ERCO Lichtbericht 87 · E Lichtbericht 87 Published in December 2008 New York Times Building...

E Lichtbericht 87

Published in December 2008

New York Times BuildingAmongst the skyscrapers of Man-hattan, the office block of The New York Times Newspaper is a 21st century archetypal beacon in the world of high rise development. Transparent and bright, filigree and light, technically innovative. The lighting of the 250 metre high curtain facade, made of white ceramic tubes, transforms at night

the entire building into a shimmer-ing New York landmark. Thanks to modern lighting technology the skyscraper uses less power than it takes to light the obser vatory at the top of the Empire State Building.

ERCO Lichtbericht 87 1

The New York Times joined with architect Renzo Piano to build a new domicile for itself and another impressive landmark for the city of New York. Its nocturnal appearance was to set high standards: lightness and transparency are the leitmotif that runs throughout the design. This notion was transformed into light by Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger of OVI, who used our lighting tools for the facade. Not an easy task in a project as complex as this, but their efforts were well worth it.

The new Powercast projector is just one such tool that creates striking effects on a facade at night. Provided with cutting-edge Spherolit reflector technology, it is designed for a wide range of applications and as many lighting solu-tions. In LED version, its lens system, consisting of a specially developed collimator and a further lens plane for different light distribution charac-teristics, ensures optimal lighting control.

The main focus of this issue, however, is on the possibilities of modern lighting control. Various case studies introduce different appli-cations of Light System DALI. Whether lighting control is used as easily and efficiently as by the residents of a Münsterland estate to create the right atmosphere, or applied at the entrance of the Emden Art Hall to produce a striking effect, the applications are virtually boundless.

Scenographic lighting effects turn the win-dow display of the LPP “Reserved Shop” in War-saw into an extraordinary eye-catcher. Dynamic dimming progressions change the plasticity of the mannequins such that they all but come to life. The whole scenario is, of course, controlled using Light System DALI.

Light and liturgy have always been closely connected. When carefully planned, a lighting system ensures that liturgy has a place even in modern religious services and is augmented by an appropriate dramaturgy of light. Once neatly composed with appropriate light scenes and sequences that factor in the atmosphere, emphasis and spatial perception, the sceno-graphic concept is implemented on site, requir-ing great skill and finesse to produce the right effect.

ERCO LichtberichtImprintPublisher: Tim H. MaackEditor in Chief: Martin KrautterDesign/Layout: Thomas Kotzur, Christoph SteinkePrinting: Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH, Gütersloh

1028726000© 2008 ERCO

Photographs (Page): Frieder Blickle (U1, 2, 6-15), Bernd Hoff (2, 3), Alexandra Lechner (2), Thomas Mayer (2, 3, 4-5, 24, 26-27, 34-37, U4), Rudi Meisel (3, 28-29, 32-33), Alexander Ring (20-21), Dirk Vogel (30-31), Edgar Zippel (1, 3).

Translation: Lanzillotta Translations, Düsseldorf

Tim Henrik Maack

Background

Prof. Dr. Markus Gehnen:Tune the light!From the first potentiometer dimmers to today’s bus systems it has been a long journey and the end of this devel-opment is still not in sight: a review of the progress of lighting control from the perspective of an expert in building technology.

Projects

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DALI is also very much present, this time for our own benefit within our new showrooms in Oslo and Milan. If this has excited your curiosity about lighting control – for scenographic pur-poses, to save energy, or for pure convenience, why not come and visit us!

New Products 2009Powercast projectors and floodlightsLight System DALI

FocusLighting control systems with digital inputs

Double focusLighting control systems with analogue inputs

Introduction

Report

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Light System DALIApplications

Münsterland estateMise en scene with DALI

Emden Art HallNocturnal delight with DALI

Central Garage car museum, Bad Homburgtune the light – with DALI

LPP Reserved Shop, WarsawDALI scenography for shop windows

St. Peter’s Church, StavangerLiturgy of light with DALI

About this issue

Keylights

Bright prospects

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New York Times BuildingManhattan gains another nocturnal landmark in the form of a new sky-scraper, built for the well-established newspaper and featuring an illumi-nated facade. Architectural historian and lighting journalist Margaret Maile reports for us from New York.

Let the lighting technology decideMargaret Maile interviews Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger in OVI’s offices

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36 BacklightsNew ERCO showrooms in Oslo and Milan

Contents About this issue

Light & Technology

2 ERCO Lichtbericht 87 ERCO Lichtbericht 87 3

Keylights

Sandnes (Norway)As part of the regional museum of Sandnes near Stavanger, the Vitenfabrikken is an interactive museum dedicated to the myster-ies of science and technology. Cutting-edge technology, however, also applies to its lighting design, from Focalflood facade luminaires in LED varychrome version to the comprehensive Light System DALI.

Vitenfabrikken, SandnesArchitect: Askim & Lantto AS, OsloElectrical design: Cowi AS, Stavangerwww.jaermuseet.no/vitenfabrikken

Glashütte (Saxony)Precision horology matches preci-sion lighting. The venerable chrono-meter brand Tutima has returned to Glashütte, where it was estab-lished in 1930. Its new domicile is the former railway maintenance building that was gutted and given a modern look with illumination, both inside and out, using lighting tools from ERCO.

Tutima watch and clock making factory, GlashütteArchitect: Kai Strehl Architekten, Dachsbergwww.tutima.com

Spreitenbach near ZurichAn eye-catcher en route to the Center Spreitenbach, a large shop-ping mall. The new connecting bridge between the existing struc-ture and the extension was devised by the architect and designer Matteo Thun, who opted for col-oured light. The tools: Focalflood varychrome floodlights with DALI control gear.

Center Spreitenbach, Spreitenbach near ZurichLighting design: Matteo Thunwww.centerspreitenbach.ch

Alaquàs near ValenciaA small medieval castle becomes a place of culture and learning, contributing to and improving the local identity of the little town of Alaquàs outside Valencia. Trion ceiling washlights illuminate the magnificent coffered ceiling, while Cylinder facade luminaires provide atmospheric lighting for the stair-case.

Espacio cultural Castell d'Alaquàs, ValenciaLighting designer: Claude R. Engle (USA), Lighting Consultanthttp://castell.alaquas.org

Erice (Sicily)Stella spotlights and Trion uplights for metal halide lamps illuminate the vault of the San Martino church in an attractive and economical fashion. Yet another reason for the tourist in Sicily to make a trip to this little town with its ancient roots and medieval monuments.

Chiesa San Martino, Erice (Sicily)Lighting design: Adragna Illumina-zione, Alcamo

Kaltern (South Tyrol)The famous wine-growing region on Lake Kaltern has a contempo-rary image with modern architec-ture. The new Winecenter offers formidable facilities for wine sell-ing and tasting, all presented in the light of Optec spotlights, Quadra recessed directional luminaires, Lightcast wallwashers and floor washlights.

Winecenter KalternArchitect: feld72 Architekten, Viennawww.winecenter.it

MunichThe Terminus Gallery features all the big names of contemporary art, from Baselitz to Warhol, from Kiefer to Uecker. “We give art room to breathe,” as the gallery owners describe their space concept. The exhibitions presented on Parade-platz 1 in the heart of the Bavarian metropolis have a format, design and technical equipment that match the standard of a museum. The light is provided by ERCO: Optec spotlights and wallwashers on flush-mounted ceiling tracks, combined with Quadra wallwashers for low-voltage halogen lamps.

Terminus Gallery, Munich.Architect: mocar architects, MunichLighting design: Licht & Technik Jürgen Ludwig, Munichwww.galerie-terminus.de

BerlinIn 1963, John F. Kennedy won the heart of Germany by declar-ing, “Ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner). The German capital has now dedicated a small museum located on Pariser Platz entirely to this influential family, displaying a wide range of pictures and docu-ments from the Kennedy collection of the “Camera Work” Gallery. The bright, elegant exhibition rooms are illuminated by lighting tools from ERCO, including Quadra lens wallwashers.

Kennedy Museum “The Kennedys”, BerlinArchitect: Abcarius & Burns, Berlinwww.thekennedys.de

Glashütte (Saxony)Following a big revival of Saxon watch and clock making in Glas-hütte, the tradition has once again found its proper place here. The new watch and clock museum describes the town’s changing industrial his-tory in the Erzgebirge region by the use of contemporary means. Pollux low-voltage spotlights put the exhibits in the right light.

Watch and clock museum, GlashütteExhibition/lighting design: Atelier Brückner, Stuttgart www.uhrenmuseum-glashuette.com

BarcelonaThe sister bar and restaurant of the eponymous Brasserie in Paris captivates with an authentic ambience, offering typical cuisine focusing on seafood. Dimmed bulbs in original chandeliers hang-ing from unaltered beams provide the right atmosphere – the actual light comes from inconspicuously mounted Pollux spotlights for low-voltage halogen lamps.

Brasserie Fló, BarcelonaArchitect and lighting designer:Carlos Martínez www.brasserieflobarcelona.com

Kaohsiung, TaiwanA truly international feel to this fascinating work of public art. The American artist Lutz Haufschild commissioned lighting designer Arne Fiedler from Wiesbaden to illuminate his wall relief consisting of thousands of precisely shaped and laminated strips of glass. Fiedler opted for Light System DALI and Optec LED varychrome spotlights to ensure dynamic backlighting for the relief and making the whole work come to life.

Emerald Laminata, glass art at Rapid Transit Station Kaohsiung, TaiwanArchitect: Charles C. Chen Architects, Kaohsiung, TaiwanLighting design: Made by Light, Arne Fiedler, WiesbadenArtist: Lutz Haufschild, North Vancouver, BC


Bright prospects Indre Kai, Haugesund (Norway)Photo: Thomas Mayer, Neuss

www.haugesund.no

Architect: Smedsvig Landskapsarkitekter AS, BergenElectrical design engineers: Multiconsult AS, Nesttun; Cowi AS, Haugesund Installation engineers: Jatec AS, Haugesund


As with many OVI projects, exacting tech-nical performance is a fundamental part of the lighting program of the New York Times Building.

Early in the 20th century, New York City set the standard for the modern metropolis with its soaring skyscrapers and luminous skyline. At the opening of the 21st century the city has witnessed a renaissance in tall building design, with none more remarkable than The New York Times Building designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop/Fx Fowle and with lighting design by Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger of the Office for Visual Interaction (OVI). This monolithic tower of quiet beauty transcends the frenetic energy of Times Square and presents a technologically innovative, yet timeless icon for The New York Times and the city itself.

Lighting concept exterior Renzo Piano has said, “The story of this build-ing is one of lightness and transparency” and the notion of transparency and light runs throughout the design of the New York Times Building – from the ultra clear, low-iron glass and ceramic rods that compose the double-skin curtain wall to the carefully calibrated flood-lighting that gives a delicate, warm glow to the exterior while allowing visual connection with the building’s interiors.

At OVI, concept, innovation and technology always work in tandem, therefore it is not sur-prising that OVI’s remarkable lighting program for the exterior of the New York Times Building began with the concept of lightness as well as the requirements of properly and efficiently illuminating the tower’s pioneering ceramic screens – the first of their kind in the United States. According to Sundin, “the setting out point for the exterior was the screens.” With the goal of articulating the soaring, lace-like quality of the screens, OVI developed a scheme where the floodlighting could be achieved with a single series of luminaires and a single lamp type. ERCO fixtures equipped with 250W Metal Halide lamps with an Fc2 base were paired with varying optical reflector systems to create the desired wallwash effect for the entire 260-meter elevation of the east and west facades. Narrow beam optics aimed to the top of the building provide a long throw of light, while narrow beams with spread lenses illuminate mid-levels and wide floods cast light on the base of the building. OVI chose metal halide lamps for their exceptionally long life of 10,000hrs+ and specified a warm, neutral white 3000K color temperature to complement the building’s signature off-white ceramic screens. As with many OVI projects, exacting technical performance is a fundamental part of the New York Times Building’s lighting program. For the finely calibrated floodlighting, luminaires with

For the finely calibrated floodlighting, luminaires with locking mechanisms allow the necessary precision adjustments; while the optical design and the integrated glare control minimize the spill light and the lighting pollution of the night sky.

New York Times BuildingManhattan gains another nocturnal landmark in the form of a new skyscraper, built for the well-established newspaper and featuring an illuminated facade. Architectural historian and lighting jour-nalist Margaret Maile reports for us from New York.

Dizzy heights: it is only when peering down from the roof of the New York Times Building into the urban canyons of Man-hattan over 260 meters below that the luminaires clustered on the roof of the ground floor building come into view.

The cantilevers for mounting the lumi-naires are spaced to take up the rhythm of the facade. The luminaires are painted in taxicab yellow in response to the lighting regulations that apply in and around Times Square – more on this on page 14.

The architect: Renzo PianoOften working together with designers such as Richard Rogers and Peter Rice, Piano has created key monuments of architecture and civil engineering all around the globe. His head office – named ‘Renzo Piano Building Workshop’ – is still based in his hometown of Genoa to this day; plus he has branches in Paris and project site offices throughout the world. In over 40 successful years in his profession, he has not left any leaf of architecture typology unturned. A host of architectural prizes pay tribute to his special blend of art, architecture and engineering acumen, which always seeks to integrate nature and social aspects. There is nothing that can be described as “typically Renzo Piano”, but always a surprisingly new design born out of the building’s function, the user requirements and the constraints of the climate and energy resources. His forte

is tricky urban-development tasks such as the reconstruction and redevelopment of Potsdam Square in Berlin. The name Renzo Piano is synonymous not only with func-tioning museums and cultural buildings, but also with overcoming the challenges of utilitarian architecture, such as road-traffic infrastructure and industrial plants. Teach-ing and further education are permanently anchored in Renzo Piano’s business philoso-phy, while ecological engineering is taking on an ever-increasing place in his designs. These strands of exhibition, ecological oasis, training center and research institute all come together in the world’s ‘greenest’ natural science museum: the ‘California Academy of Sciences’ in San Francisco.

www.rpbw.com

locking mechanisms allowed the necessary precision adjustments; while the optical design and integrated glare control minimize light pollution in the night sky.


Laser direction finders were used to precisely aim the luminaires onto the facade. Aided by the green dot of light on the facade (right), the instal-lation engineers were able to locate and fix the correct angle of adjust-ment (below).

Computer simulations were used in advance of the installation work to determine the position and aim of the luminaires that would give the best brightness progression (left).

Focusing the outdoor lightingTo illuminate extraordinarily large buildings or surfaces, you can simply use extraordinarily large luminaires and power outputs – or you can distribute the required luminous flux over a relatively large number of more compact lumi-naires. The latter not only has the advantage that you can fall back on standard, more eco-nomical lamps and luminaires, but it also allows a greater uniformity of lighting to be achieved – albeit only if you succeed in precisely aiming each luminaire such that the individual beams optimally overlap.

The lighting designers at OVI have already used this principle in many projects including, for instance, the plenary chamber of the Scot-tish Parliament and the US Air Force Memorial in Arlington. In the latter case, to achieve exactly the desired illuminance levels, OVI used laser sights for the first time, temporarily mounting them to the luminaires during focusing. Simi-larly, to achieve the desired uniform brightness progression of 1:3 between base and pinnacle, the projectors on the New York Times Building were also precisely aimed using lasers to map out the computer-calculated design and then locked in position.

draft


The lighting concept takes a differentiated approach to each functional zone – as can be seen here at the security checkpoint. Lightscoop ceiling wash-lights mounted on special brackets give an idea of scale to the spacious lobby.

The lobby wall displays media art by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen. Their “Moveable Type” piece consists of 560 text displays which a com-plex computer program keeps supplied with news contents from the cur-rent online edition of the New York Times and the paper’s digital archives.

Foyer and garden lighting concept The story of transparency and lightness contin-ues in the public areas of the ground floor of the New York Times Building. OVI translated these metaphoric qualities into three-dimensional space by finely composing light levels to visually activate and connect several distinct areas – the lobby, the central glass-walled enclosed garden, and the multi-use space of TheTimesCenter.

Describing OVI’s design process Sundin says, “We are composing an entire view and the chal-lenging thing about that is, based on the trans-parency of this project, everywhere you look you have views. It has to look good from every vantage point.” The central glass-enclosed garden played a central role in anchoring these changing vistas and roaming perspectives, serving to guide the eye through the intercon-nected architectural volumes of the ground floor.

In order to achieve such a finely balanced composition for the public spaces, OVI simul-taneously addressed both aesthetic goals and technical requirements. Recognizing the spe-cific light levels necessary for such program-matic elements as lobby circulation, security, retail areas, displays and more, OVI began by mapping out a lighting master plan to deter-mine how these needs could be fulfilled while preserving and even enhancing views into the garden. Peiniger says, “We were careful not to let one element dominate. We considered the space and views in terms of foreground, middle ground and background.” OVI was conscious of highlighting the garden as a focal point with-

out pushing the lighting to an extreme in either direction. For example, too little light in the adjacent areas would create a ‘tunnel effect’. However, “a blanket of same light everywhere” according to Peiniger, would greatly undermine the uniqueness of each element.

Manhattan has a new and architecturally discerning facility with ultramodern furnishings and fittings in the form of TheTimesCenter within the ground floor of the skyscraper. It regularly functions as a venue not only for talk shows but also for chamber con-certs and film shows.

From the precision aiming of the uplighting of trees in the garden to the subtlety integrated theatrical lighting array in TheTimesCenter’s auditorium, close atten-tion was given to the most minute details and technical performance, illustrating OVI’s com-mitment to providing not only the best light-ing, but also the most

Beamer projectorsFacade and pathway lighting

List of ERCO luminaires used

Lightscoop washlightsFacade and indirect lighting

Stella spotlights“TheTimesCenter” auditorium

Optec wallwashersConference rooms

LED orientation luminairesAtrium

comprehensive integra-tion of aesthetics and technology.


Whether on paper or on the screen, intelligent design processes hold the key to OVI’s success as experts in architectural lighting.

Margaret Maile (MM): What were your pri-mary concerns about designing the exterior lighting program for a building in the heart of Times Square?

Jean Sundin (JS): Generating a cultural lighting icon on the Manhattan skyline is a big responsibility and there is no second chance to make it right. In addition, we had to balance a classic timeless lighting design for the building while responding to the lighting criteria of the Times Square district – in a time of energy awareness.

Enrique Peiniger (EP): Many buildings in Times Square have flashing colored lights, LED screens, etc. That was not a design approach that anyone wanted for this building, so we had to creatively invent different ways of solving these kinds of problems in terms of lighting, in addition to illuminating the monolithic ceramic facade screens.

MM: So you were not just looking to the past or present context, but actually to the future context of the New York Times Building?

Two stops down from the New York Times Building the subway reaches OVI’s offices on 25th Street – the birthplace for light-ing concepts for proj-ects as varied as the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh and the US Air Force Memorial near Washington.

Let the lighting technology decideMargaret Maile interviews Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger in OVI’s offices

www.oviinc.com

The site inspection on the roof platform of the New York Times Building, almost at eye-level with the Empire State Building, demonstrates the excep-tional commitment from all parties that projects of this scale demand.

EP: We think a lot about how our projects age over time. We know that the Times Square dis-trict will continue to evolve and change char-acter as time goes on and The New York Times Building will anchor this new neighborhood and business district.

JS: The lighting is really imbedded as part of the architectural design, it is locked into the facade and it is part of the overall building module. This building is a new landmark for the city as such the design has to be long last-ing. The taxicab yellow makes reference to the unique cultural context of New York City. The lighting details are scaled, well-detailed and visually appropriate. It takes a multi-disciplin-ary design dialog and collaboration with the client, design team and the industry to make design ideas a reality.

MM: How does your design process translate into selecting luminaires for this project? Why did you choose ERCO luminaires? How did they best realize your concept?

EP: Our approach is to ‘reverse-engineer’ the lighting design. At the beginning of a project we think about the end-user and how the lumi-naires will be maintained. The luminaire selec-tion is an evaluation of needs and technical performance. There are a lot of tools to choose from.

JS: We created a lighting design for the entire building exterior and all public areas of the project, which only requires 12 different lamp types. We evaluated many manufacturers who we know would be suited to the project as well as the product numbers, handling and maintenance features, technical features and other issues. We’ve cross-referenced and evalu-ated all of them in great detail.

EP: Who has a locking device? Who has a captive screw? Who has an integral glare con-trol? We compared all of their features and capabilities. For example some fixtures require two different lamps and wattages with two different maintenance cycles due to lamp life.

JS: In the end, ERCO fixtures were selected. We could illuminate the entire facade utilizing three different luminaire optical systems which all take the same lamp. The fixtures are energy efficient and visually appropriate for the facade.

EP: We have very complex projects and we have to step back and look at the facts. The point is, what is the quality of the fixture and how does it perform? Our evaluation process allows us to make a clear and rational deci-sion about what product is best suited for the project.

MM: What was the single biggest challenge for OVI over the course of the New York Times Building project?

JS: Helping others realize that with only 250 watts, we could illuminate a facade that is more than 260 meters high! Typical floodlights require 400w or 1000w to do the same job.

EP: Keeping the aim in sight. To not get dis-tracted by all the daily work. You have to iden-tify the big picture, stay focused and determine how to implement it.


The context of the Times Square District – one of the brightest and most iconic of such urban areas in the world – was central to the concept development for the exterior lighting of the New York Times Building. The timeless, classic quality of RPBW’s architecture is fundamentally at odds with the exploitation of media screens and skins typical to Times Square. However, as a new building in the Times Square District, the New York Times Building was required to animate the facade to be in compliance with district regulations. As Peiniger describes, “The point for us was to find the language that was appropriate for The New York Times and for RPBW.”

OVI suggested that the pairings of ERCO fixtures used along the pedestrian level of the

New York Times Building

The view from the Empire State Building shows how the new building sets the tone on the Manhattan skyline. The relationship to the red-lit, art deco Paramount Building on Times Square is interest-ing – especially consider-ing its basement tempo-rarily provided storage for the neighboring printing plant of the New York Times.

Cleverly sidestepping the use of LED screens or other moving lights or signage, now so commonplace on neigh-boring buildings, OVI’s designers added a dash of color by specifying luminaire housings in taxicab yellow.

ContributorsClient: The New York Times/Forest City Ratner Companies

Architects: Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Genoa/Paris) in collaboration with FXFowle Architects, P.C. (New York)

Competition (2000)Design Team: B. Plattner (senior partner in charge), E. Volz with G. Bianchi, J. Moolhuijzen (partners), S. Ishida, P. Vincent (senior partners), A. Eris, J. Knaak, T. Mikdashi, M. Pimmel, M. Prini, A. Symietz

Consultants: Ove Arup & Partners (structure and services)

Design Development, 2000-2007Design Team: B. Plattner (senior partner in charge), E. Volz (associate in charge) with J. Carter, S. Drouin, B. Lenz, B. Nichol, R. Salceda, M. Seibold, J. Wagner and C. Orsega, J. Stant-

building’s podium be custom painted taxicab yellow. These ERCO fixtures were mounted as direct extensions of the facade’s modular bays, providing visual punctuation to the rhythm of the building as well as illuminating the facade and the walkway with a sense of excitement and energy. In this way OVI was able to visually animate the facade (and satisfy local authori-ties) in a manner that has great resonance with the culture and streets of New York City without contradicting the character of the architecture.

eford, R. Stubbs, G. Tran, J. Zambrano; O. Aubert, C. Colson, Y. Kyrkos (models)

Consultants: Thornton Tomasetti (structure); Flack & Kurtz (services); Jenkins & Huntington (vertical transportation); Heitman & Associates (facade consultant); Ludwig & Weiler (store-front); Office for Visual Interaction (lighting); Gensler Associates (interiors); H. M. White (landscape); AMEC (construction manager)

Ring Star Fully Connected

Tree BusLine


Tune the light!By Prof. Dr. Markus Gehnen

In the beginning there was light we are told, but nowhere does it state that switches and dimmers were also supplied, yet otherwise there would have been no night or twilight. Lighting controls mimic the grand arche-type with ever increasing variety. From the first potentiometer dimmers to today’s bus systems it has been a long journey and the end of this development is still not in sight: Take control – that’s the name of the game.

Network topologiesIn a bus system, many devices exchange infor-mation via a shared data work. In some bus sys-tems, a specific, fixed net-work typology is already given. The DALI protocol also accepts so-called mixed topologies, which simplifies installation.

Light and darkWhether it’s a daylight-dependent lighting control or a whirling show interlude, today’s lighting control tasks would be unthink-able without dimmable light sources. These days, the brightness of almost any type of lamp can be infinitely adjusted, but it is not that long ago that such a thing could be so taken for granted.

For a long time, the light of an incan-descent lamp could only be adjusted using potentiometers. The big disadvantage of these was that they hold back energy from the lamp by converting it into heat. Leading edge technology dimmers now solve this problem much more elegantly by interrupt-ing the current for an adjustable period in every oscillation of the 50Hz supply volt-age cycle. One could say the lamp is “on” for less time. The filament keeps on glowing uniformly due to its thermal inertia, but at a lower temperature and brightness.

The ability to dim fluorescent lamps is, by contrast, a comparatively recent development because the physics of the arc discharge is quite averse to any attempts to control its brightness. The trick with the temporary interruption of the current does not work here because, if the interval with-out current is too long, the gas becomes too cold and the lamp goes out. A solution has now been found for this and teething problems such as colour shifts or restless flickering on the lowest brightness setting have also been rectified. It is just the dim-ming capability of high-pressure discharge lamps that lags a little behind. All the same, the currently achievable reduction in lumi-nous flux to about half its value is already sufficient for implementing energy savings in the outdoor lighting.

With LEDs, dimming again becomes a simple matter. Their brightness depends on the strength of the current flowing through them and can be easily adjusted with con-trol electronics.

Tasks and toolsIn many application areas, the humble light switch has now seen its day. It has been superseded not by any one lighting control system, the requirements are sim-ply too diverse for this, but by a whole plethora of different systems with capabili-ties depending less on the technical limits than on the particular task at hand. The same also applies for the system’s operat-ing concepts that are designed to suit the users’ experience (or even the lack of it). Yet, despite all this diversity, three applica-tion areas can still be roughly discerned:

Firstly, in functional buildings, artificial light is simply seen as cost factor, i.e. it is an energy consumer that is subordinate to the energy management of the networked building technology. This perspective will gain even more weight in times of energy saving regulations and building energy passports both now and in the future. These dictate functions such as daylight-depend-ent lighting control and presence detectors

that ensure the lights are only on when actually needed. In addition to the reduced energy costs, further savings can arise due to the fact that, instead of having to rewire everything every time there is a change in tenancy or usage, it is sufficient to repro-gram lighting system.

The bus systems from KNX to BACnet are at home here. They can cope with large numbers of devices and high data through-puts; plus, providers from other trades such as sun-blind technology or air-handling are also familiar with these standards. The systems are well established and since there are many providers for components and software, it is reasonable to expect that spare parts and equipment for system expansion will continue to be available in several years time.

The configuration and operation of these complex systems are strictly segregated. While the user is largely disinterested in the internal workings, the expert will want to get his hands on every parameter, where necessary and to pry into the most remote corner of the operating data log.

Quickly edited films, pushy television commercials and gaudy computer games – the threshold for visual stimulation is being pushed ever higher and those who want their building, merchandise or event to be noticed in today’s world have got to keep up. In every city centre a visual arms race is now underway and the weapon is coloured, dynamic light. This second use of light is solely interested in its show value and has many similarities with stage light-ing. It is not by chance that DMX, the con-trol system that is long established in stage technology, is often encountered in this context. Its central controller can quickly generate rapid colour and brightness pro-gressions on up to 512 channels in parallel and in real-time.

Where the function concentrates on the lighting effect, the user-interfaces of the configuration programs are notably graphically orientated. Although it is possible to adjust the behaviour of every single pixel, users tend to prefer working with the ready-made show effects that come with the software, modifying these to suit their current project. Plus the effect can be checked on the screen straight away.

The third application area is the situ-ational use of light, whereby light is used to emphasise the particular architectural features of a site, to make areas accessible for various uses and to give such areas a suitable atmosphere. The visibility in the public space is adjusted to suit the external circumstances.

From multipurpose halls to home cine-mas, the control systems must be easy to use in everyday operation, even for those with techno fear. As it is highly likely that users will want to modify light scenes themselves from time to time, the configu-ration must not require an engineering degree. DALI fits in perfectly here. Things

such as scene memories are already set up in the components right from the outset and there are now systems that have added several comfort features, extensively auto-mating tedious operations such as allocat-ing addresses.

The borders between these three areas are flowing boundaries. Providers who are well established in one segment can happily roam into the other areas. Event technology, complete with all the stage paraphernalia of moveable spotlights, scanners and projectors, is used in archi-tectural lighting. Conversely, experienced providers of architectural lighting systems expand their product portfolios by adding effect spotlights and therefore become fit for events. Then all these providers finally come back together around the same pro-jectors. This was the case recently at the new BMW Welt, which several manufac-turers from different fields list as a current reference project with some pride.

This panorama is just a momentary snap-shot. New developments are a daily occur-rence and they sometimes seem to be driven by the saying “Appetite comes as you eat”, constantly pushing the boundaries of the existing systems.

KNX was originally a tool for simplify-ing the electrical installation of lighting systems, but is now used for all other trades as well. The “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium in Beijing is cited as a current reference project.

DALI started out as a system for a sim-ple addressing of fluorescent lamps on 64 channels. It was deliberately designed to be less expensive and less work than a full-blown bus system. Today it controls luminaires of all kinds and has found par-ticular usage for RGB applications with LEDs. However, if the three colours are to be controlled individually and if a sepa-rate white channel is also added, then one luminaire will need four addresses. The 64 channels of a “DALI world” are soon exhausted here. The current solution for expanding the address capacity is to net-work several control gear units together via the Ethernet. Plans to standardise such larger structures are in the pipeline.

DMX, known from the field of stage technology, is also not the end point of development. The typical application area for DMX is fast-moving light. The limits of video reproduction on LED panels have long been reached, as was recently seen umpteen times to everyone’s amazement at the Light&Building trade fair. This means that the limits of DMX technology have also been reached, but there are not yet any standards for the performance range beyond DMX.

It could all be so easyAnyone even a little familiar with the material will soon come to the conclusion that using an intelligent lighting control would be better, more elegant and improve performance. The only thing is that, despite

all the splendid reference projects, ordi-nary, everyday office buildings and homes continue to be wired in the same old, con-ventional way. The control panel in the function room still looks like a display of light switches at the local electric store. Why is that?

Well, it also has to do with money of course: lighting controls are not two-a-penny and equipment, software, configu-ration and commissioning also have to be paid for. Even if it does later translate into fantastic energy savings when the system is running, this will not impress an inves-tor who will not be operating his office building himself once it is complete. He simply wants to save costs and therefore leaves out the lighting control.

Sometimes technology and user still have to find each other, as the following true story illustrates. In a certain office, the artificial lighting was to be switched on and off automatically depending on the daylight. However, since the planners thought they could do without dimmable luminaires, the entire system was always switched either on or off and the jumps in brightness were accordingly quite brutal. In the end, the staff that were ‘blessed’ with this situation finally resorted no, not to sabotage, but to chewing gum, which they neatly stuck over the light sensor’s aperture. Peace was restored. The system was still in pristine technical condition; although, for the sensor, it was pitch-black night and the light remained on. The lesson has been learnt and daylight-dependent lighting systems are now only built in dim-mable versions.

In addition, several years ago, the (then untenable) promises of the Powerline Tech-nology had the same effect as a scorched earth policy. Using frequency modulation to transport data along existing power cables was heralded as the cure-all for the modernisation of building systems. How-ever, household electrical wiring is not designed for transmitting high-frequency control signals, which is why considerably less data throughput is possible than with a system executed with separate bus lines. The initial claims were often overzealous, frequently promising more than could actually be delivered. Those users who suf-fered under the teething problems of that system will think long and hard before giv-ing the topic a second chance.

Things did not always run smoothly on the sales side either when dealing with lighting control systems. One or two light-ing companies liked to dabble in a bit of outsourced electronics on the side. The colleagues responsible were easily recog-nisable from their tired-out appearance, assuming they actually made it into the office in between any two site visits. The workload for project care and engineer-ing had quite simply been underestimated. Successful providers learnt this lesson and now allocate the necessary resources to this area. Sometimes even the outward

Illumination of the Pen-tacon Tower in Dresden: the situational use of light emphasises the particular architectural features of a site, makes areas accessible for vari-ous uses and adds suita-ble atmosphere (Lighting designer: Jürgen Meier, Medien für Alles).

BMW World in Munich: under the direction of the lighting designers from ag Licht, Bonn, luminaires and systems from the fields of archi-tecture and stage lighting are combined here into a coherent scenography.

KNX was originally a tool for simplifying the electrical installation of lighting systems, but is now used for all other areas as well, including the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic stadium in Beijing.


with control technology, would be the best for what I am doing?” This applies for the office with its alternation between desk-work, meetings and presentations and it is also true for ambitiously designed private areas. In the lounge, imagine the lighting system has gone beyond mastering the basics, such as “Switch on TV light scene when television is switched on”. It notices who is in the room, where they are stand-ing or sitting, what mood they are in and what they are doing (or want to do), and adjusts itself accordingly. Big Brother is watching you? Yes, it might seem that way to some. But when I imagine that on one evening I have guests round for a cocktail party, on the next I get into a good book in my armchair and on the third I have card night and the light always quietly adjusts itself so it’s just right, well, if I had such a light, I would never want to be without it! Whatever’s then left to adjust would be no more technically demanding than, “and how much colour would Sir like?”

Most of the technology needed for such scenarios is already available today and at least it’s already small enough. The switch cabinet is history and accommodating the electronics no longer causes any problems and whatever remains, seems in reach.

In an age of all-embracing networking, the technology of lighting control systems will become more like computer networks. In the end, each luminaire will get its own IP address, as once just computers had. With scant regard for their origin, the commands of DALI and its consorts will mutate into data packets with Internet pro-tocol. The boundaries between the various systems will become more blurred. Even now there is an utterly insurmountable myriad of translator modules and inter-faces available for translating one protocol into another or enabling their inclusion in networked building technology. Your PC already shows how it’s done; have a look how many different file formats your text editing program can deal with.

Computer technology also shows the way ahead in other respects. The Inter-net can now be accessed via computer networks, public WLAN access terminals and high-speed mobile phone networks; new possibilities are constantly being cre-ated. Even lighting control systems will no longer trust their data to the classic two-wire cable in future. Wireless solu-tions already exist and others based on the ZigBee radio standard are already in the starting blocks. Even a resurrection of Powerline trans mission seems tangible once you’ve experienced how robustly PCs now perform their frantic data com-mu nication via plug adapters and power cables.

The more complex the technology, the more invisible it is for the user. Powerful software and the miniaturisation of elec-tronics have of course made this easier. At the same time, the look of the devices as a whole has come away from their technical

origins. The engine bay of a modern car, full of smooth covered panels, looks more like a stack of shoe boxes than a machine, and mobile phones have long been seen more as lifestyle accessories than as tech-nical equipment. The less the technology is visible, the more significant the outward appearance presented to the user becomes. Of course it is important that the operating buttons on a device are logically arranged and the software’s menu structure is clear, but a product only becomes successful when it has a further, tactile quality: it has to feel good to the touch, to operate and to hold in your hand. Operation not only has to be plainly understandable, it also has to be fun. The company with the little fruit badge has been demonstrating this for years with massive success, but if you look at the operating concepts of today’s lighting con-trol systems, you will be soberly reminded that there is often a lot still to do. Yet, who knows, perhaps mobile phones will prevail as the remote control for our lives, so that when you buy a lighting control you will just have to download the suitable software packet onto it. That is also within reach: the last Light&Building trade fair featured corresponding studies for iPods for all to marvel at.

Perhaps not only the technical possi-bilities will develop further but also the markets that receive them. The automotive branch has already shown this: new tech-nology always makes its debut in the top price bracket and spreads down to the mass market in the course of time. This was the case with air conditioning and ABS and will not be any different with driver assist-ance systems. By contrast, in the lighting industry there has always been a clear separation between the large-scale project business and the end consumer market. The sector for high-quality lighting solu-tions concentrates on prestigious buildings and is worked by the well-known names of the architecture and lighting designer communities. There are prime examples here for successful lighting control con-cepts, yet hardly any part of them finds its way into other market segments. Walking through a lighting shop or the luminaire department of a high-quality furniture store, you will soon get the impression that technical progress stopped shortly after the invention of the light bulb and then, without warning, jumped right across to gaudy, coloured LEDs. There are not really any serious control systems or even just some usable suggestions for dealing with coloured light. Well, I’m not expecting to be able to buy an EIB system in the furni-ture shop, but a stripped down plug ‘n’ play DALI beginners set for the light show in my home cinema wouldn’t go amiss and I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only customer. It may be that this area has not been very important to date, but, in the wake of home networking driven by computer and media technology, this too will change. After all, the omnipresent PC technology of today

also started out as the exclusive preserve of specialists over twenty years ago.

Even if the technical development takes a different course than the one predicted, one thing is for sure, every power increase will be completely absorbed sooner or later as the hunger for resources of increasingly complex applications catches up. The drive spring of progress remains tensioned.

Prof. Dr. Markus GehnenBorn in 1963, Markus Gehnen has been a professor at the Bochum University of Applied Sciences for over ten years now. He studied electronics and electri-cal engineering at the RWTH college in Aachen. After graduation, he designed for AEG Lichttechnik helping them make their first steps in lighting control sys-tems. The subject of lighting and building automation continues to fascinate him to this day. He is a published writer in technical journals and takes part in standardisation processes. At the uni-versity he runs a laboratory for buildings systems technology, while at his design offices he advises manufacturers and users alike on current technology and its possible applications.

appearance of a device can decide on its chances of finding widespread acceptance. In spite of all the international standards, there are still national preferences for the mounting of devices. In many countries it is usual to mount the control gear inside a switch cabinet or to fit it inside a false ceil-ing. In such cases, the shape of the housing is immaterial. In Europe and particularly in Germany however, people prefer devices that clip onto DIN rails which are not Ger-man standard by chance. Providers who cannot offer that facility will possibly have a difficult time.

Looking aheadWhat does the future of lighting control systems look like? Buildings and their technical fixtures and fittings are a long-term commodity and progress tends to come at a leisurely pace. Faster-changing industries such as the automotive or tele-communications branches are more on the look out for new technologies. Watch-ing them gives an idea of the contours of future development trends.

Automation increases the utility of a system by removing any tedium involved in using it. This is nothing new. In teleph-ony for instance, automated switchboards replaced the operator lady many years ago. What is new is the speed and complexity of such change. Both are growing at the same rate that software did when it broke the bonds of mechanics and electronics. Two examples from recent times: can anyone still remember having to fiddle around with the choke to get an engine to start in the winter? This is now done without fuss by the engine management system, which also ensures that the engine runs efficiently and economically in all other situations as well. Or consider connecting up PC networks: it used to be a secret science, but it is now a largely automatic and incidental matter at today’s LAN parties.

If such trends are transposed into the world of lighting controls, one forgets for a minute today’s excessive configuration setups and thinks of other things:

Just supposing the power consump-tion of a lighting system was designed to reduce as daylight was used. You attach light sensitive luminaires to the ceiling, configure them and then – absolutely noth-ing. No calibration, no setting the target values, nothing. Each luminaire independ-ently recognises the lighting situation in its own spatial zone and adjusts itself; they all automatically communicate with each other and agree on a uniform brightness progression. There is no nervous flickering of luminaires as they brighten and dim on changeable, cloudy days and no problems caused by rearranging the furniture. In short, it just works without being annoying.

Or thinking even further: I can put up with searching for the light switch, but I don’t want to keep having to stop and think, “Which of the twenty seven possible light-ing moods, in this room fully equipped

Different designs for lighting control compo-nents: a DALI switching actuator for mounting on DIN rails (above) and the ERCO Light Server with its housing the size of a cigar box (below). The latter mounts in switch cabinets, but can also be installed in false ceilings. Despite all the international standards, there are still national

About 20 years of lighting control at ERCO separate these two pictures. The first system, an EOS type, was programmed by a wired remote control unit and controlled a handful of circuits in the audito-rium of ERCO’s Technical Centre in Lüdenscheid (above). Today, a Light System DALI operates over 160 luminaires with more than 375 individ-

ual addresses – easily accessed with the Light Studio PC software (below).

preferences for equip-ment mounting.

Lighting control in 1987: if today’s tech-nology looked like this, some of the more power-ful lighting control solu-tions would need their own machine room and a generously dimen-sioned air-con system as well.


New: Powercast projectors and floodlights

Powercast is a universal range of economic lighting tools for out-door applications. The projectors and floodlights feature cutting-edge technologies including LEDs and Spherolit reflectors for effi-cient visual comfort. Their system design with a uniform housing shape produces a symmetrical light distribution from narrow spot to wide flood accent lighting and also various wide beam distribu-tion patterns. Powercast is a highly versatile, cost-effective and flex-ible range of luminaires used, as an example, for the illumination of facade details, signs or vegetation.

Powercast with LEDAs a particularly low-maintenance and energy-efficient version, Powercast projectors are also avail-able with LED technology in warm white and daylight white light colour. Optimal lighting control is ensured by lens systems consisting of a specially developed collimator and different lenses for spot, flood and wide flood characteristics. The resulting beam angle is based on the usual spotlight characteristics for conventional ERCO spotlights.

Powercast produces a wide range of light dis-tribution patterns for a wide variety of lighting tasks.

Narrow spotTo accentuate smaller objects with high illumi-nance or to cover consid-erable distances between luminaire and object. Beam angle < 10°.

SpotThe standard charac-teristic to accentuate all kinds of objects, specifically to model the three-dimensional shape. Beam angle 10°–20°.

FloodFor efficient accent light on larger objects or for wider spread lighting throughout specific areas in a room. Beam angle 25°–35°.

Wide floodTo provide flexible flood-lighting for surfaces and specific areas in a room. Beam angle > 45°.

For greater flexibility in practical applications, the Spherolit reflector oval flood can be rotated through 360° and fixed at 90° positions. Similar to the use of a sculpture lens, the oval-shaped beam can be aligned for optimal illumination of the object.

To provide a soft gradi-ent, the floodlight with Spherolit reflector oval flood up to 150W is available with a Softec lens as an accessory.

Floodlights with Spherolit reflector washlight up to 70W are equipped with a Softec lens.

Oval floodTo provide floodlighting for surfaces and objects. The oval-shaped beam can be swivelled for ver-tical or horizontal light distribution.

WashlightWide-beam, asymmetri-cal light distribution for floodlighting vertical surfaces such as facades, walls or hedges.

Daylight whitePowercast spotlights in daylight white of 5500K ensure superior efficiency with accept-able colour rendition. The light colour is similar to daylight.

Warm whiteIn warm white, Powercast spotlights have a some-what lower light output ratio than in daylight white, but better colour rendition. The light col - our of 3500K closely approximates the light of halogen lamps.

Lighting controlThe plastic collimating lens designed and pro-duced by ERCO creates a parallel beam, while a further special lens pro-duces the precise beam angle required.

The housing swings open for easy lamp or reflector change. The Spherolit reflector can be replaced without tools.

The Powercast projectors for low-voltage halogen lamps or metal halide lamps feature replace-able Spherolit reflectors.


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Connection of Light System DALI and PC via networkIn addition to USB cables, the PC with the Light Studio software can now be connected to the Light Server 64+ via Ethernet, either directly by cable with a single Light Server 64+ or via a hub or switch. The PC and hub can also be connected by cable or wirelessly (WLAN). This option provides the flexibility needed to set up systems in more than one room, on a wire-less notebook PC. Scenes can thus be programmed where they are actually needed.

AMX, a leading manu-facturer of media con-trols, has prepared its products for integration into ERCO’s Light System

Connection of media technologyEthernet may also be used to con-nect the Light System DALI with standard controls for media tech-nology. Many functions of Light System DALI can be controlled using a documented programming interface. Media controls from the manufacturer AMX are already compatible with Light Studio.

DALI and provides appro-priate models.

Documenting projectsTo document lighting control projects using Light System DALI, the Light Studio software now makes use of a dialogue which provides a range of adapt-able options. The resulting page number of the documentation is automatically identified and dis-played. The project documentation can then be printed or, depend-ing on the PC configuration, can be produced in a digital format (e.g. .XPS, .PDF).

Partition interconnectorScenic light seems indispensable particularly in multifunctional rooms such as conference rooms or banquet halls. There are only a few lighting control systems that can manage rooms which are separated by movable parti-tion walls in a truly intelligent and user-friendly sort of way. The current generation of the Light Server 64+ and the Light Studio software provide just such a practical solution.

The limit switches of up to 4 partition walls in the system signal their states via the digital/

switch inputs on the Light Server. The operating devices in the room segment concerned, such as push-buttons or Light Changers, then respond as was previously pro-grammed in the Light Studio soft-ware and control the combined rooms as shared zones.

In Light Studio, attributes and scene lists for poten-tial room configurations are shown as zones and are controlled automati-

cally depending on the status of the partition walls.

Master dimming actionThe master dimming function is used to increase or decrease the overall brightness of a zone using push-buttons or the Light Changer. To master special lighting tasks and take account of differences in the dimming function of the lamps, the master dimming action of each Light Client can now be controlled individually. The Light Book mod-ule of the Light Studio software provides the relevant tool.

Dimmable Light Clients with LEDs, low-voltage halogen lamps or fluorescent lamps for example, provide a choice of linear func-tion and operation that prevents the Light Client from falling below a pre-defined limit or in turn, switches it off. Switchable Light

As an additional feature each Light Client can now, depending on its dim-ming features, be defined individually in relation to the master dimmer.

Clients (DALI switching actua-tors, HIT luminaires) can be given individual switching thresholds.


Focus Double focus

Lighting control systems with analogue inputsContrary to digital inputs, analogue inputs also register intermediate values. This makes it possible, for example, to connect a brightness sensor which, in contrast to the twilight switch, sends an analogue rather than a digital signal with a voltage proportionate to the bright-ness level measured.

As an outdoor device, the bright-ness sensor can adjust the artificial lighting to the daylight conditions. When using Light System DALI, the switching thresholds are prede-fined in the Light Studio software, with light scenes assigned to the value intervals. A typical applica-tion is gradually supplementing daylight with artificial light when the intensity of the daylight is no longer sufficient for the lighting tasks required. At workplaces, for example, natural light can thus be used more easily and saves a considerable amount of energy. In museums, brightness sensors control the ratio of daylight to artificial light, but also shading systems preventing damage to artwork due to excessive exposure to light. A suitable delay switch in the logic of the analogue inputs prevents undesired toggling if the analogue input value fluctuates around a switching threshold.

In other situations, such as in restaurants, shops or shop windows, artificial light is often used to cre-ate a certain contrast. Full daylight requires higher illuminances than overcast conditions, in twilight or later at night, i.e. high brightness values are assigned bright light scenes.

Thomas Schielke

Lighting control systems with digital inputsLighting control systems such as Light System DALI allow the setup of complex light scenes and sequences to match the functional aspect of lighting with flexible design to the architecture. The light scene to be called up in a spe-cific situation is determined either automatically by way of sensors or manually using appropriate control panels. In addition to comfortable, system-specific input devices, the lighting control system should also allow integration of standard push-buttons, switches and sen-sors. For this, the central controller, used for purposes such as storing the data of various light scenes and sending them to the luminaires, requires programmable inputs that can be flexibly assigned the required functions. Light System DALI provides two basic types of Light Server inputs: digital and analogue.

Digital inputs only know the “off” and “on” settings and can-not process intermediate values. Switches and push-buttons send appropriate signals. These alone allow a wide range of different operating scenarios: a switch can change between two light scenes or between a light scene and the previous scene. A push-button can recall a predefined light scene or, on repeated operation, run off scene lists of up to 30 scenes. Mul-tiple keypads are used to recall sev - eral light scenes directly: the Light Server provides a maximum of 8 digital inputs here. To provide the same functionality in several places in the room, if the room has more than one access point, for example, the push-buttons are connected in parallel.

In terms of output signal, twi-light switches or motion sensors are similar to a switch and can be connected to a digital input. The switching threshold, the meas-ured value at which the sensor signal changes its status, is set at the sensor itself. The change of status activates the function pre-programmed in the lighting control system.

The functions to be activated by signals to the digital inputs are defined and customised in the Light Studio software. In addition to recalling light scenes, sequences

Standard switches and push-buttons used to operate lighting control systems are a familiar, uncomplicated and economical alternative or addition to system-specific, more conven- ient control panels such as the Light Changer.

Brightness sensors send analogue values and allow a more differenti-ated assignment of light scenes to the ambient brightness than twilight switches.

To ensure a constant contrast throughout the day when using accent lighting, an analogue brightness sensor can recall light scenes with appropriate illuminances to suit the daylight via an analogue input in the lighting control system.

In the lighting control software, different brightness values are assigned different light scenes.

Switches are used to change between two scenes. If operated repeatedly, push-buttons can activate a sequence of assigned scenes. When using sensors, the twilight switch sends a digital signal to the digital input of the Light Server when a predefined switching threshold is reached, to initiate a change between two light scenes.

A possible application of outdoor sensors is the daylight-dependent con-trol of facade lighting.

and scene lists, further options available are special functions such as master dimming using rocker switches for operating con-trol. Other such special features include the timer function for push-buttons, e. g. for timed stair-case lighting, or the “All Clients” function, which switches all lumi-naires in a system to 0% or 100%.

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Built in 1702, light floods through the glass wall of this otherwise authenti-cally restored estate. The aesthetics and comfort of today join with century-old traditions.

Many city dwellers dream of living in the coun-try, but only a few turn their dream into reality with such dedication as the owner of this resi-dence. An entrepreneur in the creative industry, he had this listed estate in the Münsterland converted into a refuge for himself and his family, combining historical elements with the latest mod cons and minimalist aesthetics.

The design approach chosen assists the resi-dential architectural integration of 21st century lighting technology and lighting controls as discreetly and compacted as never before. The combination of low-voltage recessed spotlights and wallwashers from the Quadra range, with their own Light System DALI control, typifies in pure unadulterated form ERCO’s concept of “light, not luminaires”. Freely programmable and easily recalled light scenes allow the resi-dents to set the right mood with ever changing effects for their ambience and their life, while effectively controlling and reducing their energy consumption.

Münsterland estateMise en scene with DALI

A living space, with ever changing effects created by different light scenes. Initially neutral, but then with a significant proportion of vertical illuminance added.

A scene with sparsely used and specifically directed accent lighting emphasises furniture and objects in individual zones of the room, creat-ing a feeling of intimacy.

Scenic light is also ideal for the kitchen. The first light scene pro-vides brilliant light for the workspaces and sets the mood for cooking.

The second light scene with floodlighting on the opposite wall creates a more neutral atmosphere in the room.

In the third light scene, the vertical components are dimmed in favour of the pendant luminaire, the table becoming the centre of attention.

As control panels, ERCO chose Light Changers with their easy-to-use touch screen display. The light scenes are shown with plain text names and numerous additional functions provide further options.

Architect: Andreas Heupel, MünsterPhotos: Thomas Mayer, Neuss

Combining both types of lighting lends a bright, inviting and festive atmosphere.


The Light System DALI used in Emden’s Art Hall integrates a multitude of different luminaires such as indoor and out-door luminaires, DALI-compatible Light Clients and standard luminaires using DALI dimmers and actuators.

Emden Art HallNocturnal delight with DALI

The Light Timer module in the Light Studio soft-ware is used to recall scenes at predefined times.

Where public buildings and cultural facilities are of functional use during the day, at night their purpose is to provide a striking appearance in the urban environment: Light System DALI and the Light Studio software with its Light Timer and Light Sequencer modules solve this task both con-veniently and economi-cally.

Which temple of art has ever had its own jetty? The Art Hall in Emden owned by the Henri and Eske Nannen Foundation is situated on the picturesque Emden moat. In 1983, the former editor-in-chief of the Stern magazine, Henri Nannen, decided to donate his extensive art collection to his home town of Emden for dis-play in its own museum. The delightful brick building ensemble designed by the architects Ingeborg and Prof. Friedrich Spengelin was handed over to the public in 1986. A gift from Munich-based gallery owner and collector Otto van de Loo increased the collection to the point that the Art Hall needed an extension. In an international competition, the architectural firm of Venneberg & Zech working together with Prof. Friedrich Spengelin won first prize and commenced with their extensive building work in 2006. They developed an energetically optimised concept for the old and extension buildings using intelligent heating and ventila-tion control systems along with a heat recovery facility. Special focus was placed on the coordi-nation of daylight and artificial light. Wooden components in the old building were painted white, the new part was provided with light-coloured materials to improve the reflection factor for higher illuminances with lower lamp wattages. The venetian blind controller reacts to sunlight and daylight; artificial light is added in appropriate doses and dimmed accordingly.

The reopened Art Hall is not merely one of the main cultural attractions in Emden. Now more so than ever it also takes on the role of an urban-like visiting card. Inside, ERCO’s lumi-naires place the art in the right light, while new outside lighting lends the entire building ensemble a special nocturnal appearance. The Light System DALI facilitates different light-ing scenarios which, where required, can also project coloured light onto the white plaster of the vestibule and foyer walls to bring out effectively the contrast between traditional brick building architecture and the inviting transparency of the glass-encased entrance.

Architects: Friedrich and Ingeborg Spengelin, Hanover; Venneberg & Zech, Hanover.Photos: Rudi Meisel, Berlin

http://kunsthalle-emden.de

DALIPLUG+PLAY


In the Optec varychrome LED spotlights with DALI adapters, 12 high-power LEDs produce coloured light. The colour focus of the light can be control-led with the Light Studio software of the Light System DALI. The Softec lens ensures that the pri-mary colour components are uniformly and softly blended.

Beautiful old cars are fascinating. As a success-ful combination of aesthetics and function, vin - tage vehicles reflect the design of their period and the corresponding technological develop-ments. This fascination comes into its own here in the Central Garage car museum in Bad Homburg, Germany. Since 2007, the former car showrooms have provided an exciting backdrop for the original painted and chromed beauties. These not only include models such as the Mercedes SL, the DKW Monza or the Grantura from the British TVR stables, but also Horex motorbikes, the East German Trabant and the Citroën 2CV.

In addition to the permanent collection and rotating exhibitions on the history of the automobile, the car museum also provides a prestigious venue for various events. For private parties, conferences or company presentations, hosts can make use of a big entrée with a multi-media projection screen, rooms extending over two floors with variable partitioning and an excellently equipped catering facility.

Central Garage car museumtune the light – with DALI

Variable colour accents on the columns – imple-mented by Optec vary-chrome LED spotlights. The Light System DALI lighting control instal-lation, integrates such scenographic effects with general and exhibition lighting together under one user interface.

The aesthetics of vintage cars is brought out in the room of light produced from a balanced combi-nation of both ambient and accent lighting. Here a Mercedes Benz Type 370S Mannheim from 1931 gleams under the lighting.

The required lighting scenarios in the Central Garage car museum can be set up and recalled quickly and easily with the software integrated in the ERCO Light System DALI installed on a port-able PC or laptop. With a few mouse clicks the user can enter dynamic dimming progressions and colour progressions for the DALI-controlled

Photos: Dirk Vogel, Dortmund

www.central-garage.de

ERCO’s flexible lighting concept is perfect for such multifunctional uses. The lighting control of the luminaires with the Light System DALI can create highly varied room atmospheres. Usage scenarios with lighting characters vary-ing between neutral and expressive are easy to set up for the indoor area to suit the client’s wishes. The ambient lighting is provided by Optec spotlights fitted with economical HIT lamps. In the evening, brilliant accent lighting from Optec low-voltage halogen spotlights highlights the exhibits. The dimmable halogen light also provides the ambient and accent lighting for parties and celebrations. Optec spotlights and Focalflood facade luminaires with varychrome technology and high-power LEDs can additionally illuminate walls and columns with coloured light.

luminaires and can directly check the result of the lighting effects.

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As a fashion label, “Reserved” is the flagship of the Polish textile corporation LPP and presents a grandiose success story for the young mar-ket economies in Central and Eastern Europe. Founded as early as 1990 and operating as a stock corporation since 1995, the company has grown rapidly over the past few years. Its stores have expanded far beyond the borders of Poland into neighbouring Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary and on to Russia and the Ukraine. For the first time in 2007, LPP netted profit in excess of one bil-lion Zloty, about 265 million euros.

The first “Reserved” shop opened in 2000. Today, the chain has over 190 stores with fur-ther prospect of growth. The stores are found in city centres, but also in shopping malls such as the Galeria Mokotow in Warsaw. Here espe-cially, amongst the dense competition of inter-national brands, the architectural appearance and the lighting design are crucial. Part of the “Reserved” concept as devised by the office of Studio 1:1 in Gdansk are dynamic lighting effects using Light System DALI within its shop windows. The designers were banking on the attention factor created by changing light qualities such as contrasts, the direction of the light itself and modelling. DALI-compatible Quinta spotlights for QT12 100W low-voltage halogen lamps are mounted on DALI tracks and connected with the Light Server. For individual control of the spotlights, the designers opted for “dynamic progression” – an option available in the Light Studio software for all dimmable Light Clients. The lighting now attracts the attention of customers and, depending on the decoration, directs their eyes toward the man-nequins, the displays or other items within the shop window.

LPP Reserved Shop, WarsawDALI scenography for shop windows

Start the dynamic progress of the dimmer: with the accent light-ing dimmed, the general mood is set by a diffuse ambient light. The con-trasts are soft.

5 seconds later the accent lighting increases to 100%. Sharp display con-trasts are produced from spotlighting the manne-quin. For eye-catching and light-changing per-ception, dynamic progres-sions can be set at short cycles: LPP chose approx. 10 seconds.

Architect and lighting designer: Studio 1:1, , Dariusz Brunka,

Photos: Rudi Meisel, Berlin

www.lpp.com.pl

DALI trackWhen using spotlights with DALI adapters, ERCO’s classic track pro-file is connected differ-ently from the standard 3-circuit track. Instead of supplying power, two of the copper conductors are used to transmit the DALI signal (DA).

It doesn’t have to be coloured light! In the typical environs of a shopping mall with its high brightness level, dynamic lighting is an effective means of alerting the interest of customers.

In the Light Master module of the Light Studio software, dim-mable Light Clients also provide the option of “dynamic progression”, used here by “Reserved” for shop window effects.

DALIPLUG+PLAY


The nave can accommo-date up to 1,500 visitors. Standing in the centre of focus is a copy figure of Christ by Danish art-ist Bertel Thorvaldsen. Lighting is provided by discreetly mounted Optec spotlights and wallwashers on Monopoll DALI tack.

With a population of over 120,000, Stavanger is Norway’s fourth largest city. Together with Liverpool, it co-bears the title for the European Capital of Culture 2008. The 19th century St. Peter’s Church is one of the city’s architectural jewels, and following elaborate restoration, now serves as a venue for cultural events during the festival year.

The authorities of Stavanger commissioned the building of St. Peter’s Church in 1861 when the medieval cathedral became too small because of population growth. The Norwegian architect Conrad Fredrik von der Lippe (1833- 1901) built the neo-Romanesque sacred build-ing between 1864 and 1866. His design was heavily influenced by Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s Church of St. John in Berlin’s Moabit district, an architect with whom he had become acquainted during his studies in Germany.

In the years from 2004 to 2008 the church was given a thorough restoration in line with the strict standards for listed buildings. In par-ticular the nave’s unusual hammer-beam roof had to be extensively secured. Under the guid-ance of architect Helge Schjelderup, the church building was restored to its former glory in all its solemn, sombre beauty and, in addition, was also carefully modified and extended in order to enable flexible, contemporary usage. Thus, as well as providing regular church services, St. Peter’s also serves as an attractive concert hall with excellent acoustics and as a drop-in centre for people living on the fringes of society.

Even the original gas lanterns, now con -verted to use modern lamps, are once again in place within the church, albeit solely as the decorative component of light, known as “Play of Brilliants”, within a state-of-the-art, flexible lighting system – a system that can be adjusted to suit all usage scenarios and fully exploits the artistic possibilities of controlling the lighting with Light System DALI.

St. Peter’s Church, StavangerLiturgy of light with DALI

The DALI installation with numerous indi-vidually controllable Optec spotlights and wallwashers provides extreme flexibility and optimum visual comfort. The luminaires feature high cut-off angles and are also mounted far above the field of vision on Monopoll DALI track.

Religion and ritual are inseparable. Since time immemorial religious services have followed a fixed dramaturgy – or rather “liturgy”, to use Christian parlance. Noth-ing could be more fitting than to aug-ment the sequential order of service with the appropriate scenographic light. For such liturgical purposes and also for the increasing practice of using sacred build-ings for cultural events, the Light System DALI lighting control system is an ideal tool. The large number of individually addressable DALI Light Clients provides a variable and flexible matrix of luminaires that enables atmosphere, emphasis and spatial perception to be controlled over a wide range, while pre-defined light scenes can be easily and efficiently set up, saved and recalled either individually, in sequences or on a timer-controlled basis.

St. Peter’s was one of the first brick buildings in Stavanger, a city whose traditional wooden houses had often fallen victim to devastating blazes in the course of history.

The Light Studio software enables the Light System DALI installation to be set up and programmed on site. Once the scenes and sequences have been determined the laptop is no longer needed for everyday operation and the installation can be controlled solely by the Light Changer’s wall unit (see grey column above) or off-the-shelf switches and push-buttons.

Architects: Conrad Fredrik von der Lippe (1833-1901), Helge Schjelderup, Stavanger (Restoration)Lighting design: Erik Selmer (ELDA), Trondheim

Photos: Thomas Mayer, Neuss

The ELDA lighting designer Erik Selmer from Trondheim devel-oped the scenographic lighting concept in close cooperation with ERCO, the architects and monu-ment preservationists.

This sequence of images demonstrates how much the spatial perception can be influenced by dif-ferent lighting scenes.


Backlights

Oslo showroom openingOn the 14th of August 2008, the new ERCO showroom in the Norwegian capital of Oslo ceremo-niously opened its gates. Behind the historical, prestigiously illumi-nated facade on the Kirkegata road, architects and lighting designers now find modern premises. Here the Norwegian ERCO team offers a full range of architectural lighting services ranging from lighting con-sultation and provision of samples through to seminars and events.

ContactERCO Lighting ASKirkegata 50153 OsloPostboks 771 Sentrum0104 OsloNorway

Tel: +47 2414 8200Fax: +47 2414 8201Email: [email protected]

Milan showroom openingIn the Italian design capital of Milan, ERCO puts the accent on lighting design with a new, spa-cious showroom. Offices, confer-ence rooms and a mock-up area, complete with all the facilities for presenting luminaire samples, are nicely accommodated on two levels in a former industrial build-ing. Even the outdoor area of the “Edificio Sedici” in North Milan has been extensively redesigned. Scenically illuminated with ERCO outdoor luminaires, it now provides an attractive environment for com-panies from the creative branch. Together with clientele and other friends, ERCO Italy celebrated the opening on the 18th of September 2008 – here are some impressions of the celebrations and the new premises.

ContactERCO Illuminazione S.r.l.Viale Sarca 336 F20126 Milan Italy

Tel: +39 02 365 872 84Fax: +39 02 643 7831Email: [email protected]

The new showroom fulfils all the require-ments for continuing ERCO’s successful sales work in Norway. The large windows afford a deep “insight” into the offices inside and alert the inter-est of passers-by.

The richly ornamented Wilhelminian facade is scenically illuminated by Cylinder facade lumi-naires and Grasshopper LED projectors.

ERCO clientele and staff, together with friends and relatives, celebrated the showroom opening in a relaxed and casual atmosphere so typical of Scandinavia.

Mediterranean esprit set the tone for the opening celebrations. The event also extended into the spacious inner courtyard, scenically illuminated by ERCO outdoor luminaires. Staff from neighbouring workshops and studios also joined in the party (left). In the mock-up area of the new showroom, scenographic lighting effects can be presented whenever needed (right).

The organisation of the new offices is com-pletely geared towards the requirements of the Italian market, but the look is typically ERCO – as ERCO directors Britta Schreiter and Tim Henrik Maack were able to see for themselves (above).

E ERCO GmbHPostfach 246058505 LüdenscheidGermanyTel.: +49 2351 551 0Fax: +49 2351 551 [email protected]

Maritim Utescene, HaugesundWith its attractive surroundings and open-air stage, the small Norwegian harbour town of Haugesund regularly attracts up to 10,000 visitors to the open-air events. This is no fictional figure. The “Sildajazz” festival alone, held in Haugesund since 1987, recorded 50,000 visitors in 2008. The neigh-bouring Rica Maritim Hotel runs the facility. When there is no sched-uled evening event and to ensure that the striking white-clad stage-towers, located directly on the quay wall, are a spectacular sight, the designers combined ERCO’s Light System DALI with 16 Grasshopper varychrome LED projectors. The lighting produced enables a fasci-nating scenic dis play for the mini-mum power con sumption.

Architect: Opus Arkitekter, HaugesundElectrical design engineers: Cowi AS, Haugesund

www.hotelmaritim.no

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