FLASH issue 16 - Tridonic connection technology

Since January 2007, the company has been
selling not only hardware but also solutions
at its prestigious two-storey building at
Ernst-Reuter-Platz in Berlin. The building has
a total floor space of 1,500 m 2 . The first floor
accommodates various lounge rooms and a
café, which adds to the relaxed atmosphere
that is expected from a company that sells
digital lifestyle products.
Light as a design element
According to Wolf Lindau, Managing Director
of the Berlin based Expo Norm Lindau KG,
the company responsible for the interior design,
this relaxed atmosphere is enhanced by the
light grey furniture and the complementary
lighting. By day, a large amount of natural light
enters through the generously dimensioned
windows, to which an appropriate amount
of glare-free artificial light is added to create
a bright friendly atmosphere. This artificial light
is provided by 19 ceiling units on both floors,
with just a few halogen spotlights mounted
on power rails close to the product displays.
Located behind the stretch ceilings are fluorescent
lamps in daylight white and also in red,
green and blue. These lamps combine well with
the white walls and light grey carpets to conjure
up a fee-good atmosphere. They also provide
the basis for mood lighting through RGB colour
mixing – an option that is used outside normal
opening hours and also for special events.
From 10 o’clock at night to 2 o’clock in the
morning, the building, which is set back from
the road by about 20 meters, stands out
from other buildings thanks to dynamic colour
change lighting. To ensure that these colour
changes are seen by drivers as they speed
past, the colours have to change very rapidly.
The blinds which are overprinted with images
from the world of computing and which protect
the store from the full glare of the sun along its
broad frontage are backlit with vibrant colours.
The resulting outward effect ensures that the
Gravis flagship store attracts a lot of attention.
Ceiling units create a feel-good atmosphere in the Gravis flagship store
For events such as concerts and presentations, Attached to the frame are luminaires with freeburning
T8 fluorescent lamps. In front of them
however, the entire space is bathed in a single
colour. The intensity of this colour changes is a translucent “04011 Blanc Venus” stretch
with slow fade times, at more or less the same ceiling from Barrisol which has been manufactured
to the required dimensions at the factory
frequency as someone breathing in and out.
The inspiration for this scenario is a small LED and installed with all-round beading in fixed
on the Apple Powerbook that flashes slowly rails. This ensures that the lighting for the room
when the computer is idle.
is both uniform and pleasant.
The ceiling units ensure that the coloured Perfect control
lighting scenarios have a homogenous effect The basis for the various lighting scenarios is
and provide uniform high-quality lighting while provided by around 3,200 T5 fluorescent lamps
during normal store opening hours.
in red, green, blue and white operated on
digital dimmable PCA 2/58 ECO ballasts from
Lighting with know-how
TridonicAtco. These are a cost-effective solution
For the ceiling units, which measure up to if individual addressing is not required and a
4.5 m x 4.5 m, Neon-Müller Dresden GmbH large number of devices have to be connected
has developed a self-supporting frame system. to one another. The digital serial interface (DSI)
This can be adapted to the various dimensions is one of the control options for PCA ECO
of the ceiling grid and has sufficient carrying ballasts. 78 DALI addresses are assigned to
capacity to take numerous light sources. the 1,643 digital dimmable PCA ECO units.
The individual modules can be combined These addresses are selected directly on the
and are equipped with support elements that 39 DALI/DSI II converters.
can be adjusted in the vertical and horizontal
directions, giving enormous flexibility for the
specific installation site.
FLASH Issue 16
www.tridonicatco.com 9