Griven GoboLED 7 - Pro Unlimited Outdoor Image Creation
Brighter than a traditional 575W discharge lamp and packed with multiple effects and patterns, GoboLED 7-Pro will offer broad creative design integration for permanent exterior installations projecting a bright and accurate rendition of graphic designs or logos in outdoor and indoor locations.
LED Luks Plain
The Plain LED suspended luminaire, designed by Kai Piippo of ÅF Lighting, produces a medium beam downlight, a wide beam uplight and achieves up to 135lm/W. Being one of the early adopters of Sunlike LEDs from Seoul Semiconductor, it delivers light close to the sunlight spectrum with CRI97.
The Paranormal Unicorn
There’s a new name in the lighting world that is fast gaining recognition for its innovative approach to design, and for the variety of projects that already fill its extensive portfolio. And it’s a name that sticks in the mind.
Founded in 2011 by Austrian-American art student Stefan Yazzie Herbert, The Paranormal Unicorn describes itself as an ‘audio-visual artist collective’ that specialises in stage and lighting design. Based in Vienna, Austria, the firm originally began as a platform for Herbert and two friends, carpenter Benni Frener and Philipp Gantioler to launch a prospective music career.
“We were hobby DJs who wanted a cool stage show for ourselves, so we made our very first project together: Stage One,” explained Herbert. “After quickly realising that nobody really wanted to book us as DJs but they still wanted the stage, we started renting it out to raves and festivals. As we got to know people in the industry, we were asked to do more and more commissioned work.”
Now, Herbert runs The Paranormal Unicorn with current business partner Dominik Hell-Weltzl, and over the years the company’s skill set has expanded to include video and content production. Though Herbert says that their passion is still rooted in light and stage design: “That’s where we shine – no pun intended.”
Herbert’s fascination with light began while helping out friends at design studio Neon Golden on an installation at Viennese club ‘Grelle Forelle’ during his studies at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. “During that project they taught me how to solder, how dimmers work and gave me a rough understanding of electronics,” he said.
“Later, after the success of Stage One, people started to know me as ‘the LED guy’, so lights and projects associated with light seemed to follow me. The more I worked with the medium, the more I fell in love with it.
“I had previously done quite a bit of work as a VJ but once I started working with LEDs, my passion for projected light fell by the wayside. The intensity and emotion of emitted light was much more powerful to me than what projected light could ever give.”
Since the inception of The Paranormal Unicorn, Herbert has been very open about his relative lack of experience in the lighting world, but he’s always keen to improve his knowledge through working with others. While this approach brings with it an element of risk, Herbert believes that such risk is the only way to truly reach the next level.
“Every time anybody wants to do something never done before, it’s a risky move,” he said. “And besides, if I knew exactly how to do everything already, life would be boring. Every new project is a learning experience – at least, the fun ones are – and for several of the more complicated projects I’ve worked on, I don’t think there’s anybody in the world who would have known exactly how to handle it.
“Throughout my career I’ve taken on projects that others perhaps wouldn’t have. It’s scary doing something bigger or more complicated than you’ve ever worked on before, but if it takes you to the next level, it’s almost always worth it. Sure, it’s risky and I’ve taken a black eye or two when I’ve underestimated the breadth of the project, but if I could do it all again, I would still rather take the black eye than turn down an amazing opportunity.”
Herbert’s notion that you “don’t need to be an expert in order to make things happen” is a refreshing approach, but he feels that by accepting your own limitations, it allows you to develop your skills and progress further.
“Embracing your own ignorance gives you the power to find people who are better than you in that specific field, and that improves the quality of a project,” he explained. “I constantly try to surround myself with smarter and more experienced people. Knowing the extent of your own skills is paramount. If you overestimate yourself, the project will ultimately always suffer from it.”
Indeed this collaborative element of his work is something that Herbert wants to see more of in the lighting world. “I hope to see more collaboration between fields,” he said. “As a society we are tending more towards specialisation but in my opinion, the most fascinating innovations are happening where multiple areas of expertise overlap.
“All of the technological inventions that are currently being hyped, like smart lighting and wireless technology aren’t really changing the aesthetics of lighting that much. Interconnectivity between people is more important than between devices.”
While The Paranormal Unicorn has often taken on jobs without knowing how to complete them, Herbert believes that this constant drive to find new projects in new areas helps make them unique. “What really makes our company stand out is that we aren’t afraid to try out new things, and really enjoy working in new fields,” he said.
“We’ve forayed into unknown territory so often at this point that we’ve become quite good at learning new workflows and interfacing with new teams. We never shy away from a challenge, and we’re always excited to see what’s going to come next.”
By venturing into the unknown throughout their tenure, The Paranormal Unicorn has landed a number of really fascinating projects, including light art installations, music video productions and stage designs for festivals and touring musicians. There are two projects though that, for Herbert at least, stand out among the others: “From an artistic standpoint, Hidden Noise is by far my favourite project that I’ve created, and Gravitas was the most fun from a teamwork perspective because it involved so many different fields of expertise.”
The Hidden Noise project, created in 2014, was one born out of necessity for Herbert. A failing university student, his professors had voted to kick him off his course, but after being granted one last chance, he needed a good idea to keep him in school.
Luckily, inspiration came to him during a workshop with Christina Kubisch, where he was given ‘electro-magnetic transducer headphones’ to work with. These devices could sense the environment for anything that used electro-magnetic waves (Wi-Fi, motors, lights, etc.) and convert those waves into audio signals. It was here where inspiration struck.
“My classmate David Osthoff and I loved this idea of an entirely new world that was constantly around us but that we couldn’t see,” Herbert said. “We wanted to visualise it in a way that immediately made sense to the viewer. So we created a technique using the transducer, an LED stick, a photo camera and a video camera that made it possible to ‘show’ this hidden world by visualising these audio waves.
“All of a sudden, you could see the hidden processes around us in plain sight. Subways starting and stopping, car motors zipping by, power lines humming all became suddenly visible. There is no judgement in the art piece, though it is intended to cause awareness about the ubiquity of this hidden noise around us.”
Hidden Noise is a remarkable, visually stunning art installation, and since its creation, it has been exhibited in Austria, China and Cuba. The reception it received meant that Herbert was ultimately not kicked out of university, although he revealed that he did later drop out anyway.
Herbert’s second favourite project, Gravitas, was something altogether much more high-octane. Following their work with Austrian drum and bass artists Camo & Krooked on their 2014 Zeitgeist European tour, in which The Paranormal Unicorn created a full-scale festival production for the show, including integrating its Möbius stage element, Herbert teamed up with the musicians, and the Red Bull Skydive team, for a very special music video that literally lit up the sky.
For the music video, The Paranormal Unicorn was approached by Red Bull to create a portable lighting system that had all the functionality needed for a full-colour, synchronised light show, while simultaneously being able to stand the wear-and-tear of skydiving.
“It was a perfect project for me because it encompassed so many different fields,” explained Herbert. “First off was the choreography. Because the Red Bull Skydiving team didn’t know anything about light, and I didn’t know anything about skydiving, we had to work together to develop a choreography that utilised the best of both worlds.”
After receiving the song to base the programming on, The Paranormal Unicorn worked closely with the skydiving team in order to come up with an interesting show that would showcase both their abilities as athletes and realise the full potential of the lighting system that they had created.
The technical aspect of the project provided the most difficult challenge though. Building a system that worked perfectly from a 4,000-metre jump all the way to the floor was no easy feat, thanks to a myriad of factors that they never had to consider before, like pressure, altitude and temperature. Alongside this, everything had to be wireless, and work with small batteries so that the enclosure for electronics weighed as little as possible.
After climbing to the required height, the jumpers synchronised their suits in the plane via remote control. All jumpers had earplugs so that they could stay synchronised and maintain awareness of what part of the choreography they were in.
Once the signal was given, the four athletes jumped out of the plane, followed by the cameraman, who had a 5kg camera attached to his head. The jumpers went through their choreography and then landed on an LED landing strip, also prepared by The Paranormal Unicorn. Because several angles were used in the video, the scene was repeated five times in total. “The weather didn’t always agree with us and we had to cancel a few jumps, but through thick and thin, we pulled through,” Herbert said.
“For me, what really made this project so much fun was the creative reign that I was given by Red Bull. They let me film, edit and direct the final video as well. We partnered with our friends at Frame Fatale for the post-production process and created something that we could all be proud of.
“Having knowledge about all of the different aspects involved in making a project like this is what made it work in the end. It’s projects like these that make me want to keep learning and innovating.”
The work that Herbert has done with The Paranormal Unicorn means that he could be classed as a ‘Light Artist’, rather than a lighting designer. However, while art and design are closely related, if he had to put a label on it at all, he seems himself as more of a designer.
“I have definitely created art in the past and continue to do so on occasion, but most of my creations are firmly in the realm of design,” he said. “But the label I give myself depends on the work I am currently doing. Sometimes I am a lighting designer, sometimes I’m a light artist, but I have donned the mantel of lighting technician, creative director, technical project manager and even lighting consultant.”
Whatever his title, Herbert is keen to take The Paranormal Unicorn further in the future, and while his profile has been boosted over the past twelve months, from speaking at the inaugural Trends in Lighting event, to hosting his own talk at TEDx Dornbirn, in which he designed his own stage, he’s still unsure what the future holds.
“I wish I knew! This year we’ve already had amazing opportunities to start working in a few new industries, from set design to product development,” he said.
“What is more fascinating to me though is the unknown. There are so many industries that are a complete mystery to me and I imagine that the next few years will be doing our best to see what industries could benefit from using light in crazy and innovative new ways.”
Indeed this quest for innovation is a driving factor for Herbert, who gets fairly philosophical on the subject: “I really believe in true innovation, completely new fields of thinking,” he said. “I want to use technology in order to create new ideas, try out things never done before, and to do it beautifully, aesthetically. If I can come up with one truly new idea before I die, in the world of lighting or otherwise, I can die in peace.”
But aside from his approach to lighting design, and what the future holds for The Paranormal Unicorn, there’s only really one question left to ask: where does the name come from?
“The Paranormal Unicorn doesn’t really mean anything, and none of us can really remember how it came about,” Herbert said, “but it does represent us quite well. It’s childish, fanciful and fun.
“We don’t take ourselves too seriously and we hope nobody else does either!”
Martin Klaasen
Words: Robert Such
Throughout his long and distinguished career, lighting designer Martin Klaasen has been involved in a long list of iconic projects in Asia and Australia as well as being at the forefront of lighting education in the region.
In the lighting business for almost 40 years, Martin Klaasen, Principal at Klaasen Lighting Design (KLD), traces his ability to manage the ups and downs of his career to the influence of a number of people. Making the top of the list though is his grandmother: Geneviève Dreyfus-Sée. An architect in France, as well as a writer and educator, she has been Klaasen’s biggest inspiration.
“What I most admired in her,” says Klaasen, “was her perseverance, belief in herself and her independence. She did not care what people thought of her, whether she was successful or not. She studied and wrote about the history of architecture because she was passionate about it. She wrote about her experiences bringing up her children during the war, wrote children’s books to share the stories she taught her children, because she believed in it and just wanted to share it.”
And over the past 26 years as his own boss, Klaasen’s own “persistence and belief have always kept me going,” he says. And passion, too. “While I was passionate creating beautiful lighting projects at the beginning of my career, I am now passionate about sharing my knowledge with the new generation,” he says. It is this passion that motivates Klaasen to blog, write articles, and speak at lighting event seminars about “how lighting can be used to improve and look after the world we live in,” he says.
His own contribution to doing that is made through projects mostly in the area of hospitality, commercial, corporate and public building lighting and residential urban developments. “Good lighting design contributes to more comfortable and pleasant environments, easier way-finding, and beautification of the cities we live in,” he says. “Most of all it is the way we achieve it through our sustainable approach, minimising energy consumption, capital and operational costs. Added value creation through good lighting design.”
Over the years, other people have influenced the direction of the award-winning lighting designer’s life and career, too. “Of course I do admire groundbreakers like Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Philippe Starck,” he says, “but they are not the essential motivators in my life.”
Gerrit van den Beld was, however, such a person. Van den Beld was his boss and mentor at Philips. He taught Klaasen how to pace himself and “how to take things one at a time, sleep on problems rather than react emotionally,” he says. “He was instrumental in forming my lighting design personality.”
Klaasen worked at Philips after graduating with a master’s degree in Industrial Design from the Technische Hogeschool in Delft in The Netherlands. “As I like building and creating things,” he says, “I settled on industrial product design…Industrial design teaches you the process of design, from concept to realisation and till today it has been the foundation of my successful career.”
When Klaasen finished his studies he started to look for a job at Philips, where he had completed his final master’s degree project, which was “designing an intelligent washing machine that could read the laundry and decide the washing program by itself,” he says.
Among the job opportunities on offer to him was one of lighting designer at the Philips Lighting Design and Engineering Centre in Eindhoven.
“I was immediately fascinated by this group of people,” he says, “designing the lighting for Olympic Games, big commercial hotel developments and so much more. I decided there and then on the spot to take this exciting job and never looked back.”
Also making Klaasen’s list of people that have had the greatest influence on his lighting career is American businessman and author Robert Kiyosaki. “He gave me insight on becoming more business savvy,” says Klaasen. “Good designers are not necessarily good business people and I certainly was not when I started my business.”
Klaasen started his own business in 1991, after moving to Singapore in the late 1980s for Philips, who had tasked him to “set up what at the time was called the Support Centre for Professional Lighting in Singapore,” he says.
Experiences and events that eventually motivated Klaasen to leave Philips were an uncertain future at the company and meeting lighting designers Tony Corbett of Anthony Corbett Associates and BAA’s Barry Arnold.
It was only when Klaasen arrived in Singapore and met Tony Corbett did he realise “there was such a thing like an independent lighting designer,” he says. “Inside my protected corporate Philips cocoon, I basically only knew of Philips product and was limited to using their products to design anyhow.”
By 1990 Klaasen’s job future at Philips was uncertain as the company “was going through severe restructuring,” he says. At that time, though, American lighting designer Barry Arnold asked Klaasen whether he was interested in joining him. Intrigued, and because he had been thinking about starting his own practice due to his uncertain future with Philips, he decided to leave the company. However, not to work as an employee of Barry Arnold, but “in a cooperation with my own company [Lumino Design International] which I incorporated for that purpose,” he says.
Things didn’t work out though. Conflicting ideas about how they would be working together meant that Klaasen left shortly after.
Working from home, a few projects that Philips had passed on to him, such as the Sheraton Senggigi Resort in Lombok and the Melia Purosani Hotel in Yogyakarta in Indonesia, and The Raffles Hotel in Singapore, which was in its final stages, kept him going for the first few months.
The company expanded through the 1990s, but the financial crisis in the latter part of the decade drove Klaasen to set up in Perth, Australia, where he bought a stake in a local firm, Lighting Images, eventually taking it over in 2000.
Lighting projects in Perth included the Burswood International Casino’s Main Entrance and Gaming Hall, and the Riverside Drive and Foreshore along the Swan River. Both projects won later IES Australia and New Zealand Lighting Awards.
In 2010 Klaasen decided to sell his stake in Lighting Images—“I could no longer identify myself with the direction we were going, quantity over quality of design, so I wanted to regain full control about the artistic and creative quality of our work towards our client,” he says—and rebranded himself as Klaasen Lighting Design, opening for business at the start of 2011.
Since then KLD’s lighting design work has included the Mandarin Oriental Majapahit Hotel Surabaya; the Eastern & Oriental Hotel Penang in Malaysia; His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth; the Atlas Bar at Parkview Square Singapore, and the recently completed Alila Yangshuo Hotel and Resort project in China.
Having been in the lighting business for so long now means that “lighting has gradually become an integral part of my life,” says Klaasen. “I live and breathe lighting and lighting design now. It is a constant in my life. Certainly, as a business owner you need to have a constant eye out for opportunities, to be alert to trends and technology advances, look and learn from what others are doing. This is not a nine-to-five activity. It is a permanent and continuous part of life. We learn from others, good and bad. Over time you learn to appreciate what others do or learn from what they failed to do. It motivates and inspires me to do better.”
Paul Traynor
arc talks to lighting designer Paul Traynor, principal of London-based Light Bureau which has just merged with Scandinavian lighting design consultancy, ÅF Lighting.
How did you get into lighting design?
During an apprenticeship in the project design office for Pfizer in Kent I was working at a drawing board draughting record plans of a project I helped to install. It was the first environment I’d been exposed to where people were trained and educated professionals and I saw there was another future open to me. It made me realise I could pursue formal education if I wanted and I applied to Medway College of Design to do a photography diploma. The course was full and I was told to apply next year, so I moved to London and traded on my draughtsman’s skills, working for good money in construction firms. I developed design skills and it was a really interesting time, so I didn’t re-apply to Medway. I was then recruited above my skill level in a consulting engineering practice and then I got to experiment in lighting and I was hooked. I went to work in an architect-led multidisciplinary office to focus on and develop my specialism and decided to get a decent qualification, so I studied for a four year part-time degree at South Bank University.
When and how did you start Light Bureau?
In 1998 I was due to get married and as I worked in the same firm as my fiancée, I chose to leave and to see how I could cut it in a dedicated lighting firm instead of being a specialist in a generalist office. I had some good options but only one company talked to me about career development and I went there, but it was design and supply so I had new barriers to working with some clients and architects and that frustrated me. I couldn’t see any point warming up contacts at the firms I had spoken to ten months previously, they still wouldn’t be talking to me about long term opportunities, so I decided to chance it myself. All of the projects I was working on were clients I had brought myself and I was promised more if I took the big step of self-employment. My first day in February 1999 I started work on Accenture’s new headquarters in London - not bad for a fledgling one man band!
Name some of your memorable projects. Why do they resonate?
Apple Computer, Stockley Park because that’s where I negotiated out of a bad design solution that the architect was insisting on to a better one I could foresee. It was difficult and stressful but the result was better than I had imagined and the architect and client were very happy. Until they told me I had been right it never occurred to me what the implications would have been if I had been wrong! Boots the Chemist at Bluewater on the other hand was a disaster - I was not so experienced in retail and I underestimated how much ambient and nuisance light would reduce the visual impact of a feature wall I designed. A more recent notable project would be the Yellow Pavilion, which was ephemeral but which embodies key principles that Light Bureau upholds - it’s simple, visually strong, uses very few products and they are discrete, and throughout the whole process we validated and curated. As we say, Light as Craft.
How did the ÅF Lighting deal come about?
My good friend Kai Piippo and I started our companies about the same time and we met in Prague on an early ELDA AGM and bonded on an intensive ‘cultural’ weekend. Since then we’ve compared stresses and problems, which is common with people who start a design firm with no aptitude (or desire) in running a business. I was shocked when Kai sold to ÅF but every time I saw him after that he was looking increasingly relaxed and fulfilled - he was working on great projects and getting them done because he had the support and structure that our businesses tend to lack, led as they are by designers, not by business people. When ÅF decided to step outside Scandinavia and go international, they put the pin in London and Kai made an intro. Nineteen years after starting Light Bureau I was ready to become part of something significant and all of my colleagues saw even more benefits than I did, so it’s been a unanimous and inclusive process.
How do you think being part of ÅF will benefit both companies?
ÅF wanted to become truly international, although they had a lot of that happening already. Light Bureau has always done a significant amount of overseas projects so that was a good fit. With ÅF, Light Bureau gets access to some incredible specialisms and some substantial resources; we’ve missed opportunities in the past by lacking some areas of expertise or reference projects and now we have access to more than 100 designers and a massive and impressive portfolio. ÅF really value the quality of Light Bureau projects and how we work, there are some really good synergies and from signing the contract in October it’s been positive and very big-picture. The enthusiasm and drive are very infectious qualities.
Will your role be changing?
I will continue to run Light Bureau and we will carry on trading under this name, as it seems to have significant meaning and value. We’ve spent a long time building our brand and reputation. I make no secret of the fact I am under contract for three years during which time I’ll earn-out, but after that I fully expect to stay on and negotiate a new contract and continue. But as part of ÅF the remit expands and I am part of the advisory board as it’s called and will work on strategies for developing the profile and business for the whole of ÅF Lighting, not just Light Bureau, also on training and education for our designers - we are developing our own ÅF Academy, which really motivates me.
Do you think mergers of lighting design practices is something we’ll see more of?
Yes, I think so. Lighting has become a very interesting aspect of construction design and bigger firms who previously only focused on their core activities of, typically, consulting engineering and architecture now see the real value that a well-realised lighting deign can bring to a project. It brings prestige to such a company and they want to be able to provide this service as part of their overall business offer. Lighting design does suit a small business profile and is scalable, from one person at a kitchen table, but when you hit double digit designer numbers and into the teens, there’s usually a lack of structure that makes up-scaling difficult. So I think that mergers and acquisitions like this could become more common.
Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE
Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel with lighting design by 8’18” and daylighting by BuroHappold, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has created a buzz of excitement since opening in November. For once, the reality has lived up to the hype.
Rarely has the opening of a museum created as much excitement among the international media as the Louvre Abu Dhabi. The project has garnered as many column inches in the popular press as it has in the architectural media. And with good reason. The museum has met with critical acclaim for its stunning design and dynamic lighting, both artificial and natural.
Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel sought inspiration for the concept of Louvre Abu Dhabi in traditional Arabic architectural culture, and designed Louvre Abu Dhabi as a ‘museum city’ in the sea. Its contrasting series of white buildings take inspiration from the medina and low-lying Arab settlements. In total, 55 individual but connected buildings, including 26 galleries, make up this museum city. The façades of the buildings are made up of 3,900 panels of ultra-high performance fibre concrete (UHPC).
The museum design is a collaboration between traditional design and modern construction techniques. The tranquil environment encourages visitors to enjoy the ever-changing relationship between the sun and the dome and between sea, buildings and land.
The construction of the museum took place from 2013 to 2017. The museum’s growing collection of more than 620 important artworks and artefacts spanning the entirety of human history around the world. It includes ancient archaeological finds, decorative arts, neoclassical sculptures, paintings by modern masters and contemporary installations. At opening, 235 works from the museum’s own collection are displayed in the galleries.
Louvre Abu Dhabi was born from a unique intergovernmental agreement between the United Arab Emirates and France, signed in 2007.
The agreement embodies a vision shared by the two countries to develop the first universal museum in the Arab world. It establishes Louvre Abu Dhabi as an independent institution, and includes the use of musée du Louvre’s name for 30 years.
The lighting design was completed by French practice 8’18” headed by Rémy Cimadevilla and Georges Berne, who is based in the 8’18” Shanghai studio. They worked closely with Jean Nouvel (who also independently developed the Luxiona Troll Paralum fixture for the project) on the lighting concept and, in the case of the of the vast dome, 180 metres in diameter covering the majority of the museum city, they collaborated with Yann Kersale (SNAIK) on the artificial lighting sheme using 4,500 Zumtobel fluorescent fixtures.
“We feel its mass and we perceive a vision of thousands of broken lines,” commented Cimadevilla. “When the museum is closed to the public, the dome radiates an exterior glow from within. It creates a kinetic effect by the movement of the lights - the dome flickers. The fixtures create a multitude of dynamic splashes in hot and cold white.”
The dome consists of eight different layers: four outer layers clad in stainless steel and four inner layers clad in aluminium, separated by a steel frame five metres high. The frame is made of 10,000 structural components pre-assembled into 85 super-sized elements, each weighing on average 50 tonnes.
The dome’s complex pattern is the result of a highly studied geometric design by BuroHappold. The pattern is repeated at various sizes and angles in the eight superimposed layers. Each ray of light penetrates the eight layers before appearing or disappearing. The result is a cinematic ‘Rain of Light’ dappled effect as the sun’s path progresses throughout the day. At night, it forms 7,850 stars visible from both inside and out. This ‘Rain of Light’ effect has been the subject of many models and mock ups over the years and is one of the defining features of the concept.
The effect is effortless in its beauty, but it took bold, imaginative and ingenious engineering to allow the sun into the museum galleries while protecting the priceless artworks inside.
Working in tandem with Jean Nouvel, the BuroHappold team evaluated a number of concepts by which to bring the element of water into the building, finally settling on the inclusion of tidal pools that reflect the light that filters through the glazed roof in dappled patterns on the interior walls, creating gentle movement that correlates and responds to the museum’s unique natural setting.
Filtered natural light is present in all the galleries, either from lateral windows with views onto the surrounding environment or through ‘zenithal’ lighting. This involves the use of glass mirrors to capture sunlight and direct it into the gallery spaces while also scattering rays to avoid glare. There are seventeen glass ceilings within the museum galleries. Each is made up of eighteen different types of glass panels. In total, there are over 25,000 individual pieces of glass. These glass ceilings incorporate both natural and artificial lighting to provide an optimal lighting system for the artworks on display.
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s complex engineering concept has made it one of the most innovative and challenging museum projects built in recent times.
To meet stringent environmental control requirements within the museum galleries, the design team developed a system, including the lighting, that does not deviate by more than one degree from 21 degrees centigrade or 5% humidity range. This guarantees exceptionally stable environmental conditions for artworks and visitors.
The interior exhibition spaces, comprising museum galleries, temporary exhibition spaces and Children’s Museum, make up 8,600sqm, with permanent galleries covering approximately 6,400sqm.
In order to avoid the clutter of lighting masts and projectors that would spoil the architecture, 8’18” developed a second layer of light - a virtual window utilising Lucibel cove fixtures. Based on the built frame, it takes the place of a concrete panel “as if a field of light is hidden behind the walls of the museum,” muses Cimadevilla. “This abstract light, slightly unreal, is designed with hidden sources with specific optics. We called this the ‘Lico’ specific light window.”
“It’s an abbreviation of Lighting cove,” says Berne. “It is flexible in its dimensions in height with a width up to six metres. Its purpose is to bring a vertical lighting of atmosphere in the spaces under the dome, the circulations areas, the reception and all the public spaces.”
The third layer of light to the galleries has been dubbed the ‘flying carpets’. Horizontal windows of direct / indirect lighting (supplied by Firalux) and Artemide Cata Lens projectors create flexible solutions for each gallery depending on the requirements of the exhibits.
“Neutral white fluorescent wallwashers [from ERCO] are installed at the periphery,” describes Cimadevilla. “Then, the warm white projectors [from Artemide] are installed in the frame of the carpet of light. Finally, the ceiling lighting is completed with general indirect/ sdirect lighting [from Firalux] in cold white revealing the texture of the different exhibits.”
Louvre Abu Dhabi is destined to be a culturally iconic piece of architecture that will transform the image (and the visitor numbers) of the UAE’s second biggest city, much like the Guggenheim has done for Bilbao. Even if you are not an art lover, you cannot fail to enjoy the building... and the light.
www.8-18lumiere.com
www.burohappold.com
www.jeannouvel.com
David Morgan Review: Soraa ARC range
David Morgan takes a closer look at the ARC accent range from Soraa, a new line of luminaires built around its LED engines and optics.
Only nine years after Soraa was originally set up to commercialise the production of white LEDs based on Gallium Nitride on Gallium Nitride (GaN on GaN) LED technology, the company has now launched a range of luminaires incorporating their LED light sources and light control components.
The Soraa story started in 2007 as a team of pioneering professors from the worlds of engineering and semiconductors – Nobel Prize winner Dr Shuji Nakamura, inventor of the blue laser and LED, Dr Steven DenBaars, founder of Nitres, and Dr James Speck of U.C. Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering – came together with funding from Vinod Khosla to develop and commercialise GaN on GaN technology for LED lighting.
In the short period since Soraa was formed, the company has been very successful at creating awareness and demand for the superior light quality of their retrofit lamps and light engines that give a lit effect very close to halogen lamps.
Soraa is now a recognised and established supplier of high quality retrofit LED lamps and concentrates its marketing activity on lighting professionals to specify Soraa for retail, hospitality, gallery and premium residential projects.
Having launched the company and demonstrated that the GaN on GaN technology works well, Soraa has now decided to go beyond providing light sources and has developed a range of luminaires built around its LED engines and optics.
The initial offering includes a limited variety of both ambient and accent lighting luminaires. The Soraa ARC accent range, which I am reviewing here, includes spotlights, downlights and a double-wire pendant system. Two sizes are available, based around the diameters of the Soraa MR16 and AR111 light sources. All the existing Snap beam shaping, colour temperature adjustment and glare control accessories can be used with the versions fitted with the Snap 10-degree lenses.
In terms of light quality, output and lit effect there are no big surprises from these products since the various luminaires incorporate the same light sources and folded prism optics used in the Soraa retrofit lamps and light engines. The light quality is as close to halogen as I have seen from any LED source and the lighting specifiers I work with all have good things to say about the lit effect of Soraa lamps.
The range is modular so that the same heat sink casting, light engine and Snap accessories are used on all products of that diameter. The heat sink is a nice quality die cast aluminium component instead of the machined extrusion provided with the Soraa light engines and the size has been reduced to the minimum size while still ensuring safe operation of the LED source. The running temperature of the 20-watt 100mm spotlight heat sink was still comfortable to touch after a few hours. The light output from the smaller size light engine fitted with a 50mm lens is 1,000 lumens at 18 watts, except for the 10-degree Snap version, which is around twice the level from a Soraa MR16 9-watt lamp.
The European versions of the spotlights incorporate a side-mounted integral mains voltage driver enclosure. They are supplied with a global track adapter, which will fit into a wide range of existing installed tracks, particularly those found in retail applications. Dimming the spotlights at the moment can only be controlled by phase dimmers but it is understood that DALI dimming versions will be available in due course. Clip on anti-glare snoots in both straight and angle-cut types can be fitted to the spotlights after any Snap accessories have been first installed.
The downlights are available in only one size, based on the 50mm light engine, in square and round versions with trimmed and trimless mounting options. Only adjustable angle versions are available at the moment, with a maximum aiming angle of 35-degrees. Downlight and wall-wash trims fit into the housings and are available in four colour finishes including Tangerine, which I assume provides a goldish effect.
The adjustable surface-mounted projectors are supplied in two sizes and are also based on the same light engine sub assembly used for the spotlights and other products. The cylindrical design can be partially recessed into the ceiling, hiding the driver enclosure to create a slim, fully adjustable projector that can angle up to 90-degrees. At the moment, only phase dimming is available for this series.
The pendant versions are also available in two sizes and come as a kit with the driver housed in the ceiling plate and two insulated wires supporting the light engine. It is not clear from the Soraa literature how the length of the cables can be adjusted but I am assured that this happens in the ceiling canopy
The ARC range appears to have been carefully developed to produce the widest range of options using the minimum number of components, which is pragmatic. This results in numerous versions that can be used in a wide variety of lighting applications.
However, the overall design of the individual luminaires has a somewhat bland appearance. Whilst the aim may be to allow the range to be used in a wide variety of applications, in fact it does little to promote the Soraa brand or differentiate it in a crowded display lighting market. Maybe a ‘Soraa Inside’ sticker would help to point out that is not just another spotlight range.
The luminaire market is unlike the light source market and often requires many variations on each theme to match each niche. Both distinctive and vanilla designs for the same type of product are often required from the same brand in order to satisfy specifiers and end-users.
For lighting specifiers who are already familiar with Soraa, recognise the superior light quality and are looking for a simple range of spotlights, then the ARC range may well be suitable. However, I feel that the downlight range will need to be expanded to offer more sizes, higher output and other options in order to make much of a splash in this particular overcrowded market.
The pendants and adjustable luminaires are both fine but are orphan products in need of a wider family.
It is hard to gauge the impact of this product launch on Soraa’s OEM customers who are currently using their integrated light engines. Will these customers continue to invest in developing new products and versions if Soraa has now become a direct competitor in the luminaire market?
The Soraa ARC range is well designed and engineered and is likely to succeed in specific markets but it may be that there is an opportunity to project the Soraa brand more effectively with a more refined and distinctive design. Perhaps that should be the plan for the second generation of Soraa luminaires.
Havenhuis, Belgium
Zaha Hadid Architects merge old and new together in this juxtaposing creation, with lighting designs by Ingenium and Inverse.
Zaha Hadid Architects have renovated and reimagined the new headquarters for the Antwerp Port Authority, the Havenhuis, with an expressive structure. Positioned above a disused, listed fire station, the multi-facetted façade sparkles with reflections of sunlight and the surrounding water. The new structure is commonly referred to as either a diamond or a ship’s hull and provides a fascinating juxtaposition of modern and historic architecture. The mixtures of glass panelling on the exterior of the structure provides a dynamic nature to the architectural merge, emphasising the contrast between the modern glass and the traditional stone box below.
Renowned creators of exceptional design, Zaha Hadid Architects have not disappointed with this feat of architecture and have seamlessly brought together the old and new in this project, transforming the old fire station into a vibrant new workplace for those in the Antwerp Port Authority. The main lobby area of the headquarters is situated in a central courtyard, which has been covered with a glass roof to create an outdoor/indoor room. The fire truck hall now accommodates the library with the lower floors of the new extension connected to the upper floors of the older building through a seamless communicative core, which also holds space for restaurants, meeting rooms and an auditorium. The highest five floors are home to a varied office landscape for approximately 500 employees. With an array of unconventional office fixtures, such as trapezoid shaped desks, curved stairways and angled pillars, it was important for the lighting to fit in a similar vein.
For the internal lighting scheme, Ingenium were brought onto the project back in 2009 through Zaha Hadid Architects and their Belgian design partners, Bureau Bouwtechniek, who earned their place to provide the main technical concepts via an architectural competition. Ingenium’s Project Manager Joost Verstraete discusses the journey taken to input the lighting design and how the concepts were adapted over time to fit the needs of the clients and the building: “The focus of the lighting scheme was to emphasise the architectural experience but also to stay strong to the client’s desires of creating a comfortable working environment throughout the building, which in turn demanded high technical demands and specs for lighting.” Verstraete explains.
“The main challenge was to find a compromise between the high comfort demands of the landlord on one side, and the architectural/aesthetical wishes of the architect on the other side. These were not always complementary. We solved this by having numerous meeting sessions with both parties, in which both sets of demands eventually grew towards each other.”
Despite these challenges and changes they had to work through during the project, they managed to remain strong with their original lighting design and accomplish the final scheme.
Using a combination of multiple fittings, particularly from Multiline with Tridonic LED components, Ingenium designed a scheme that would be able to adapt to the unconventional interior design of the new extension. There were some limitations and small spaces to work with in some areas, and exposed structural beams revealed in the older sections where certain fittings proved difficult to put in place, for example the lighting lines in the circulation zones. On top of this, the team had to devise a design that would be as clean as possible for the suspended ceiling, i.e. ensuring the lighting lines are integrated seamlessly to make room for other elements such as fire detectors, water sprinklers and movement sensors.
Furthermore, the lighting brief also factored in the support of the outside view of the building at night.
Verstraete continues: “All the lighting elements were chosen for their functions that suited the aesthetical demands by the architects, the technical and comfort demands of the landlord and the energy efficiency features. In the end I think we managed to combine aesthetical and technical demands, and that the lighting works very well to accentuate the architectural experience in the way the architects had in mind at the beginning. The only thing that didn’t work out very well in this project was the length of studies taken to complete the design at the beginning.”
Using Multiline, a Belgian luminaire manufacturer, a special solution was developed to create an easily integrated internal lighting system that is a recognisable analogy for the architecture. Utilising Tridonic’s know-how in LED technology, Multiline adapted one of their standard luminaires to fit specifically into this project as part of Ingenium’s lighting design.
Creating an elegant scheme for the internal offices, Ingenium were keen to highlight the structural elements of the magnificent building, whilst in keeping with the elegance of the building and it’s smooth, clean lines. To emphasise the contouring of the rooms, strip lighting was integrated into the ceiling, creating graphic patterns regularly repeated throughout the space.
Stijn Pittomvils, the project manager for Multiline, describes the process: “We have already been very pleased with the LED modules from Tridonic that we use in our standard products. It was therefore never in doubt that we would also use them for the special luminaires for the Havenhuis.” As with many large-scale projects, it is difficult to organise all contributing participants of the design and building to simultaneously coincide with each other. Once the luminaire manufacturers came on board with this project, the ceiling structures had already been determined, thus requiring a specific profile width of 90mm. In total, there was roughly a kilometre of Multiline strip lights equipped with Tridonic LED components that were installed to accommodate the individual room geometries. Due to the complex internal design of the building, it was essential to find a flexible LED system that has the ability to integrate into the individual specifications.
Furthermore, as with many new builds, it is important to consider the impact of energy usage and how it is possible to reduce consumption levels as much as possible. This was high on the agenda for the lighting in the Havenhuis, so presence and ambient light sensors were installed throughout to ensure the light levels are controlled to suit demand at all times. Run through DALI with LED drivers, the sensors are part of a comprehensive sustainability and energy efficiency concept put in place, which in turn received a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating for environmental construction.
Lighting the external façade of this building was left to the capable abilities of Inverse. When discussing the project with Nicola Agresta, Project Manager of Havenhuis, he gave us a detailed look into the journey they went on to create the lighting scheme, “Filip Vermeiren, one the of the Inverse directors who is originally from Antwerp, was asked by Joris Pauwels [Zaha Hadid Project Architect] to provide advice on the lighting layout.”
Inverse was appointed towards the end of the project when the building was near completion, which gave them three months to install and finish their lighting scheme before the official opening deadline on September 22nd, 2016. This proved a major challenge for those at Inverse, limiting several possibilities of integrating lighting. Nevertheless, it did allow them to do extensive testing on an on-site mock up, practicing to create the desired effect on the complicated, irregular glass cladding. Agresta continues: “Since the port authority owns the roads around the harbour and the technical team was very hands on, we had the great opportunity to install lights on lamp posts and shooting over streets. We tested conventional floodlights as well as high-powered narrow beam projectors shooting at the building from a distance to make the multifaceted building sparkle like a mirror ball and mimic the effect of sunlight hitting the building during the day. The mock up gave us a reference point for the brightness the client wanted to achieve, and from there we ran computer simulations to finalise the layout. The mock up also helped to choose which light colour temperature worked best on the building in relation to the surroundings.”
Not only did Inverse have to tackle the limitations of time, they were also widely restricted with their location options for lighting installations, as it was not possible to put any fixtures onto the surface itself, they were merely allowed to use existing street poles surrounding the area. This in itself also proved difficult, as the poles were restricted to holding a certain amount of weight, which reduced the number of lights they could place on each.
The final outcome saw the installation of a combination of fittings from Indelague, Trilux and Zumtobel, to name a few, as well as six Bega floodlights mounted to the roof and 22 on existing poles surrounding the building, resulting in an elegant finish, respectful to the state-of-the-art architecture.
Agresta describes how it took a very different approach to other projects they have worked on in the past: “The process was different, much more intense and with a practical approach. Usually we work on projects that are not built yet and we run calculations, renderings and tests to make sure the final result will achieve specific light levels. For this project, we worked almost in the other direction, starting with a mock up on an existing building to achieve the requested light level and then run the computer simulation to finalise the design. This not only saved us lots of precious time but it was also the perfect approach to convince the client of the correct direction, as a direct visual impression overcomes all renderings and calculation. The client was very hands on and had the power to do things such as mounting lights on street poles, which would normally be very difficult and a long process with a general public authority. For Filip this project was particularly special as it was set in his home town.”
The scale of this project demanded an extreme amount of collaboration; time and effort from everyone involved, from the client, the architect and lighting designers. The final result of lighting this grand structure by Zaha Hadid Architects compliments the detailed construction, bringing it to life in a fantastical way. It is a glimmering beacon of architecture and lighting brilliance that can be seen from afar and will remain as a iconic stamp on the Antwerp landscape.
www.inverselighting.co.uk
www.ingenium.be
Plexal Technology Innovation Centre, UK
Located at Here East in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal’s innovation centre has been given a dynamic, modern and flexible new lighting scheme, courtesy of Cundall Light4.
Cundall has delivered MEP and lighting design for Plexal, the 68,000-sqft innovation centre for technology entrepreneurs and enterprises located at Here East within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Occupying the former broadcast and press centre for the 2012 Olympic Games, Plexal forms part of the London 2012 Olympic Games legacy and is designed to support young and established businesses to work collaboratively as a community in a mini-city.
Inspired by the principles of urban planning, architects Grimshaw developed a design that emulates a cityscape, with mixed-use spaces that lead from a central high street, including public and private spaces, streets, squares and civic areas. Spaces are designed to intersect and weave together, contributing to a sense of community, while each zone has its own distinct identity within the various quarters. The building also comes complete with events spaces, an indoor park and an interactive living wall.
The innovation centre is divided into a ground and first floor layout, where a street mezzanine structure allows open-plan workstation areas to sit above the ground floor’s private offices. Other office spaces are formed using a high-performance ‘kit-of-parts’ Tecno partition system, which can be reconfigured to accommodate expanding and contracting businesses, or to set up new work areas.
The ‘high street’ layout offers a range of quiet and social areas, including Legacy Place, a contemplative place to work, and Monument Square, a bustling entrance for visitors, incorporating high-top flexible hot-desking spaces, a café zone and a 5-metre-high green wall with screens streaming live business data.
Contributing to the wellbeing of Plexal innovators, the centre includes ample community spaces, green areas with indoor planting, and casual environments to wind down or work in a more relaxed atmosphere. Lighting can be programmed to match natural circadian rhythms, and private phone booths dotted along the high street provide respite from the hustle and bustle.
International multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy Cundall previously designed the fit-out of the International Broadcasting Centre, which accommodated more than 10,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists during the Games. Cundall was selected for the Plexal because of its knowledge of the site and for its data centre development expertise. In occupying the former broadcasting centre, Here East (and Plexal) inherited a data and connectivity infrastructure that is unrivalled in Europe.
Steve Cook, Cundall Building Services Partner, said: “This project has seen a clever reuse of an existing space and system, not only creating a major change in use and additional space, but at the same time retaining the majority of the existing systems for the future benefit of the occupants. The finished Plexal HEIC has great daylight penetration, views to the canal, lots of fresh air for occupants and a visually fantastic lighting scheme.”
The lighting design for Plexal needed to match the dynamic nature of the start-up companies that would occupy the space. The offices needed to incorporate modern technology and inspirational new ideas, creating a space where people want to spend time and innovate.
Ashleigh Dolan, Lighting Designer at Cundall Light4, said: “The lighting needed instant flexibility – a start-up, for instance, may require two people one month and 20 people the next as it grows. Flexibility in lighting design is about two key elements, the ability to move the luminaires to where they are needed and the ability to quickly and easily re-programme the lighting controls.”
Cundall Light4 opted for Trilux desk-mounted task lights as they not only focus light where it is needed, but can be moved with the desk as the company grows and reorganises. To support the flexibility of the lighting, integral Passive Infrared Sensors (PIRs) were also specified.
Cundall Light4 specified Osram DALIeco Swarm adapters for the lighting control. The controls are set up with just a screwdriver to select the zone and luminaire group and means that when a start-up company expands they simply need move a wall, desks and desk lamps with no expensive re-wiring or lighting control re-commissioning costs. Plexal is currently Osram’s largest Swarm installation.
The Trilux desk mounted lights were adapted to integrate the Osram Swarm units, which use radio frequency bi-directional communication between the luminaires, sensors and switches.
“The Trilux luminaires have both the style and light qualities which we required for this project. The integrated detectors and simple to use and commission controls gives the end users ultimate flexibility,” added Andrew Bissell, Director of Cundall Light4.
Another special solution designed specifically for this project used the highly energy efficient Trilux Arimo fittings. The usually suspended, clean, pure white, slim LED panels have been adapted to attach to the acoustic rafts in the industrial style areas. The result creates a minimalist, abstract floating appearance, while providing a glare and shadow free planar light.
As well as private office spaces, Plexal’s design features civic spaces, a Makers’ Yard (where rehearsals, events and prototyping can take place), an events stage and Plexal Park, a 200-seat capacity multi-purpose events space, all feeding back to the spine of the building and the central installation.
The simple triangular motif throughout represents the coming together of ideas, which strive to inspire its members to create great things. The streetscape is supplemented by a recognisable formal array of lampposts that help to reconnect these internal spaces back to the community beyond. Pocket ‘parklets’ and planters have been softly lit to supplement the central feature lighting and when night falls, the feeling of the space changes dramatically.
In Makers’ Yard, Cundall Light4 has used standard biodynamic flat-panel lights and acoustic panels to create an abstract factory north light. Taking inspiration from the glazed north lights found in traditional warehouses, flat-panel luminaires from Trilux and Fagerhult hang on an angle adjacent to acoustic fibre board to give the impression the ceiling is open to the sky. The solution is well designed to provide the high illumination levels required for the specialised prototyping and making, while giving the room the feeling of spaciousness.
The adaption and modification of the existing open-plan space within the original broadcasting centre to form flexible and modular office accommodation, meeting rooms and conference facilities called on a number of smart engineering solutions from the Cundall Building Services team, as well as collaborative working.
“Everyone wanted different things with different priorities, so Cundall sketched up numerous options with clear graphic representations showing the advantages and disadvantages of each engineering solution,” added Cook. “This allowed all parties to understand and buy into a common consensus.”
ING Bank, UK
The new interior lighting design for the ING Bank UK London office, designed by Nulty, blends the old and the new, bringing a modern flair, while delicately illuminating the fine art on display.
Nulty has completed the interior lighting design for ING Bank UK London office (ING), delivering a concept that balances the bank’s heritage with its drive for innovation, and blends the delicate illumination of art and craftsmanship with a reference to the vibrancy of today’s modern working practices.
From subtly illuminating the prize pieces of art, to washing light on a flat white, this new office space made use of every architectural lighting design technique in Nulty’s repertoire. The London-based design firm was given a brief to create a lighting scheme that worked seamlessly with the tp bennett-designed interiors, adapting the latest in lighting technology to illuminate the quality of materials while complementing the natural light that floods through the expansive glass frontages of the client areas.
An integral aspect to the lighting concept was to deliver a scheme that carefully balanced the illumination of the impressive pieces of art with precise conservation requirements.
In order to get this just right, Nulty collaborated with ING’s art curator, delivering an in-depth study on the impact of natural light ingress and light quality on the different potential hanging areas.
With the intention to regularly rotate the pieces on display, Nulty applied its expertise of gallery design to perform a daylight analysis study, monitoring fluctuations in the direction and levels of daylight throughout the office space across all four seasons, as well as at different times of the day. The findings enabled Nulty to help ING identify the best positioning of the artwork to align the most appropriate pieces to specific display areas.
An important part of the lighting scheme on this project was to deliver an integrated system using methods in harmony with the clean lines and high quality of the client-facing spaces. To do this, Nulty installed XAL’s Move It magnetic track system, adapting it to encompass four different lighting capabilities, creating flexibility and a vessel where a variety of light sources could be used across the space.
The discreet magnetic system has minimum visual impact and provides the four key layers of the lighting scheme: down lighting, ambient light, wall washing light and spotlighting. The individual spotlights are magnetic and can be repositioned to provide different variations of light, which can be perfectly matched to enhance the art and provide ambient illumination to the surroundings.
A challenge for the Nulty team was to create a sense of cohesion across the client, reception and break-out areas, all of which have their own identity. On entering the reception area, a large suspended luminaire consisting of interconnected rings, constructed from Optelma’s Quad continuous linear profile draws the eye through the expansive area, the permeability of the pendent enabling an uninterrupted view of the surroundings.
As the lift doors open on the fifth floor to reveal the entrance to the Zest café, the craftsmanship of the solid-wooden slatted wall design is enhanced by illuminated Linea Light Group strips embedded within the grooves; an engaging contrast between a traditional sense of craftsmanship and materials and bright illumination.
It is within the café that Nulty teamed up with its sister company, Nulty Bespoke, to create one-of-a-kind pendant luminaires. Positioned above the canteen tables, the personalised pendants provide intimacy for diners and the use of company colours in the design reinforces the ING brand to visitors.
Phil Copland, senior lighting designer at Nulty, said: “Working closely with tp bennett and the client, we have designed an energy efficient and visually stimulating lighting solution.
“The variations of light enabled us to create different identities for different areas and the result is an integrated lighting concept that is at the same time subtle, yet stimulating. It also creates a sense of cohesion across all floors and reinforces the ING brand character, delivering a London office that, alongside the interior design, creates atmosphere and engagement from employees, clients, partners and those who visit.”
Wiley Publishing, USA
New York-based One Lux Studio has created a lighting scheme for the newly renovated headquarters of Wiley Publishing, utilising both direct and indirect light to open up and revitalise the formerly dark, enclosed space.
Wiley Publishing, formerly John Wiley & Sons, has been in operation for more than 200 years, since its inception as a small printing shop in lower Manhattan in 1807. The family-run firm, now into its seventh generation, has constantly evolved over its 210-year tenure, from letterpress pamphlets to digital apps and interactive online learning tools, and now this evolution has extended to its workplace, following a renovation of its company headquarters.
Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with beautiful views of the Hudson River and Manhattan beyond, the interior renovation has transformed the offices into sophisticated, open workspaces, while the large windows fill the space with natural light.
Working alongside architects TPG Architecture, Manhattan-based One Lux Studio designed the lighting for the newly renovated headquarters, providing new solutions not only for the office space, but for public areas also, including the ‘collaboration lounge’, elevator lobbies and cafeteria.
Using a blend of decorative and architectural fixtures, the new lighting scheme utilises both direct and indirect fixtures following the workstations, while linear indirect uplighting at the core highlights the edges of the space. The public areas incorporate more playful lighting elements, with zig zags, angular and organic patterns of lighting blending with the ceiling system, revitalising the space.
Stephen Margulies, founding partner of One Lux Studio explained how the new scheme helped to transform the offices post-renovation. “The existing space had enclosed perimeter offices, which affected daylight penetration,” he said. “The interior open plan areas were dark, vast areas with tedious grids of 2x2-foot fluorescent troffers with little definition or interest.”
The goal for One Lux Studio, therefore, was to develop a lighting system that took advantage of the new open plan concepts. However, Margulies was concerned that, in doing so, they’d end up with large, open areas with “monotonous” lighting solutions.
“Careful attention was placed on creating interesting arrival and circulation design solutions, and the workstation areas had a ‘neighbourhood’ approach where the light fixtures are related to the workstation zones, creating brighter zones at the workstations and darker zones in the circulation areas. We created spaces that were intimate within a vast floor plan,” he explained.
“Additionally, a large format, 4x4-foot ceiling tile was used for the workplace. This, in conjunction with the indirect lighting components, created a unique solution.”
The use of indirect uplighting throughout the project circulation areas, provided by EcoSense, adds an interesting dynamic to the space not normally seen in office environments, and Margulies explained why One Lux Studio made this decision: “The ceiling heights were pretty restrictive,” he said. “Acoustic tile ceilings needed to be at eight foot, ten inches to conceal major mechanical systems.
“Large open spaces with this ceiling height can feel compressed, so the concept of using a direct/indirect lighting solution for the workplace proved to enhance the volume of the space.” Major circulation areas made use of exposed ceilings, adding an element of ‘rawness’, while also enhancing the spaces by providing even greater volume and variety. Elsewhere, a patterned ceiling effect in the elevator lobby, and lowered, zig zag panels in communal areas bring a sense of playfulness, further differentiating the various spaces.
However, while the ceiling proved restrictive in some areas, there were other occasions where the lighting team were able to elevate them higher, further enhancing the new, open feel of the headquarters.
“The existing mechanical systems were kept in place, which created a few challenges for some areas,” explained Margulies. “Since the workplace lighting hung below the ceiling we avoided many conflicts, and allowed the ceiling to be as high as physically possible.
“There were a few surprises when the existing ceilings were removed; however, recessed lighting equipment that only required 3.5-inches of recess depth avoided most conflicts. This coordination became most important in the amenity spaces like the conference centre and food service areas, where ceiling heights were pushed even higher to enhance the user experience.”
As with most projects, budget proved to be a big driver for One Lux Studio, but Margulies and his team found that their approach – particularly the blend of direct and indirect lighting – used very few light fixtures when compared to traditional open office lighting solutions. However, by referencing other projects where similar solutions were successfully implemented and carrying out tests to prove the concepts, they were successful in getting these solutions in place.
The end result for Wiley Publishing’s new headquarters is a bright, airy, interesting workspace, awakening an office that had previously felt dark and vast, underutilising the space available. Margulies was delighted with how the project has turned out, praising the work of TPG Architecture.
“The architect has created a new, unique experience for the Wiley employees,” he said. “As the space was recreated in an existing office building, the comparisons were immediate.
“Daylight and fantastic views of the Hudson River were magically awakened. Large, tedious spaces were transformed into ‘musical experiences’, having the beat change as one walks through the space.”
Executive Office Building, Russia
LAPD has provided a full lighting design for an executive office tower in Moscow, transforming the building into a beacon in the cityscape of the Russian capital.
LAPD Lighting Design worked on the interior, façade and landscaped areas of this executive office tower in Moscow.
The approach to the façade lighting was to create a cage of light around the building itself, connecting the top and the bottom of the building. The client wanted the building to have visibility from afar and so the entire top element was transformed into a beacon-like lantern with prominence within the Moscow cityscape.
Cool white linear LED lighting with a carefully selected beam width was used to light down glass fins cladding the building top. Various test were carried out on different types of glass and different LED optics to ensure that the fins held the light as much as possible all the way down their length and lit the entire volume.
Clear glass with a frosted interlayer produced the best effect and the best structural performance. Eight linear lines of light then ran down the building, highlighting architectural details around the façade and connecting the lantern top with the base of the building. Cool white light was used to connect the cool white lantern with the cool white lighting around the building base, forming the cage-like structure.
The linear LEDs from Insta were colour controllable and, on the client’s request, the lines of light that framed the two-coloured expanses of façade were adjusted to match the vivid glazing colours that were chosen.
A control system was specified to enable these lines of light to chase, pulse, change colour and create different effects for special events.
Grounding the ‘cage of light’ was achieved by highlighting all the columns around the base of the building, along with the entrance canopy itself, with a matching cool white light. The columns were treated as architectural elements by using a linear light source concealed in a detail above the column. Again, using appropriate optics a sheet of light was created travelling down each column. This avoided downlights visually scarring the canopy above and creating unwanted scallops detracting from the pure forms.
The canopy needed to echo the experience of the building from afar. As a result a frosted glass canopy was created that was backlit using cool white LEDs. This created a similar level of impact at low level to that created by the lantern from afar.
These architectural lighting treatments around the base of the building balanced the strong lantern effect of the building top but also contributed to the landscaping lighting.
General illumination to the entrance area and car parking areas around the building was provided by using a lighting column from the Hess City Elements range. These provided a neutral cylindrical form against which the building could be viewed without conflict from feature elements. The columns allowed asymmetric, symmetric and road optics to be used from a column without a change in its appearance. A warm, soft level of light was produced with low glare.
Feature lighting was provided to the furniture elements around the buildings, while linear hidden lines of light were integrated into the furniture in collaboration with the manufacturer to create a soft warm glow under each seating area. Feature lighting was also provided to uplight the trees themselves. These uplights were raised above floor level slightly to ensure they still functioned during winter months where a carpet of snow resides across the landscaped areas. As with all of the exterior lighting products specified, they needed to be able to operate at temperatures down to -40-degrees Celsius. Again, a soft warm colour temperature was used to harmonise with the lighting elsewhere around the building base, and to contrast with the cool colour temperature on the façade.
Lines of staggered light mimicking those running down the façade were recessed into the ground to lead occupants from the roadside right up to the building canopy.
Once inside the building these strong linear lines of light flip up onto the ceiling of the reception area to continue the draw into the building. Four continuous lines of light from XAL were used to draw the eye towards the feature wall at the end of the reception space.
This feature wall was created by using continuous linear LEDs with a six-degree optic to graze light up the back wall, which consisted of a suspended horizontal, linear mesh. The front of the wall was constructed from cast, layered glass orientated horizontally. The resulting moiré pattern effect between the backlit mesh and the front layered glass was an intriguing shimmer that continually changed as the viewing angle changed.
Lines of light were also used within each lift lobby, continuing the theme throughout the building. These lines were framed within floating rafts that were covelit along all sides.
The developer moved into the tenth floor and appointed LAPD to illuminate all of their office spaces. Lines of light illuminated the naked concrete surfaces and Italian wooden walls in the reception, waiting and circulation spaces. Square downlights from XAL are also used to provide accent in key places.
Meeting rooms and smaller office spaces use a combination of linear and accent lighting within troughs from Kreon. This allows control to provide bright, uniform levels of light for meetings and low levels of accent light for presentations, along with options for variations between the two. The linear and accent lighting was designed to match in colour temperature.
Open plan office areas are illuminated by suspending Zumtobel Aero luminaires to achieve the desired illuminance levels on the desks and on the ceiling itself.
There was also a strategy written up by LAPD to ensure that tenants within other floors lit their offices in such a way that the building had a homogenous look at night from outside. This included requirements to conform to different orientations of lighting in different areas but still provide flexibility within their design. The strategy included a decorative treatment to all interior columns for all floors.t
