Libeskind for Lunenburg. Designed by “starchitect” Daniel Libeskind, the new main building at the Leuphana University was officially unveiled at an opening ceremony in March 2017 and now protrudes into the sky confidently and splendidly above the Lunenburg Heath. Light for the entrance hall and for many of the traffic areas, research and seminar rooms is provided by flexible Selux M-family pendant and recessed LED luminaires in different lengths – from 40 cm to 24 metres, equipped with various added extras like LED spots, tracks and security lights.

The building incorporates a shiny outer shell, numerous diagonals and unusual shaped windows, all hallmarks of Daniel Libeskind’s typical architectural style. The diagonals are a symbolic reference to the history of the location since the campus is located on the grounds of a barracks that was built in the 1930s, which was characterised by a highly orthogonal structure. Now the new building accommodates a student centre with a cafeteria and offices, a seminar centre with various workshop or seminar rooms, a research centre and a lecture theatre that provides space for 1,100 people.

How best to illuminate the architecture of a building with highly complex room structures? This was the question facing planners. Libeskind’s architectural language was already well known to Selux, our engineers having first worked with him in 1999 during the construction of the new Jewish Museum in Berlin. Across wide areas, light planners have opted here for the modular M-family in profile widths of 60 mm and 100 mm. Whether pendant or recessed, single luminaire or linear light fixture – the reserved, linear lighting solution ideally complements the minimalist architecture while at the same time ensuring pleasant, glareless light. The M-family also enables optimal light quality in the spacious atrium, which is dynamically criss-crossed by stairs and bridges, and a high level of efficiency even at great heights.

A special feature of the linear light fixtures is the diagonal end brackets aligned parallel to the wall while the acrylic diffuser houses a special lens optics system with microsprims to reduce direct and indirect glare. With their pointcast light, the spots built into the luminaire profile fitted with retrofit LED lamps provide further lighting design accents, while the luminaire’s functionality is supplemented by the full range of integrated optional extras such as 3-phase tracks, smoke detectors, DALI light control, presence and motion sensors and security lighting, enabling each individual lighting solution to be precisely geared to the relevant room situation and use. Overall around 2,500 running metres of linear light fixtures are installed in various lengths, ensuring glareless general lighting in public spaces, corridors and seminar rooms.

buyer: Leuphana University Foundation
architect: rw+ Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH
lighting designer: Studio Dinnebier, Berlin
design: Prof. Daniel Libeskind
general contractor: University of Lüneburg
electrical planning: Emutec GmbH, Norderstedt
electrical installation: R+S solutions GmbH, Lübeck
photographer: Till Schuster