Page 50 - ELEMENTS EUROPA (EN)

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ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING

THE LANTERN’S LIGHTING IN THE ATRIUM GREAT CONFERENCE HALL LIGHTS

In the initial project, the lantern was supposed to be In the conference halls, the initial project consisted of gyrating
visible from the outside by equipping all glazing elements lamp sets integrated into the acoustic felt-covered ceiling elliptic
with individual colour-changing lamps. This installation was layout. The reflection leading to a layout cassette ceiling on a
supposed to allow images, potentially moving ones, and each 60 x 60 cm orthogonal mesh naturally included the lighting
glazing element to turn into one of their pixels. system. The lamp tracks quickly became fixed and their number
was increased to maintain the appropriate covering for all
Due to considerations based on the rationalisation of the conference tables, avoiding the supported shadows of the upper
execution process, energy consumption and cost, the project slab tie rods. From now on, lamp tracks only mould ellipses
was simplified. The installation created is much simpler and approximately: this unpredictable touch fits the straight but
more discrete but also more urban and correct too when moving lines of the polychromatic ceiling perfectly.
you think about it. Indeed, rather than using the lantern as a
support for a series of meaningful images, it tries to express A set of integrated lights, equipped with high-performance
the presence of its very form not only within the city but also reflectors, 35 W and 3,000°K metal halide lamps and low-glare
in time, like some sort of urban beacon. optical systems (UGR < 19) provide the overall lights.

Lamp tracks are placed vertically on the internal glazing stops A series of gyrating lamps is also placed on the hall’s peripheral
of the atrium’s northern double facade and shedding their passageway and lights up the coloured ceiling. It was originally
uniform white light horizontally upon the lantern. The intensity planned that a series of the same lamps along the central ring,
and temperature of the light’s colour are adjusted according to linking the upper floor slab tie rods, would be installed but they
natural light variations as days and seasons go by. Besides, this were never set up to make the installation lighter as the reflected
light and shade minimalist “message” is much better suited to light and peripheral lamps were enough to reveal how the ceiling
seeing through the patchwork than a detailed image. colours gleam.

Only the sections of the double facade corresponding to Various lighting possibilities have also been planned to
the horizontal projection of the lantern on it are equipped adjust the fading level either for standard use or for TV filming
with LED modules in order to concentrate all lights on it alone. conditions.
Their fixations on the glazing stops are completely invisible.

The lamp tracks are made up of a 1,770 mm long aluminium
extruded profiles, equipped with 4 LED modules covered with
a microprismatic diffuser. These modules include two types of
temperature coloured LEDs: hot white (3,000°K) and cold white
(5,000°K). A DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) system
makes it possible to measure out the coloured temperature
between those two values as well as luminous intensity. For
instance, these two settings may constantly vary from cold and
intense during the day to hot and softened in the evening and
at night. Another possibility is to modify intensity at a relatively
fast pace (less than a minute), so as to suggest a pulsation idea:
Europa’s beating heart.

In the background of the atrium, vertical lamp tracks light
up the two facades framing the lantern in hot white light. The
contrast between the white silk screen printed glass and the
warm wood tone enhances the perception of the scene’s depth.