Zumtobel accentuates the magical atmosphere of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall in Hamburg with a tailored lighting solution that uniquely brings the heart of this spectacular concert hall to life. Zumtobel has referenced the architectural philosophy of combining old and new by working closely with the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and the glass designer Detlef Tanz from Wegberg to carefully craft 1200 hand-blown glass ball luminaires. Paying homage to the nearby River Elbe, the fittings appear like light-filled water bubbles emerging from the undulating acoustic ceiling. The combination of traditional craftsmanship and modern LED technology made the development of this lighting solution a special challenge for Zumtobel. The result is a custom-made luminaire with an especially attractive appearance, which uses a colour temperature of 2700 K to create an emotive atmosphere in the room. The ball fittings are seamlessly dimmable via DMX controls and fully compatible with HDTV, meaning that video recordings made in the concert hall are completely flicker-free.

The Plaza features a further 870 machine-made plastic ball luminaires. These LED solutions are grouped in diamond shapes and provide pleasant warm-white general illumination. Zumtobel developed another customised luminaire specifically for the foyer and the cloakroom in front of the concert hall. This hybrid product incorporates a hand-crafted fluorescent fitting with an RGB LED module, which can be separately controlled using a DALI interface. Depending on the particular event, this means that the 750 luminaires can be individually adjusted to create poignant effect lighting.

Zumtobel has also used a number of established standard luminaires in the Elbe Philharmonic Hall. Track-mounted DIAMO and VIVO spotlights controlled by LITECOM provide general illumination in the Störtebecker restaurant. Furthermore, PANOS infinity guarantees homogenous basic lighting in the hallways and conference rooms of the Westin Hotel.

Architect: Herzog & de Meuron (CH)
Lighting design: Ulrike Brandi Licht, Hamburg (DE)