Saxo Reactive Ceiling 2011, Denmark, Hellerup

Martin LED Reactive Ceiling at Saxo Bank Headquarters

A unique reactive ceiling of color and light adds a compelling visual element to the refined interior at Saxo Bank headquarters in Hellerup, Denmark, as waves of light from Martin Professional LED sources embrace visitors and employees in an interactive light experience. The installation, a novel example of ‘enhanced brand ambience’, highlights the dynamic interplay in everyday activities while shedding light on Saxo Bank as a modern and innovative company.

The Saxo Bank reactive ceiling at its Danish headquarters in Hellerup is made up of 2,400 Martin Professional FlexDOT™ LED light sources installed in a hallway that connects the Bank’s foyer with meeting rooms. The project’s stated aim was to create a colorful and spectacular 'light source' integrated into the architecture. Architectural firm Kollision employed multiple lines of RGB LEDs along the curved walls of the passageway using FlexDOT in the ceiling as the primary light source. Various lighting designs are brought to life, expressions like 'Aurora Borealis,' ‘Snakes’ of light or ‘Wash’ fades. Also, visitors encounter reactive aspects of the design as meeting room doors open and close, sending pulses of light that grow and spread on the surface of the ceiling. Finally, an informative and independent layer of light signals if a meeting room is occupied by illuminating two distinct red dots above the door. “We see a dynamic light solution as a powerful way to emphasize a positive interplay between the actual space and the users,” states Rune Nielsen, architect and partner in Kollision, the primary lighting designer on the installation who also designed the ceiling itself. “We refer to this as Enhanced Brand Ambience. The idea is to create an experience-oriented and - in many ways - more colorful architecture that supports a dynamic interplay with everyday activities, which in the end sheds light on Saxo Bank as a modern and innovative company.”

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Details

Building or project owner : Saxo Bank

Architecture : Christian Lund

Project artist/ concept/ design/ planning : Kollision

Light design : Kollision

Light hardware (LED hardware) : Martin Professional FlexDOT™ LED light sources

Lighting control software : Medialon show controller; iOS control app

Descriptions

Facade type and geometry (structure) : The FlexDOT LED light sources - lightweight yet bright (RGB) LEDs that are individually controllable via DMX512 - are distributed along 18 lines of 133 light sources each. Emphasizing the architectural form, the light sources run the length of the curved passageway. On closer inspection, the individual radiance of the light sources is propagated by acrylic tubes that protrude through precisely cut openings in the ceiling.

Kind of light creation : 2,400 Martin Professional FlexDOT™ LED light sources installed in a hallway

Pixel distance : 18 lines of 133 light sources each

Luminace : 2.5 cd per pixel

Urban situation : hallway of Saxo Bank headquarters

Participatory architecture & urban interaction

Mediacredits