LED pour l’art
Municipal gallery in Munich's Lenbachhaus to be renovated with comprehensive LED lighting
The renovation work on Villa Franz von Lenbachs in Munich has been under way since the spring of 2009. Designed in the style of a Tuscan country house, the building has been open to the public for over 100 years and is a unique attraction for art lovers, showing works by Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, the "Blauer Reiter" art group and many other pieces. The municipal gallery in the Lenbachhaus will be using energy-efficient and flexible LED light in future, giving its collection of brilliant works the chance to shine in an equally brilliant light. The lighting system is currently being installed in collaboration with OSRAM.
The shed lamps use more than 100,000 OSLON SSL in different colors. They will be integrated in the complex dry construction of the exhibition rooms so that they are not visible to museum visitors.
At the end of March 2011, the Munich city council approved the plans to light the museum with innovative LED technology. OSRAM Lighting Services – Lighting Design prepared the conceptual design in collaboration with the Dietmar Tanterl Studio and the engineering firm Bamberger. The central idea of the concept is to bring out every nuance of color in the exhibits through targeted lighting with perfectly calibrated white LED light. The ideal mix of warm white and cool white RGB light emitting diodes lays the basis for this effect.
Creating an atmosphere
The technology behind the LED concept is based on the use of over 100,000 OSLON SSL light emitting diodes from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. With an output of 100 lm/W and high current capability, the LEDs are not only exceptionally efficient but also boast a high illuminance and outstanding color brilliance. A CRI of well over 90 can be achieved with OSLON SSL LEDs. Teaming the lamps with a smart control system ensures maximum flexibility: by combining different colored LEDs, the light ambience can be infinitely varied – creating lighting effects that art lovers will appreciate for a long time to come.
A three-fold enhancement
The Lenbachhaus is to be enhanced with three different LED lighting systems: the old building will be fitted with glare-free LED cove lighting, which will evenly brighten all of the walls. On the first floor, a wide-area LED light ceiling will create natural-looking daylight. And finally, on the second floor, the skylight installed there will reflect the light from LED shed lamps. This will avoid the direct illumination of the works of art while creating an optimum mix of artificial light and daylight. The shed lamps themselves will be practically invisible to visitors.
Lighting the way
The Lenbachhaus will be the first museum in Germany to have fully converted to LED lighting, setting new quality standards for the illumination of art museums. The efficient light emitting diodes intensify the viewing experience: LED light can be adapted to resemble candlelight, incandescent lamp light or daylight, reflecting the setting in which the artists viewed their own works during the creative process. And because LEDs fully comply with all the conservational requirements, the exhibits can continue to shine in the best possible light in the future, too.