and spacious impression of the room.

The exhibition that takes place in the Beam space is more didactic and attempts to show techniques of copying and the differences between originals and copies, using video mapping on a block of marble to illustrate this.

The Cinema acts as a mirror to the Podium; with its stainless steel mirrored façade it multiplies the Podium, extending its outlines. Inside, the room is lined with black carpet – a nod to the 1970s from OMA and Prada – while a large chandelier dominates the entrance hall and fluorescent lighting, slipped under a perforated, folded metal mesh, creates a strong welcome sign, extending into the room. The lighting features Zumtobel Linaria with T5 seamless fluorescent lines, positioned between the metal beams of the ceiling with alternate beams forming black and white stripes on the ceiling of the cinema. Steel bars complete the system between each fluorescent line in order to be able to fix stage projectors and allow for different stage configurations. Zumtobel Linaria are also used for the Podium ceiling, general corridors and toilets, while Zumtobel ZE with T5 fluorescents, under PMMA grey cores are attached to the curved ceiling of the foyer.

Robert Juliat ZEP 340LFWW fresnel projectors with 150W LED have been specified for the exhibitions in the Great Hall, the Tank and the Cinema, along with Robert Juliat TIBO 533WW profile projectors with 150W LEDs. At almost 70m long and 20m high, the Great Hall is a huge space dedicated to monumental exhibitions and events. Having been partly dismantled for the construction of the tower, its structure has been reinforced by visible steel beams that have been painted orange. The Tank, which faces the Great Hall consists of three exhibition spaces each 15m in height and a totally transformed eastern façade, with the addition of balconies and large contemporary windows. In both buildings lighting is achieved through stage projectors fixed onto a special cable tray system with a continuous scenic bar; RJ45 and power sockets allow for multiple configurations to be performed. General lighting for mounting and cleaning is delivered through high-power asymmetrical floodlights that are wall mounted.

The original north and south galleries have been subtlety rehabilitated while leaving the structural reinforcements exposed. A series of clean rooms in raw and industrial atmospheres hosting the temporary exhibitions have therefore been created. The existing lighting with T26 fluorescent lines on the trunking system has been removed and replaced with identical equipment but now featuring DALI ballast allowing for individual dimming. Three phase tracks for installing exhibition projectors were added alongside the fluorescent lines - again, working with lighting and general lighting enhancements of works with the use of spotlights. The venue is equipped with intensive and semi-intensive LED spotlights, a number of LED profile projectors and wall washer lighting for artwork on entire sections of walls, all from ERCO.

For such vast lighting design, a powerful centralised management system was required. Les éclaireurs designed a complete DALI management system, including execution studies: DALI relay, dimmers, management for single lights and so on, with multiple lighting scenarios made for each space. A heliometer analyses the amount of sunshine and sky typology there is and automatically switches between different lighting scenarios: sunny, day, cloudy day, dusk, twilight, night, building closure. A wireless touchpad allows for control at any point with wall panels dedicated to each space.

For the main exhibition spaces, lighting is reconfigurable via a graphic interface again designed by Les éclaireurs. It allows the user to select the fixtures one by one, in groups, or individually to graduate as they please.

Moving outside of the space, the exterior sections between the individual buildings of the complex are illuminated using warm white light. Beamer projectors in 36W from ERCO with flood distributions set off the paved pathways, with the special outdoor floodlights of ERCO’s Lightscan range providing lighting for the ground around the entrance areas. Excellent glare control from the ERCO outdoor luminaires ensures a high level of visual comfort and makes sure that the light shines precisely when needed.

This once abandoned industrial space has become a popular environment for artists to display their work, with its predictable conditions non-conflicting with the artists’ intentions, merely enlivened occasionally with exceptional architectural gestures. Not a preservation project and not new architecture, the Fondazione sees two conditions confront one another in a state of permanent interaction – offering an ensemble of fragments that do not congeal into a single image or allow any part to dominate others.

www.oma.eu

www.leseclaireurs.net

Pics: Bas Princen, Courtesy of Fondazione Prada

by dbell