FLASH issue 16 - Tridonic connection technology

EC and OMBIS ballasts
for outdoor applications
Responsibility
Providing new modern office space while retaining a city’s historic
appearance is always a major challenge. The Arconati1 building in
Milan and the Mondrian building in Brussels are two examples of where
this challenge has been successfully met as they both enhance their
city center surroundings.
The complex now offers 13,000 m 2 of floor space with high levels
of efficiency and flexibility, providing the basis for open-plan offices,
individual offices and conference rooms.
These buildings stand out during the day for their eye-catching
architecture, and then again at night thanks to sympathetic lighting.
The lighting has to withstand everything that the weather can
throw at it, and the robustness and the high-quality engineering
of TridonicAtco ballasts play an important role here.
Pretty city
The quarter near the former railway station of “Porta Vittoria” in Milan
has undergone a major refurbishment scheme. One of the projects in
this scheme was the modern Arconati1 office complex in which a square
seven-storey building and a rectangular four-storey building are joined
by a new glazed section.
The special feature of this project is that the original structure of
the two buildings from the 1960s was retained with their interplay
of open and closed surfaces. To create office space that met present
day requirements the interior was completely gutted.
The project architects, Progetto CMR, have created a contemporary
Mediterranean look with “transparency” towards the city and interplay
between natural and artificial light. The “full surfaces” of the vented
façade consist of terracotta elements; the same material is used in
the shading systems. The glass link with its small courtyard provides
a dynamic, semi-private atmosphere and offers a passageway for
the public to the parallel Via Arconati.
Both sections of the Arconati1 building are framed by a metal structure,
like an arbour. Its composition supplements the overall structure and
creates a space for meeting and greeting, with the relationship between
the interior and exterior space enhanced by a large terrace that offers
an impressive panorama of the city. Attached to this metal structure at
the top and at the individual floor levels there are Mintechno spotlights
from Simes with a beam angle of 8° and elliptical lens and spots with a
beam angle of 22° and wide-dispersion lens to create variable accent
lighting. Techno rectangular floodlights with wide-beam and spotlight
characteristics located at the top end of the terracotta elements
supplement the components for harmonious and stylish presentation
of Arconati1. All the IP 65 luminaires in the Techno family from the Italian
manufacturer Simes SPA of Corte Franca near Brescia are equipped
with 35 W or 150 W metal halide lamps operated as per specification
with ballasts in the OM series with the new ZRM ES/C series of ignitors
from TridonicAtco.
These are complemented by dots of light from Sparks recessed floor
luminaires. This lighting concept makes the Arconati1 complex shine
out at night like a monument.
FLASH Issue 16
www.tridonicatco.com 29