Light for Outdoor and Architecture

A new time of day dawns as darkness falls. As cities grow, the night-time offers a wealth of social and economic opportunities. Life goes on long after sunset and can really thrive when the urban environment caters for the ever-changing spectrum of human behaviour. Zumtobel wants to give people their nocturnal environment back by supporting the optimum quality of life and human experience. We offer a highly versatile toolbox of light, which empowers our partners to enhance outdoor spaces and architecture with thoughtful, adaptive, multi-layered lighting concepts that are tailored to human needs...

Urban planners utilise the dynamic power of light. HARPA Reykjavik Concert Hall, Reykjavik | IS

Human experience Interactions with social and spatial surroundings shape our everyday life. Light makes these exchanges possible, even at night. The demands placed on outdoor lighting are just as diverse as people and their routines, changing depending on the time and the place. User-orientated outdoor lighting accompanies people through the night, enhancing the city landscape with an emotional element and thereby turning creating real urban experiences. Sustainability and sensitivity Sensitive lighting design combines important ecological factors with accurate and finely tuned directional lighting....

Active light: The scenario and its players The human scale of lighting design reflects the time and the location to truly focus on the individual. Periods of time defined by human expectations and activities The requirements for outdoor lighting change with the number of people present and the activities that they are engaged in. The night can be divided into four typical time periods. Early twilight The working day draws to a close. Many people have time to go for a stroll through the city or along the promenade, stopping for a drink, buying something from the shops or catching up with family...

Layers of light The night is just as rich and varied as the day. A lighting system that accompanies people through different activities at night therefore adapts chronologically to specific needs by shaping the particular outdoor space and enriching the night-time experience. The type and sequence of lighting scenes are defined in a kind of script. Just like on stage, lighting concepts skilfully harness the different layers of light to deliver the greatest effect. Merely illuminating horizontal areas is certainly not enough. The human line of vision primarily orientates towards vertical areas,...

Toolbox of light Urban outdoor lighting components The wide range of Zumtobel lighting tools caters for every layer of a lighting concept. Diverse optical systems are offered with simple and flexible mounting. Designers can call on a vast range of options to create flexible lighting concepts, blending precision with high levels of visual comfort and maximising the three-dimensional aspects of a space by utilising both horizontal and vertical light components. Another feature of the solutions from Zumtobel is the consistent and integrative design language that permeates the whole portfolio. Lighting...

“To fulfil the complex and varied lighting demands within ‘nocturnal urban development’, we need lighting tools that are designed as a family, but versatile enough to meet basic illumination standards whilst simultaneously delivering dynamic lighting scenes. Multi-layered user scenarios play with changing brightness levels, colour temperatures and light atmospheres.” Uwe Belzner, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. TU Light Design Engineering AG, Eschen | LI LDE Belzner Holmes, Stuttgart

Active light scenario: Station and park Need for safety and orientation Green areas in towns and cities are extremely popular when it comes to relaxing or getting close to nature. Even commuters who travel by bus or train like to use parks as a pleasant shortcut to reach their destination. These so-called “non-places” are characterised by an anonymous atmosphere and relatively little interaction. The right light can encourage social exchanges and increase the feeling of safety. Late evenin

Just before sunrise Late evening The park is full of life and the train station is busy. Soft light along traffic routes offers orientation and safety and trees lit vertically improve spatial perception. The station can be seen from all around thanks to its well-illuminated façade. Other softly accentuated buildings complete the nocturnal cityscape. Middle of the night The star-lit sky is at its brilliant best. Only a few people are still crossing the park, accompanied by adaptive light. Vertical illumination of the trees along the main paths provides orientation and a feeling of safety. The...

Active light scenario: Urban space Nocturnal meeting places Public places are at the centre of urban life. They can be havens of peace, lively meeting places or even just spaces to be passed through on the way to a destination. People with varying needs frequent these places. City planners have certain ideas as to how these places can be used as social spaces. This complex blend demands a flexible and tailored lighting concept. On the other hand, functionality is the main focus in smaller streets. Here it is important to guide people to their destination with maximum visual comfort. Late evening...

Late evening People meet up and enjoy the city. The well-lit pavements and streets are still a hive of activity. The square and adjoining buildings are softly lit for general safety and orientation. Dynamic light encourages social interaction in certain areas. Accentuated vertical luminance puts the focus on historical buildings and artistic objects. Middle of the night Only a few people can be found in the softly lit square. Many of these are heading home, with the trees illuminated to help guide their way. Prominent street furniture and vertical building surfaces are also gently lit to boost...

Active light scenario: Promenade An invitation to take a stroll Conventional outdoor lighting Every ecosystem is balanced by the natural shift from day to night. Sustainable lighting design reacts sensitively to the needs of plants and animals. Lighting that is reduced in terms of time and area provides a balanced ratio of support for nocturnal users. The prime element of water enables fascinating dynamic light scenes through reflections, helping trigger positive emotions. Light from traditional mast luminaires only illuminates streets and pathways horizontally. However, advanced outdoor lighting...