Rome
CITY AND LIGHT
LIGHT IS AN INCREDIBLE TOOL...
IT SERVES TO IDENTIFY, GUIDE, FIND DIRECTION, EMPHASISE, ASSERT, UNDERSTAND, DECORATE, INCREASE
SAFETY... TO ILLUMINATE.
city and light
The Eternal City deserves a night-time image equal to the emotions it evokes during
the day. Rome made history, Rome is history. Every square metre in the heart of this
city speaks of the past, and in every quarter stones carved for eternity crop up here
and there.
At night, urban lighting must take over from the sun and lend itself to the emotion this
city exudes. The lighting must instinctively guide visitors and transport them into time
and space.
Schréder has applied several of its latest developments to enhance the night-time
image of Rome.
Just as it did for numerous cities all over the world, Schréder consulted the various
representatives and decision-makers responsible for the city’s future.
We went to meet two key figures: Corrado Terzi, co-author of the lighting plan for
Rome, and Remo Guerrini, project manager at ACEA (the organisation responsible for,
among other things, public lighting in Rome).
Both of them told us of their vision of Rome by night, from an architectural as well as
technical point of view.
rome
How has the night-time image of Rome changed since the 1970s,
when the political authorities began to take an interest in this
matter?
At the time, people first thought that Rome should be a festive city, a continuous show
with jugglers and other nocturnal entertainment, a Parisian vision of a town at night.
This helped Romans to realise that life didn’t stop when the sun went down. Then, in
the 1980s, people started understanding that lighting was an essential tool in order to
achieve this objective.
Corrado TERZI,
architect at the agency
Annunziata & Terzi.
With Adriana Annunziata,
he is the co-designer of
Rome’s General
Lighting Plan.
In 1995, the authorities came to us. We started by making an inventory of the city’s
spaces, a morphological and architectural study of the archaeological sites and
streets, quarters, perspectives, etc. Based on this analysis, we wanted to give a sense
to all this using coherent lighting based on the illumination of the urban landscape
through the creation of interactions between street lighting and lighted structures.
With all its historical character, Rome doesn’t need to be “recreated” by light.
Whoever visits Rome or lives there must be able to use his or her imagination. The
night isn’t a problem to be fought at all costs. Today, we have managed to apply this
concept in phases and through small specific interventions.
This has proved very positive.
What is the attitude of Italian cities in relation to lighting?
Milan, Turin and Rome all have universities offering in-depth studies in lighting.
Lighting plans are beginning to be implemented, as in Turin for example, a city which
has been at the forefront of this domain since the 1980s. But the second lighting plan,
which is more advanced as regards method, is Rome’s; I designed it with Adriana
Annunziata.
thylia µR®
Do you think that Italian architects are sufficiently aware of
the importance of well-designed lighting?
In Italy, it’s very difficult to persuade customers that they should have a budget for
lighting. Quite often, a project manager will buy all the luminaires and then go to the
lighting designer to ask him or her to “do something” with them. But you don’t call the
head chef when the meal has already been served!
What is the future outlook for urban lighting in Italy?
Currently in Italy, there is a law to help fight light pollution, but these are only technical
considerations. There is no real implementation of a “lighting culture”. We can,
however, see some developments and we’re starting to call upon major lighting
designers. Rome should definitely pursue this line. With its wonderful heritage, Rome
could become a major lighting laboratory where we could study solutions adapted
to major historical cities. And these solutions need to be worked on in symbiosis by
designers and manufacturers. This is a major challenge for Rome and I hope that it will
be successful.
Spacing: 25 m
1659 µR®
1659 µR®
1659 µR® 1659 µR®
1754 µR®
1754 µR®
8,1 m
8,1 m
6,2 m
2,5 m
10,0 m
LAV = 2,2 cd/m2
14,0 m
EAV = 32 lux
10,0 m
2,5 m
LAV = 2,2 cd/m2
Via Appia
thylia µR®
michel tortel
In addition to its many
post and bracket arm
configurations,
the Thylia range now
includes a series of
street furniture items.
The Thylia µR® (micro-reflector) lights one of the oldest main roads in Rome, the Via
Appia. By using the miniaturised reflector, it was possible to reduce the size of the
luminaire to a minimal form. This specific characteristic of the luminaire perfectly
meets the initial objectives of this plant-like design: elegance and discretion that
blends into the architectural landscape of the city.
The Thylia range offers several white light photometric solutions up to 150 W. On the
Via Appia, the road is lit using a 1659 µR® reflector (longitudinal distribution), while
a 1754 µR® optical compartment (transversal distribution) was chosen for the central
section. For certain configurations, a partly sandblasted protector is also available as
an option to soften the light diffused and to maximise visual comfort.
1754 µR® reflector
1659 µR® reflector
In the Artusi park on the
outskirts of Rome, another
configuration from the Thylia
range has been selected.
francesca µR®
pininfarina
The Francesca, is a curve. A perfect curve created by the famous Italian designer,
Pininfarina. Using the µR® (micro-reflector), the designer was able to achieve this
pure, simple and efficient form thanks to almost no restrictions regarding the size of
the optical compartment. Two lighting columns are available for the Francesca - 4.5 m
or 6 m - and a wall bracket for metal halide lamps, with ceramic arc tubes of up to 150 W.
The Francesca truly deserved an environment to match it. In Rome, it is the sidewalks
of the prestigious Via Vittorio Veneto that have given a home to this curve of light,
aluminium and glass.
1160
1510
6m
4,5m
hestia µR®
micro and midi
elizabeth de portzamparc
Two sizes of luminaire: Micro, equipped with the µR®
(micro-reflector) for metal halide lamps with ceramic arc
tubes of up to 150 W, or Midi, which can house highpressure sodium lamps of up to 250 W. Two types of support are also available: Condor, with a single or double
bracket and Oléron, with a small single bracket.
Thanks to this complementarity with the same aesthetic
coherence, it was possible to provide the lighting for one
of the main traffic interchanges leading to the centre of
Rome, the Largo Tintoretto. The Hestia luminaires provide an undeniable architectural character to this heavily
used entrance to the city.
The Hestia µR ® Micro is installed on the Oléron lighting column (single configuration) and the Hestia Midi on
the Condor lighting column (double configuration).
H
H
H
H
LL
Micro: L 715
H 125
Oléron
L
L
Midi: L 927
H 165
Condor
floodlights
NEOS 2
WITH A B7 OPTICAL
COMPARTMENT
The Neos floodlight range comes in three sizes with a
wide variety of optical compartments to suit every type
of application, both in terms of floodlighting and public
lighting. In this park on the outskirts of Rome, the Neos 2
was equipped with a B7 optical block with a metal halide
lamp using a 70 W ceramic arc tube.
The B7 reflector provides extensive light distribution
particularly suited to the lighting of cycle paths.
Multiple reflectors, numerous
light sources, a sober design,
discreet and ultra-flat,
the Corus, only 90 mm thick,
blends into the architecture
during the day to better
enhance it at night.
It was this floodlight that
the designers chose to light
the most illustrious of Roman
monuments, the Coliseum.
Installed at a height
of 4.5 metres and at
25 to 30-metre
intervals (6 x the
height), the Neos 2s
with a B7 optical
compartment provide
a lighting level of
10 lux and an average
uniformity
of 30%.
NEOS 1
NEOS 2
CORUS
NEOS 3
How was the µR ® micro-reflector developed by Schréder
perceived when the first Thylia, Hestia and Francesca
installations were put up in the city?
We first introduced this miniaturised reflector on the Via Appia. It was the first use of
a luminaire with a well-defined avant-garde design, which was in line with our desire
for renewal. In addition to the design, we were impressed by the high photometric
performance of such a small optical compartment. What surprised us most was the
excellent level of uniformity achieved on the Via Appia.
Remo GUERRINI,
Project Manager at
ACEA, the organisation
responsible for, among
other things, public
lighting in Rome.
Rome is a city that is mainly lit using yellow light, with
high-pressure sodium sources. Why - with these recent
installations - did you choose solutions using white light?
For the time being, these installations should be considered as possibilities,
experiments. Through these pilot installations, we are going to measure the
parameters linked to cost and the lifetime of the light sources. In our technical
department, we think we will probably choose white light for sites where there
are mainly commercial or tourist activities, where optimal chromatic performance
is truly important.
How does Rome compare with other European
cities which have begun implementing lighting
plans?
Rome is constantly evolving. We are trying to give the city
major urban design value using light.
That said, Rome doesn’t really need external models. It’s
difficult to find references elsewhere considering its very
particular architectural character. No other city has as many
complex, rich and fascinating archaeological areas as Rome.
Here, we are looking to create a harmonious balance between
shapes and lighting: discreet lighting to arouse the
imagination of the inhabitants and visitors. There’s no point in
having a large amount of light if it is not used carefully. On the
outskirts of Rome, we realised that people were complaining
of “bad” lighting when in reality, this lighting was out of
proportion, with levels exceeding the relevant standards.
Is the city convinced of the necessity of
having well designed, quality lighting?
Yes, it’s essential. For the Jubilee in 2000, we defined routes
around the historical sites using white light. This work was
acknowledged by numerous members of the public who went
straight for these paths of light crossing the city.
the urban light
www.schreder.com