no. 3
2013
creative perspectives on indoor lighting solutions
creativity
in focus
CATCHING FIRE
Fagerhult and Ingegerd
Råman making magic
CREATIVE
LIGHTING:
DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
INTERVIEW:
Light, colour and creativity
according to Karl Ryberg
Future office
Petteri Kolinen
about ABO
THE BLUE PLANET
ART IN THE ARCHIPELAGO
LIGHT PLANNING + INSPIRATION
Inspiration, light and
creativity
dear reader, we see you as a creative person who is
very passionate about innovative lighting solutions.
So are we at Fagerhult! That’s why we have dedicated
this issue of the Innovator Magazine to the creative
people who truly innovate and inspire others.
Read about the amazing Blue Planet with its
organic, curved lines, beautifully enhanced by the
lighting. The psychologist Karl Rydberg explains how
colours influence the human brain, Henrik Clausen
guides us through the six emotions of lighting design,
and Charlotta Mellander shows how companies can
prepare for a new dynamic generation in an article
about the Creative Class. We have also filled the
magazine with inspiration and ideas from lighting
designer Robert Jan Vos, design engineer Andreas
Gustavsson, light advisor Jeannett Kristjánsson, industrial designer Christian Andresen, designer and artist
Ingegerd Råman and the creative light artist Jason
Bruges.
Lighting technology is developing rapidly,
creating exciting opportunities for light planning.
We have therefore included an article with examples
from Fagerhult’s broad range, which offer opportunities for new, unique expressions.
I’m also delighted to announce the launch of
Fagerhult’s Creative Lab™, which has been designed
to inspire and support you in your creative work. The
Creative Lab™ covers the creative process, examples of
designing and lighting rooms for creativity, innovative
products, inspiring projects and updates on trends
and research.
Happy reading!
Elisabeth Back
Head of Products and Brands – Fagerhult
publisher:
Fagerhult Belysning AB
Åvägen 1, SE 566 80, Habo, Sweden
Phone: +46 36 10 85 00
www.fagerhult.com
editorial team:
Klas Andersson, [email protected]
Cindy Hoetmer, [email protected]
Scott Allen, [email protected]
Henrik Clausen, [email protected]
graphic design:
Simon Ackeby, [email protected]
cover photo:
Jesper Anhede
Spira – Catching fire.
// 50
In this issue
NO. 3, 2013
No compromise – The Blue Planet
Northern Europe's largest aquarium
4
Jason Bruges – Creative light-artist
Light as a primary source of expression
42
Light and colour are software for the brain
Karl Ryberg about colours and creativity
8
Light planning with opal surfaces
Unlimited possibilities with LED
48
Centre of Psychiatry; Creative colourwork
A happy place made of colour and light
12
Catching fire
A collaboration with Ingegerd Råman
50
Labelling the light
The six emotions of lighting design
16
Light increases creativity
The importance of ambient light
56
The Creative Class is here to change the game
Prepare to be open-minded
20
Creative lighting without limits
Exciting references of light
60
A B O. The three letters of the future workplace
New and flexible ways of working
22
Visiting Copenhagen and PLDC?
Welcome to the Fagerhult Creative Lab™!
66
Creative Collaborations
How the tales of lighting come true
26
Light and art in the Artipelag
An unique piece of architecture
36
Electric Light – The fairy of art
Electric light as art
40
the innovator
x4
Photo: Adam Mørk – 3XN
No compromise
– The Blue Planet
The Blue Planet is the largest aquarium in northern Europe, with more than 20 000
animals living in 7 million litres of water. From the outside, it’s all about organic, curved
lines beautifully enhanced by the lighting. The lights attract the visitors, leading them
through the vast parking space surrounding the sphere. It's a conspicuous landmark,
effective but still carefully lit up not to conflict with the nearby airport.
original text helle hartmann nielsen | photo tom jersø and adam mørk | published in the magazine “byggeri & arkitektur” #51
when the blue planet in Kastrup, north
of Copenhagen, was projected lighting
was integrated as a central element
of the architecture. The impressively
lit exterior was created in a collaboration between lighting designer Jesper
Kongshaug and Fagerhult. The aim was
to use innovative lighting technology
and turn it into an artform – with exceptional functionality.
close collaboration
Fagerhult’s lighting consultant Jeannett Kristjánsson tells the story of this
intriguing project:
”It’s been a fantastic experience to
work with this beautiful and demanding prestigious development. It’s been
a long but exciting process and I’ve
found the collaboration with Jesper
Kongshaug Architectural Lighting most
inspiring.
The lighting plays an important role
inside and outside the aquarium, an
no compromise – the blue planet
essential element in forming the overall
impression and for the visitor’s experience – it sends a clear signal to the
surroundings. But it also plays an important part in the building’s functionality
and facilitates every day work.”
swirling geometry
The 600 parking lots are illuminated by
3,5 metre high Column bollards from
Italian brand SIMES, whose products
Fagerhult represent in the Nordic
countries.
”Bollards usually have the height
of one metre. Here, to avoid glare, we
have been forced to think differently. We
didn’t want the masts to draw attention from the building. We have also
provided a range of low bollards at knee
height to the outdoor area.
Along the access ramp to the main
entrance, we have used built-in lighting fixtures in the low concrete walls”,
continues Jeannett Kristjánsson.
”Finally, we have delivered lighting
solutions to the four pylons that shower
the Blue Planet in light during night
time. It’s a special combination of blue
and white light that enlightens the
charismatic architecture and swirling
geometry; creating an illusion of flowing water in blue and white. Without
causing glare or being overwhelming.
Here, we have used 400 watt metal
halides and LED spotlights; 'Focus' also
from SIMES.”
advanced tools
The entire exterior lighting was grounded in the lighting designer's creative
vision. The solutions have been carefully
evaluated in advance, in collaboration
with Fagerhult – using powerful 3D
visualization. For less complex projects
it might sometimes be enough to make
a simple light calculation, product
selection and implementation”, explains
Jeannett.
5
Photos on this page by Tom Jersø.
no compromise – the blue planet
x6
”The Blue Planet” demanded very
advanced tools, as we wanted to experiment with different ways to match the
lighting designers desires and thoughts.
We also needed these tools to come up
with a solution that met the functional
requirements and that did not bother
the air traffic in the area or create light
pollution in general.”
architectural lighting
Good teamwork was required, within
Fagerhult as well as with the lighting
designer. Jesper Kongshaug has been
deeply involved in the process, from
planning to implementation.
”Indoors, Fagerhult supplied 'Ray', a
luminaire in a customised design which
is integrated into the beautiful lamella
ceiling from Tripplex. In the corridors we
have used downlight fixtures from our
Pleiad series. The luminaires are invisible
until the moment they are switched on.”
Jesper Kongshaug is focusing on
architectural lighting, and in addition to
the outdoor lighting design he created a
variety of solutions and light experi-
Photos on this spread by Adam Mørk – 3XN.
no compromise – the blue planet
ences inside the aquarium:
”The developer and the architect
made it clear from the start; this project
was not to be visually compromised in
any way”, he underlines.
”It has been a rewarding assignment and also one of my longest –
stretching over four years. The developer
prioritised costs in the lighting solution
but without compromising on the way
it combines sustainability with energy
saving, functionality and expression. For
example, in the middle of the process
we realised just how expensive good
quality lighting LED-fixtures are – they
didn’t even exist when the project
started. Anyway, the developer assigned
the funds.
The outdoor areas and the character
of the building made it imperative for
me to find non-glare luminaires. They
should also be able to withstand the
prevailing weather conditions and the
salty sea air.
My lighting design for the facade
is dedicated to shield off and to cut off
the angles so that the curved shape and
the whole dynamic of the architecture
and the materials are highlighted and
balanced. In this process it has been a
pleasure to work with Fagerhult. It has
added a lot of value and has improved
the quality of both the process and outcome. It was a great help to be able to
use their simulations and visualisations
of my thoughts to the outdoor lighting.
Actually, the outdoor lighting is planned
in three different layers, following the
different needs over a day.”
indoor solutions
Indoor, Jesper Kongshaug created several exciting and dynamic light-oriented
solutions. For instance, immediately
after coming into the building you get
the feeling of being deep under water.
In the area of the puffin-experience
a daylight scenario has been created
which actually makes you believe that
you are looking out over the Faroese
mountains. Several sites are also using
short films and lighting illusions on
walls and floors.
7
no compromise – the blue planet
x8
light and colour are software for the brain
9
Light and colour are
software for the brain
Throughout time, all life forms on our planet have had a strong relationship with
light. From single-celled organisms, to algae in ancient seas drawn to sunlight at
the surface, through millions of years of evolution and now we ourselves still crave
light and colour in our everyday lives.
”Our hormonal and emotional cycles are closely linked to the qualities of the
ambient light. Creativity in a world without colours would be unthinkable,” says
psychologist Karl Ryberg.
text amelie bergman | photo jesper anhede
having initially trained as an architect
in the 1970's Karl became disillusioned
with, as he describes, the dehumanized
military architecture of the time and
turned to psychology, becoming one of
the pioneers in light and colour therapy.
”Actually, it did cause some hullabaloo. At this time psychology knew little,
if nothing, about light and its impact
on the human psyche. Academia didn’t
show any real interest in the subject
until Norman Rosenthal discovered
seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in the
mid-80’s”, Karl explains.
a breakthrough for science
White light treatments were developed
to address the issues of SAD, with mixed
affects.
”It worked, but it was also pretty
ineffective. For a successful treatment,
the patient had to spend two hours
in the treatment room, daily, for two
weeks. And let’s be honest – who’s got
the time or money for that?”
The biological correlations between
light and wellbeing alluded scientist up
until 2002 when researchers at Brown
University discovered a “third receptor” on the retina. The existence of two
receptors, rods and cones, was already
in the scientific consciousness. The
rods are sensitive to light, perceiving
the intensity but not colour, while the
cones have the ability to see different
wavelengths of light and code them as
colours. Working in combinations they
allow us to define shapes and colours
and see light. What they can’t do,
however, is communicate to the part of
the brain that controls our “biological
clock”. This is the reason why the light
treatments were so time consuming.
”The third receptor changed the
parameters of our understanding.
It consists of ancient cells, known as
ganglions. These are extremely sensitive
to blue coloured light, and are directly
Creativity according to Karl Ryberg
”The Latin definition! Ability to create.”
Karl Ryberg is an architect, author and psychologist. He will be present at PLDC and
talk about his research "Ergonomic light
to alleviate dyslexia".
light and colour are software for the brain
x
10
”The human brain is a super computer,
a highly competent hardware demanding
advanced software. It needs colour
and light for stimulation and nutrition,
otherwise it gets bored.”
Karl Ryberg, Author, Architect & Psychologist
connected to the brains production of
the sleep hormone melatonin.”
relief for reptiles
The ganglion cells stem from the time
when we were still algae in the seas.
”When the crisp, blue light hit, we
instinctively knew it was daytime and
rose to the surface to indulge in sunlight
and nutrition. As the light faded, turning
into a red hue, we knew night was coming and retreated.”
These cells have been preserved
on the human retina, giving an instant
response to what Karl Ryberg refers to
as monochrome super colours.
”These are the kind of intense
colours that you can see in a rainbow,
in the feathers of a peacock or the shell
of a scarab. It’s like an instant flash of
pure light and colour, and it has a deep
effect on the human psyche. Our reptile
brains are extremely sensitive to this
kind of light. A 15 minute treatment
with monochrome blue light has the
same effect as two weeks of white light
therapy”, says Karl who today is using
light and colour are software for the brain
these supercolours to treat conditions
including psychosomatic illnesses and
jetlag.
In addition to his business Monocrom, he is also a founding member of
the International Light Association and
has a close cooperation with the Professional Lighting Design Association.
junk food for the brain
This kind of light and colour treatment
is strictly therapeutic and not applicable
to our daily office-lives. However, high
quality artificial light can improve working environments and affect our alertness and well being in a positive way.
”It is like food. If you feed the system
with rubbish, you don’t get much
energy out of it. Actually, it is kind of
stupefying, says Karl.
”When you’re approaching someone behind their office desk, he’s there
in the flesh. But when he looks up to
answer you, you can tell that no one’s
home.”
Lighting ergonomics are as neglected now, as ergonomics were in the 50’s.
Today an ergonomist will make sure
that your working chair is adjusted in an
angle to fit your personal preferences.
But no one seems to reflect over the fact
that every individual reacts different to
light and colour.
”It’s not rocket science! Install high
quality artificial lighting in the office
and supplement it with desk lights that
can be individually adjusted. It’s common sense!”
Of course, the industrial imitation
of white light is only a pale imitation of
natural light. Or, as Karl Ryberg puts it;
”You can’t hang a star in the ceiling”.
Another way of improving working
environments is to re-introduce some
colours in public interiors. Neutral,
white walls may be stylish and suit all,
buts it's junk food for the brain.
”The human brain is a super computer, a highly competent hardware
demanding advanced software. It needs
colour and light for stimulation and
nutrition, otherwise it gets bored.”
11
Karl in his light dome. By remote control he can slide
through the rainbow sequence and choose any desired
wavelength. The combinations are virtually endless.
light and colour are software for the brain
x
12
The indoor atrium, showing the richness and variation in colour. The absence of a system contributes to a truly varied experience.
Office lighting, Avion from Fagerhult and sound absorbing screens based on artist Lisa Gerdins artwork ”Air Brick”.
Centre of Psychiatry;
Creative colourwork
Do you associate psychiatric care with clean, white walls? When entering The Centre of Psychiatry in Uppsala you will be in for a surprise.
A dynamic experience made of colour and light, green, purple, turquoise and orange, makes this house a happy place.
text amelie bergman | photo jason strong
the centre of psychiatry is a unique
project built with the ambition of creating Europe’s most advanced psychiatric
centres, combining outpatient and inpa-
centre of psychiatry; creative colourwork
tient care under one roof. Located within
the Uppsala’s Academic Hospital Campus in Sweden, it hosts 1,100 patients
and 500 employees. The interior design
is created by Indicum Architects, who
were responsible for wards, administration and offices.
”In psychiatry, the environmental
13
experience is absolutely crucial. There’s
a close connection between colour
and human wellbeing. Aesthetics and
ergonomics are two sides of the same
coin. In the centre, some environments
are supposed to be stimulating, while
others should have a calming effect
on the patients. Our overall goal has
been to create a varied and harmonious
environment based on colour”, explains
Kristin Östberg, architect and partner at
Indicum.
Comprising of almost 33,000 square
meters, it’s a sizeable project, equipped with a large number of surfaces in
white, black and glass pared down with
a grey floor.
”We immediately felt that we wanted to create intimacy and add some
variation to the experience. Our starting
point was a vivid green colour that had
already been prescribed in the project
– probably inspired by the leafy greens
outside the windows.”
Kristin and her colleagues decided
to add four more colours: another green
in a fresh pea pod hue, purple, turquoise
and orange. The colours were chosen for
their playful, yet stylish appearance, a
mature colour palette that underlined
the seriousness of the premises.
”Then we went all in! All rooms are
furnished in one of these four colours –
in every detail. We’ve tried to maximize
the colour experience. If a room is green
you will find this hue on everything
from curtains to carpets, cushions and
chairs.”
To avoid monotony, the room
colours are mixed independently over
several floors and functions. Walking
through the premises you cannot anticipate what colour is coming up next.
”We have no system according to
Creativity according to Kristin Östberg
”To me it's all about the ability to think
innovative. To see the connections that
aren't obvious at the first glance.”
centre of psychiatry; creative colourwork
x
14
Two variations of the open space offices – a green office and an orange office.
floor plans, quarters or cardinals. We’ve
strived for a truly varied experience.”
Light plays an important part in
all interiors, Kristin stresses, especially
when working with bold colours. Natural light, flooding from the generous
glass sections, is supplemented by artificial light with good colour rendering.
In open plan offices, the colour scheme
is taken to a new level. The idea is to give
employees working in, for example, a
green office the experience of variation
within the green colour range. The architects also included carpets and furniture
centre of psychiatry; creative colourwork
in some of the other contrasting colours.
Inspired by one of the art works in the
building, ”Air Brick” created by Lisa
Gerdin, Indicum translated the pattern
to sound absorbing screens. The screens
are produced in three different shades
of each colour accent – all in all 12
variations.
”A ‘green office’ has screens in three
green shades. This adds a sparkle of
personality to the open plan office. As
an employee you can easily find ‘your’
screen and you never feel that the whole
office is cast in the same mould.”
15
centre of psychiatry; creative colourwork
x
16
labelling the light
Fagerhult luminaires Tibi, Clarico and Notor.
17
”So please, let yourself be inspired by
Fagerhult’s 'light labels' and set the emotions
free in your next lighting dialogue!”
Henrik Clausen, Director at the Fagerhult Lighting Academy.
Labelling the light
The six emotions of lighting design
Communication is vital when creating innovative and
functional lighting design. When things go wrong it is
normally caused by misunderstandings.
text amelie bergman | images fagerhult
”Professionals love to talk lumen,
louvres and candela… To most people
our lighting language is mumbo jumbo
– they simply just can’t relate to the
jargon”, says Henrik Clausen, director at
the Fagerhult Lighting Academy.
”Architects, interior designers,
property owners and users prefer to
translate their visions and needs into
emotions. Using different feelings and
experiences as a starting point in a
lighting project is the secret of success.”
To help facilitate communications
across all stakeholders, Henrik Clausen
and the Fagerhult Lighting Academy
have designed a creative lighting
manual based on six different emotions.
”It’s common sense. When visiting
a lawyer’s office, you have certain
expectations. It should express power
and expertise. At the funeral home, on
the other side, the expression has to be
more compassionate, more private but
still serious.”
At the Fagerhult Lighting Academy,
the six lighting emotions are used to
define different projects.
”Of course, the stakeholders seldom
communicate only one emotion. A
creative lighting design is often a mix
of several emotions. They’re a way of
improving communication – by labelling
the light. But it’s not the law…”, Henrik
Clausen emphasises.
So let yourself be inspired by
Fagerhult’s ”light labels” and set the
emotions free in your next lighting
dialogue!
Creativity according to Henrik Clausen
"Creativity is the phenomenon whereby
something new is created which has some
kind of subjective value such as a painting,
a musical composition or a lighting design.
It is the qualitative impulse behind any
given act of creation, and it is generally
perceived to be associated with intelligence
and cognition."
labelling the light
x
18
festive
Welcome to the carnival! This type of
lighting design brings out your inner
child as it sprinkles your world with
bright colour and an abundance of
bright lights. The emotion is created
by countless small, bright light sources
forming a starry sky. Contrasts and shadows are sharp, and the light is almost
blinding. This festive vibe is designated for every carefree environment,
radiating joy, confidence and wealth.
Shopping, anyone?
calm
It’s like entering a cathedral. A heavenly light is hovering, reminiscent of
a slightly overcast sky. Natural light,
flooding from the windows is supplemented by heavy chandeliers. This
emotion is created by large lit, pendant
opal surfaces. The setting is less dynamic, more serene and almost devoid of
shadows. Be careful to create variety
and be generous with the light on the
walls. Otherwise you might be bored or,
even worse, fall asleep…
formal
After the CT scan you are invited to the
doctor’s office. It’s a personal conversation but not to private. Pendant lighting
underline the professional situation
without being too harsh. A well-thought
combination of cool light temperatures
and shadows keeps you alert through­
out the conversation. When visiting the
lawyer’s office expect the contrasts to
be even sharper, with higher angles and
cooler light levels to emphasise power
and purposefulness.
labelling the light
19
private
You wanna marry me? The candle lit
dinner is not far away. This setting is
characterised by warm, pendant lighting. Good colour rendering is important
with light sources close to ones face.
This is a private moment that opens up
for dialogue – perfect for restaurants
and cafés. For meetings that are still
private, but of a more formal nature –
for example at the funeral home or in a
small chapel– try mixing ”Private” with
”Formal”.
public
This is the most mainstream lighting
environment of them all. Designed
to suit anyone and anything in any
situation. Direct lighting, recessed
downlights or surface mounted opal
luminaires are common, often with light
temperatures around 4000 K. Safe and
spotless but also a bit impersonal and,
to be honest, dull. Make sure you work
with indirect lighting and vertical light
on walls. By modelling the room with
light you get a more interesting environment, and it’s easier to recognise and
read the faces of the people you meet.
effective
No time for chitchat! To support efficiency and production focus in offices
and production facilities, lighting should
be efficient as well. High lighting levels
combined with cool light temperatures,
stimulates human alertness. But please
keep in mind that the most effective and
attractive lit environments are created
with a splash of vertical light. Only a
light shower from above just won’t do!
Actually it’s quite easy to fix this kind of
light with the help of ordinary fittings.
Just add an extra row of luminaires to
your planning and put the luminaires a
bit tighter together – and closer to the
wall. By choosing energy efficient ones,
the improved working environment
won’t cost you at all.
labelling the light
x
20
Prepare to be open-minded
The Creative Class
is here to change
the game
For the first time in human history, more people are living in cities than in rural
areas. We are travelling the world, learning more about foreign cultures, broadening our horizons and raising our standards. The people of the 21st century are
enlightened Renaissance men. How does this affect society and our way of life and
work? And how can companies prepare for a new, dynamic generation? One of
those with a firm hold on the crystal ball is Charlotta Mellander.
text amelie bergman | photo anna hållams
charlotta mellander is a professor in
Economics at Jönköping International
Business School, Sweden, and research
director at the Prosperity Institute of
Scandinavia. Internationally renowned
for her research on regional attractiveness, Charlotta is a close collaborator
with Professor Richard Florida at the
Martin Prosperity Institute in Toronto,
Canada, embracing his concept of the
“Creative Class”.
a new class is born
Richard Florida’s theory of the Creative
Class asserts that metropolitan regions
with high concentrations of creative
workers, exhibit a higher level of economic development.
the creative class
”We’re not talking ‘artists’ in the
traditional way. The Creative Class is the
increasing group of people being paid
to think creatively at work”, explains
Charlotta Mellander.
How do we measure human capital? The concept of the Creative Class is
one possible response to that question.
”A traditional way is to compare the
proportion of workforce with higher
education. But this system only tells us
what we know – nothing about what
we do. Richard Florida’s Creative Class
is a system to define how we use knowledge and creativity to create growth
and prosperity. The profession is more
important than what we’ve studied. “
According to Richard Florida, the
Creative Class fosters dynamic urban
environments that attract other creative
competences, businesses and capital.
It’s like a positive upward spiral. Individuals and surroundings reinforce one
another.
”But bear in mind, the Creative Class
is not the only important group, though
regions and companies are likely to have
a stronger development if they have
access to this kind of people”, Charlotta
Mellander points out.
geography matters
In return for its innovativeness, the
creative class demands flexibility and
open-mindedness.
”A high salary is no longer a certain
21
way to attract new expertise. As a
company you have to offer an attractive
habitat and a flexible way of working.
Companies have to be more conscious
about geography as people won’t settle
down anywhere. In history, labour
willingly followed the companies to
find jobs, today the wheel has changed
direction.”
Fixed working hours are an abomination. The Creative Class wants flexibility. As reward the employees get even
more work done, in a more effective way.
Also, the traditional office is passé.
Due to our new way of life and working,
and because of new technology, work
can be done everywhere.
”Of course, manufacturing has to be
made in a factory, but certain operations
– for example design departments – are
expected to live their own satellite lives.
Often in collaboration between several
different companies.”
The employers’ willingness and
ability to listen to their co-workers are
crucial to their ability to retain the workforce. But we can still expect people
to change jobs more frequently, says
Charlotta Mellander:
”This is not necessarily bad news
for companies, as they benefit from the
exchange of creativity and ideas.”
Creativity according to Charlotta Mellander
”To me, the word creativity is synonymous
with the ability to use knowledge in a new
innovative way.”
the creative class
x
22
A B O. The three letters
of the future workplace
Times they are a changing. Generation Y, or the Millennials, are characterised
as technological savvy and digitally dependent. They are also one of the fastest
growing sectors in the employment market. So how will this demographic influence
the way we work and office design? Petteri Kolinen, design director at furniture
company Martela, put’s down his smartphone to give us some insight.
text amelie bergman | photo martela
Creativity according to Petteri Kolinen
"The core of creativity is the ability to
"think out of the box". To challenge
traditional models and thinking. It’s about
not taking anything for granted... it can
sometimes to be a bit annoying when
everything is challenged. The outcome of
creativity is often new thinking, ideas and
new design language."
a b o. the three letters of the future workplace
who are generation y?
”Generation Y, born 1980–1995, will
enter the working life in big scale.
These 'webnatives' will change corporate cultures as they start to reach the
leading positions in companies. Their
values have already started to influence
the working life, being more liberal,
social and responsible than the previous
Generation X. Eventually the traditional
tools will change into new ones. E-mail
disappears and is replaced by instant
communication tools. Working environments will be tailored for different
kind of socialising, communication and
creative needs.”
what are the technological trends?
”A new way of working will speed up
during the coming few years. With good
coverage of WiFi networks, employees
are even freer to choose their working
environment. The merging 4G-network
will make the working culture dispatched from location. As the mobile connections improve, all documents and
material will finally move to the Cloud.
There will no longer be any need to go
to the office for a fast connection or to
collect documents from drives. The next
steps of the ABO will emerge.”
what does this mean for office
design right now?
”WiFi networks, wireless broadband
and cloud service have already started
to make work independent of time and
place. This means that the role of the
traditional office is changing radically.
The office environment has to fulfil the
needs of the new working life and the
solution is called the Activity Based
Office – ABO.
The ABO is user driven, and the
layout is based on user needs, not on
the organisational chart. When employees are travelling extensively, working
from subsidiaries, hotels or from
home, workstations need to be flexible.
The same rules apply for people that
actually do work in the office. A lot of
time nowadays is spent in meetings, in
conference rooms or in other situations
that don’t actually involve an office desk.
Therefore, the ABO includes very few
'owned' working tables.
When giving up their own table,
people get multiple options in return. By
smart planning, the office space can be
used in a creative way to fulfil the user’s
need in a flexible manner. This includes
a combination of open space working areas with working desks, 'quiet
23
a b o. the three letters of the future workplace
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”New, more flexible ways of working will
appear. The working environment has to
be inspiring for up to four generations at
the same time.”
Petteri Kolinen, Design Director Products & Communication at Martela
a b o. the three letters of the future workplace
25
rooms' for tasks with high demands
on concentration, as well as rooms for
meetings, conference and socialising.
At Martela we work the Activity Based
Office in three different zones; public,
semi public and private. Actually, we’ve
walked the talk by planning our own
head quarters in Helsinki this way – and
people love it!”
who benefits from the abo?
”It is really a user driven phenomenon
that inspires to a more creative working
environment, that supports different
tasks. But one shouldn’t underestimate
the benefits for the companies. The ABO
offers space efficient planning, giving
the opportunity to save a lot of money
on valuable office space. Used in the
right way, the ABO also strengthens the
company brand and helps to attract
new co-workers.”
how do designers meet
this challenge?
”At Martela, we have chosen to work
with a holistic perspective, including
more than just office furniture. We are
offering 'Inspiring Spaces'. It is vital
to think about the complete space
experience; the lighting, sounds, physical ergonomics and the inspirational
factors of the space. In the future we
can expect hybrids of different furniture
and functions. Office desks that are
integrated with computer networks
and lighting for one example. Just think
about the smart phone; it is the perfect
hybrid of a telephone, a camera and
a computer. For a designer it is very
inspiring to imagine the new possibilities this type of new phenomena brings.
Personally, I also find it inspiring that the
user needs play such an important role.”
a b o. the three letters of the future workplace
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Creative
Collaborations
– making the tales of lighting come true
Lighting is the most complex of expressions. Every successful lighting project has a
saga of it’s own, telling the tale of a special experience. It is a play with light, intensity and colour. All means are permitted but some are not to be neglected; human
aspects like ergonomics and wellbeing, energy efficiency and environmental impact.
In this, all stakeholders in a project have a creative, social and environmental
responsibility. But where does it all start? What comes first? The chicken or the egg?
And does it really matter? Meet four creative lighting collaborators; the architect
& luminaire designer, the design engineer, the lighting designer and the customer
lighting advisor.
creative collaborations
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The Industrial Designer:
Christian Andresen
Henning Larsen Architects is a “Great Dane”; a high-profile architectural firm with
210 co-workers and still growing. The company has its head office in Copenhagen,
of course, and satellites in Oslo, Munich, Istanbul and Riyadh. One of Henning Larsens most exciting projects right now is the European Spallation Source, ESS, a new
research centre with a full scale neutron source, to be completed in Lund in 2025.
Christian Andresen has worked as an industrial designer for 25 years, the last 7 of
them as design department team leader at Henning Larsen Architects. He’s also
behind the design of Fagerhult’s new, innovative recessed LED-luminaire Clarico.
text amelie bergman | photo henning larsen
an architect office with a design
studio?
”It’s part of the Danish design heritage.
Danish architects are well known for
their holistic approach. When working
on a project, they want everything to
communicate; furniture, door handles
and lighting. Arne Jacobsen is perhaps the most famous of them all. It’s
become almost the norm for Danish
Architectural Firms to have industrial
design in house competence and at
Henning Larsen we embrace that
tradition. At the design department in
Copenhagen we are 6 designers, working as a team.”
creative collaborations
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”Clarico is anything but square. It’s soft,
yet expressive. Our ambition was to create
a congenial luminaire that harmonises
with different lighting cultures.”
Christian Andresen, Industrial Designer
creative collaborations
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is the co-operation with fagerhult a
bit different?
”Usually we design products to be
integrated in an architectural project, in
collaboration with different producers.
This time, we designed the Clarico luminaire especially for Fagerhult, as they
wanted a new take on a recessed LEDluminaires. We have a lot of experience
working with Fagerhult on different
projects and somewhere along the way,
the idea of creating a concept luminaire
was born. Actually, Clarico is a mutual
attempt to achieve the impossible.”
the impossible?
”Yes. The recessed luminaire of our
dreams was slim, thin with an interesting form; energy efficient and with an
excellent lighting quality. To create this
dream we had to design a luminaire
distributing light in several angles;
direct on the floor, vertical on the walls
and indirect in the ceiling. Really, with
a recessed luminaire, that’s impossible.
But we came pretty close!”
what’s the trick?
”Most recessed 600⊗600 LED luminaires look the same. Square and flat,
with opal surfaces. Clarico does not
align with the ceiling; it actually drops
down, but it’s almost invisible to the eye.
By playing with horizontal and vertical
lines, as emphasised by the element in
the centre of the luminaire, we’ve been
able to distribute light in different directions. Clarico even gives a small amount
of light to the ceiling.”
how would you describe the creative
process?
”It’s a great advantage to work in the
creative environment of an architectural
agency. We started out interviewing our
colleagues to find out what they need
and want from this kind of luminaire.
We also had a dialogue with Fagerhult’s
brand and development organization
and the company’s sales staff. The
co-operation with Fagerhults design
department and product manager
Lars Eriksson has been intense. Ideas,
sketches and proposals were discussed.
To me, the creative process is all
about the dialogue, and industrial
design is teamwork. I remember exactly
the moment when the project transformed into something unique. We got
the idea to combine the opal surfaces
with microprism louvres. That’s when
the Fagerhult technicians got really
excited!”
it’s a unique combination
of materials?
”In this kind of luminaire. We’ve put
microprisms on the horizontal surfaces
while the vertical surfaces are opal. As
the microprisms works the light in an
angle of 65°, we achieve a very pleasant
lighting experience, while still taking
advantage of the efficient LED-technology.”
difference in expression. When asking
people, 50 percent prefer one version
and the other 50 percent prefer the
other one. First, we had this crazy idea
to make the louvre reversible. It turned
out to be impossible, as it would totally
mess up the way light refracts in the
microprisms. So we decided to put both
versions into production.”
would you combine them?
”In a project, yes. For example, I would
switch between the versions in different
parts of the building.”
what’s your favourite
clarico-feature?
”The softness. The way that it is overstepping all kind of squareness that is
normally associated with this kind of
luminaire. Squares and sharp angles
easily remind us of parking decks and
endless, underground corridors. Clarico has a gentle, human touch.
It has a strong character without being
overwhelming or competing with
architecture. The way it distributes light
on vertical surfaces is also important
as it really affects the quality of work
and wellbeing. The public discussion on
lighting quality in schools, offices and
health has just begun. We see a lot of
opportunities to use Clarico in our own
projects.”
there are two to choose between?
”Clarico comes in two versions – one
convex and one concave. The lighting
quality is the same, but there’s a slight
creative collaborations
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The Design Engineer:
Andreas Gustavsson
There are always ideas buzzing around in his head. It’s for better or worse, says
Andreas Gustavsson, as he’s unable to let an idea go before he’s evaluated it from
every angle. Trial and error is his game; ”you can’t always play safe if you want to
get forward”. With this approach he’s a perfect match for Fagerhult’s innovation
team, a group of designers, engineers and lighting specialists working together to
find those seminal solutions that no one’s thought of before.
text amelie bergman | photo marie peterson
is it all about finding the right one?
”Yes, in a way. All innovations, big or
small, are one step closer to an even
better luminaire. It’s a combination of
the right function, the right quality and
the right price. And it can be done in so
many ways. For example; by designing
a thinner plate for a louvre, you can
create new advantages; better light
distribution and energy efficiency and
less material has a positive impact on
the environment and the customer’s
economy. Whatever we do it all comes
down to this – giving the customer the
perfect solution at a perfect price.”
how do you feed your creativity?
”I find inspiration anywhere. Mostly,
I’m fascinated by smart solutions from
product fields outside of lighting.
creative collaborations
When I see something interesting, I
immediately start to ponder how it
can be applied to a lighting fixture. The
installation spring on the Pleiad G3, our
LED-downlight range, is one example.
It started with a slap wrap reflex – you
know, the ones that attach automatically round the arm when you snap
them? I dissected one of them a few
years ago, and when the Pleiad G3 range
came up on the table, I knew it was time
to try the idea. It took a lot of work and
stubbornness to make the construction
work, but I never gave up – I knew it
had potential. The result is an extremely fast – and safe installation. The
spring is flexible enough to put itself
in place with easiness and can be used
in all ceilings with a thickness up to
50 mms. Still its strong enough to hold
the fixture firmly in the ceiling. Once
installed, it never falls down. The design
is developed in collaboration with two
of our subcontractors; Zinkteknik and
Lesjöfors.”
collaboration with subcontractors?
”In a business where development of
technology moves with the speed of
light, you need to be flexible. The light
source of today might quickly become
the light source of yesterday. To keep
in touch with, and to develop solutions
together with our subcontractors, is one
of our most important responsibilities.
Developing projects with LED-producers, for example, is crucial to keep one
step ahead in our ambition to offer our
customers the best and most effective
lighting solutions.”
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”It started with those reflex slap
wraps – the ones that attach
automatically round the arm when
you snap them.”
Andreas Gustavsson, Design Engineer
creative collaborations
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”Imagination is 10 %.
The rest? Communication!”
Robert Jan Vos, Lighting Designer, PLDA
creative collaborations
33
The Lighting Designer:
Robert Jan Vos
Dutch lighting designer Robert Jan Vos has dedicated his career to light and lighting design. 27 years ago, he started off as an electrical engineer, working with light
installations, moving into TV where he created light settings for different shows,
following stints at Erco and an independent consultancy, his journey was completed
four years ago when he opened his own venture.
text amelie bergman | photo private
he’s one of the brightest stars on the
Dutch concept market, responsible for
the lighting at the restored Hermitage
in Amsterdam – in cooperation with
concept lighting designer Hans Wolff
– and one of the contracted lighting
designers at The Jewish Historical
Museum. He has also developed energy
efficient lighting guidelines for the
public railroads: ProRail. Robert has
taken this spirit of collaboration to
Fagerhult, where he is training the team
in Holland in the craft of creative light
planning. For the moment, Robert is
collaborating with Fagerhult Holland,
training the co-workers in creative light
planning.
collaboration with a manufacturer?
”If Fagerhult’s co-workers understand
the thoughts of a lighting designer, they
can do a better job supporting us in
our work. If I understand the thoughts
of an architect, I’m better equipped to
help the architect fulfil their quest. If everyone involved in a project has
some insight into each other’s different
roles, we can work together in our aim
to create better lighting for people and
societies that everyone will benefit from
it. That’s a vision of mine.
My mission is to help architects in
realising their vision. Architects often
have a holistic approach and a clear
idea, but they seldom have the detailed
technical knowledge when it comes
to lighting. I like to be the interface
between dreams and facts.”
the project process?
”Imagination comes first. You have to
be able to imagine the visual results.
Which story is to be told? What are the
different needs in the lighting project?
What kind of materials, textures and
colours will be reflected? Finally, it´s all
about the atmosphere: what are the
visual effects of light colours, shadows,
brightness and directions of the lighting? What will happen when the lights
are switched on?
Once you’ve imagined, you have
to create it. That’s the second part, and
maybe, the easiest. It’s mostly about
technology – fixtures, light sources
and lighting control. In a successful
project you even manage to add some
new values to the vision, before you are
asked to.”
what trends affects your work?
”Above all – sustainability. We’ve
finally reached the point where it has
become natural to make environmental sound decisions. Money is still
pretty important, but it’s not the only
important thing. And when it comes to
lighting its quite obvious that energy
efficient and sustainable solutions can
save a lot of money. Another trend is the
new way of working, the ‘Activity Based
Office’. When people are working more
’out of the actual office’ than in it, we
need to develop alternative solutions.”
what do you need from the suppliers?
”They have to offer well-designed and
functional luminaires and have an innovative and open mindset. In situations
where a project turns into a dead end,
a direct collaboration between the lighting designer and a manufacturer is the
solution. Together we can create new,
ground breaking lighting.”
what is creative lighting to you?
”Creative lighting is illusion, you have
to be aware that the human brain can
be fooled and, sometimes, use it to
your advantage. Creative lighting is
knowledge, for example you need to
know how indirect lighting creates a different atmosphere from direct lighting.
Creative lighting is dynamics: balancing
what is happening and what is not happening in a room.”
do you ever make compromises?
”I wouldn’t call it compromising. I have
to sell my idea, it’s part of the game. If I
don’t succeed, there is always the possibility to tune the concept or to present
it in a different way. Money is often an
issue in a project, but there are a lot of
ways to work creatively with standard
fixtures. Actually, 90 % of a lighting
project is communication. You have to
be able to explain what you want to do,
to others in the process.
New technology has made lighting
very complex. We have countless
alternatives and billions of details to
navigate between. To do this, we need to
have knowledge and experience – and
we have to be able to communicate it.”
creative collaborations
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The Customer Lighting Advisor:
Jeannett Kristjánsson
As a customer lighting advisor at Fagerhult A/S in Denmark, Jeannett Kristjánsson
is the bridge that unites the different parts of the project. Taking a holistic approach
when developing solutions she has to speak the languages of architects, lighting
designers, consultants, installers and developers. Call it lighting Esperanto if you like…
text amelie bergman | photo private
what’s your role in the process?
”I’m on the customer’s side. My job is to
focus entirely on the customer’s needs ,
problems and possibilities alike. I spend
a large amount of time with customers,
at their planning table or on site at different projects. I have to be responsive
and solution orientated, there’s a big
difference between customer’s needs
depending on type of project and the
customer’s assignment. I work with
both lighting consultants and lighting
designers. Sometimes the customer is
calling just to ask a simple question,
sometimes I’m requested to propose a
complete lighting solution for a project.”
creative collaborations
the most common questions?
”Most consultants have to think a lot
about standards and lux. I can help
them to meet the standard requirements, but also to focus on the lighting
experience, and to think more creatively. It’s important to have a holistic
approach – ergonomics, energy efficiency and human wellbeing should be
considered in every solution. Visualisations in DIALux and different calculations are excellent tools in this work.”
the most creative part of your job?
”Definitely the dialogue. No matter
how complex the project, it’s great fun
working together towards the solution.
Everything can be solved. But I also have
a responsibility to share my knowledge
with the customers, to help them think
outside the box, so to say. If someone is
working with a school or an office, for
example , I will suggest they work with
ambient light as a complement to direct
lighting – as it’s proven to favour mood
and performance. Fagerhults involvement in research gives me a lot in my
job. It’s important to be able to explain
why we do things in a certain way. That
we’re working with facts and not just
opinions.”
35
”It’s important that we’re working
with facts and not just opinions.
Fagerhult’s research has a practical
application in my daily work.”
Jeannett Kristjánsson, Customer Lighting Advisor
Photo: Adam Mørk – 3XN
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N 59° 18´ 04", O 18° 20´ 07"
Light and art in the
Artipelag
You can take the bus, the car – or the boat. Artipelag is a new international venue
for art, food, events and activities all beautifully set in the Stockholm Archipelago.
Just 20 minutes away from the bustle of the city centre you’re embraced by the
tranquillity and light of Swedish nature.
text amelie bergman | photo charlie bennet
light and art in the artipelag
37
the name artipelag is a combination
of Art, Activities, and Archipelago. Inaugurated in 2012, Artipelag has quickly
realised its ambition of becoming a
destination of high international quality
– with boundary-crossing art exhibits,
inspiring activities and good food.
Artipelag is a meeting place and a
unique piece of architecture, created by
the late Johan Nyrén. It combines many
experiences, not least the art exhibitions under the direction of gallery
manager Bo Nilsson.
Artipelag also focuses on a high
class cuisine, run by the chef and
former coach of the Swedish national
chef team, Fredrik Björlin. It has two
restaurants and, of course, a shop. Here
you can find posters and catalogues
from the exhibitions and selected items
like ceramics by Siri Seger. The shop
also stocks unique design items from
BabyBjörn.
Actually, the famous Swedish baby
brand was the beginning of this enterprise. In 2002 Björn Jakobson, founder
of BabyBjörn, came up with the idea of
creating a beautiful building for art and
cultural experiences in the Stockholm
archipelago. After many profitable years
in Swedish business he saw an opportunity to manifest his own deep interest in
nature and to combine it with his wife
Lillemor’s background in art and design.
Artipelag is an archipelago of its
own covering around 32,000 square feet
of land which the Artbox – an enormous
concert-, event, and studio hall – equates to 13,000 square feet. Extensive yet
still intimate; architect Johan Nyrén
has managed to design a building in
harmony with its natural surroundings.
Artipelag is dressed in bevelled pitchedpine planks, and carefully located between the pine trees and the cliffs with a
magnificent view over Baggen’s Bay.
Enlightened by Fagerhult
The general lighting solution within the
Artipelag is provided by Notor, a slim, minimalist luminaire offering excellent efficiency
and colour rendering. The fitting is available
in recessed, surface or suspended variations,
which can be easily interlinked to create long
light lines without disruptions.
light and art in the artipelag
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One of the fundamental ideas was
that as soon as a visitor came into the
entrance hall, he or she would be met by
the four elements: fire crackling in the
fireplace; earth and the rock on which
the building rests; the clear air and the
sparkling water that surrounds and
frames the site.
Nature and natural light plays an
important role in the architecture.
The main gallery stretches 65 meters
facing Baggen’s Bay and is supported by
another four exhibition rooms, called
”The Johan Nyrén Rooms”.
These rooms have a special archi-
light and art in the artipelag
tecture with sensuously designed walls.
They are located to the north, which
ensures a beautiful natural light on the
works exhibited.
The premises meet the latest standards concerning climate, security and
functionality when displaying art. The
lighting solutions incorporate top-notch
technology, flexible enough to support
art exhibitions as well as events and
recordings. The observation deck at the
roof offers an extra treat at night, with
an undisturbed view for stargazers as
the artificial lighting is designed not to
interfere with the stars.
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light and art in the artipelag
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40
Electric Light
– The fairy of art
LED, traditional light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and neon… One of the first exhibitions
at Artipelag was dedicated to electric light as an art form. ”Enlightened” included
works by great names such as Joseph Beuys, Tracey Emin and Isamu Noguchi.
text amelie bergman | photo jean-baptiste beranger
Dan Flavin "Monument For V. Tatlin No.11" 1964
Monica Bonvicini "Light me Black" 2009
enlightened was on display during the
winter months 2012– 2013 – a sharp
contrast to the Nordic winter darkness
outside the Artipelag windows.
”Light has always played a central
part in the history of art. As the traditional bulb is being replaced with more
environmental friendly technologies,
it felt adequate to pay attention to the
artificial light”, says Frida Andersson,
Assistant Curator at Artipelag who
worked with the exhibition.
"Enlightened" comprised selected
artwork featuring electric light by some
of the world’s most influential artists:
Christian Andersson, Christian Boltanski, Joseph Beuys, Monica Bonvicini,
Angela Bulloch, Tracey Emin, Spencer
Finch, Dan Flavin, Sylvie Fleury, Felix
González-Torres, Mona Hatoum, Jeppe
Hein, Jenny Holzer, Joseph Kosuth, Annika Liljedahl, Bertrand Lavier, Mario Merz,
Isamu Noguchi, Jason Rhoades and
Dan Wolgers. One of the forerunners in
light art was the Zero-group, active in
the 1960’s. Enlightened also displayed
works from three of it’s members – Otto
Piene, Gunther Uecker och Hans Haacke.
a visual voyage
It was a visual and intellectual voyage
through the art of the 1960s to the
present, and an impressive display
of various lighting techniques. LED,
fluorescent tubes, neon and traditional
light bulbs in one wonderful light fair –
one example is Corona Borealis by Otto
Piene, consisting of 400 bulbs.
From a lighting design perspective;
how do you hang an exhibition consis-
Otto Piene "Corona Borealis" 1965
electric light – the fairy of art
ting of so many different light sources
with different colours and intensity?
”We shut off the artificial light. But
we decided to keep the flow of natural
light from the windows. The result
was an exhibition transforming with
daylight. A dark autumn night or a clear,
crispy winter’s day – the experience
was totally different”, Frida Andersson
explains.
lemon and light
Lighting technology and artistic
expressions have been under constant
development since the 1960’s.
”Light as a medium is still highly
interesting. The development within
lighting technology is also reflected in
arts as many artists embrace the LEDtechnology. One of them is Jenny Holzer,
whose Lustmord, Erlauf, Arno, Blue from
1999 was included in the exhibition. It is
a LED sign with scrolling text sequences.
But it’s noteworthy that artists of today
still choose bulbs and fluroescents,
maybe for nostalgic reasons.”
Frida’s own favourite is Joseph
Beuys’ Capri Batterie.
”Talking actual size, this is the smallest work in the exhitibion: a yellow bulb
on a socket, plugged into a lemon. Beuys
created this during his recovery from
pneumonia at Capri. It represents his
ecological thinking and the utopian idea
of an ecological society that’s able to
take its energy directly from the sources
of nature. It's a nice thought, and it is
very up to date in times talking environmental responsibility and energy
saving.”
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Bertrand Lavier "Black Adder II" 2005
Jason Rhoades "Chandelier #6 (Fancy Bit, Between, Amulett)" 2005
”We shut off the artificial light.
But we decided to keep the flow
of natural light from the windows.
The result was an exhibition
transforming with daylight.”
Frida Andersson, Assistant Curator at Artipelag
Joseph Beuys "Capri Batterie" 1985
Tracy Emin "Legs II" 2007
Monica Bonvicini "Kleine Lichtkanone" 2009
electric light – the fairy of art
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Jason Bruges:
Creative light-artist
From cinematography and photography, through to drawing and
painting, light plays an integral part in many forms of art. Since the
invention of electric light sources it has evolved into a medium in its
own right, with artists using light as their primary source of expression.
text scott allen | photo jason bruges studio
what happens when light art gets
taken into a commercial context?
London-based light artist and designer
Jason Bruges takes us through the processes of how his studio collaborates to
create interactive spaces which engage
people with their environment.
Bruges trained with the architect
Foster + Partners before joining Imagination, the creative communications
agency, and the two cultures merge in
jason bruges creative light-artist
Jason Bruges Studio (JBS). Its projects
can take from weeks to years to come to
fruition. ”One thing that has frustrated
me about architectural projects is
waiting a very long time to see things
happen but at Imagination it could be
just two months,” he says. ”We have
both types of project: big construction
projects which we’re several years into
and still have a few to go, and some that
are just six weeks away”.
childs play
When Great Ormond Street Hospital
was looking for a way to calm and
engage children on the way to the
anaesthetic room, Bruges transformed
the corridor walls into a digital, animated canvas. Sensor-driven LED light
panels embedded into the wall surfaces
behind bespoke wallpaper are set at
various heights to match the different
eye-levels of patients and passers-by.
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The animals move when people, big or
small, are near.
Called Nature Trail, the work is not
just clever, but clever in a multidisciplinary way. First there’s the graphics.
”It was tricky to find something
that would work with a two-year-old
and a 16-year-old,” says Bruges. ”It had
to be a cartoon-like animal but also
a bit “gamey” with a slightly technological, Tamagotchi aspect to it rather
than fluffy-Disney.” Then there’s the
wallpaper, specially printed to match
the resolution of the LED matrix, and
peelable so that the LED panels can be
accessed. And the electronics: a network
of 70 panels containing a total of 72,000
low-powered, monochrome, amber
LEDs that run cool so that heat does
not build up inside the walls and which
ramp down when no-one’s around, to
save energy.
”Nature Trail was hard work,” says
Bruges. ”In a hospital environment,
there are stringent regulations around
cleaning and sterilisation and dirt traps.
They needed to know that the technology would have an appropriate lifespan
and, above all, we had to be sure the
design was not confusing, but was
reassuring.”
creative collaboration
The design process at JBS is much
the same as an architect’s – concept
development, feasibility study, scheme
design, detailed design, construction
information and tendering – but teams
span a greater range of skills.
”Somewhere like Foster + Partners
gives you an incredible training in the
production of architecture and there is a
lot of that in the way we work. It’s quite
architectural in terms of how we are
site-specific, and how things are specified and drawn,” says Bruges. ”Imagination was more theatrical and some of
the rules were slightly different because
you built things quickly, to different tolerances. And instead of working beside
a mechanical and electrical engineer,
a quantity surveyor or a structural
engineer, you might be alongside a R&D
specialist or a projections specialist or a
graphic designer.
”We have teams and everyone is
instrumental in making things happen;
we are more of a collective primarily.
Obviously, my vision and creative direction play a part in things but everyone is
instrumental. There are some projects
that I have more or less to do with
depending on the individuals, the ideas
and the amount of work we have.”
Bruges cites the light artists Dan
Flavin, James Turrell and Jim Campbell
and the English architect Cedric Price
among his chief influences. But he also
draws on ”science, technology, innovation, computer science, interactive
design, cybernetics, industrial systems,
natural phenomena – everything from
clouds to water to weather systems –
systems in general, ways of organising
things, classification (a very English
way of organising things), basically all
of those things,” and he contends that
”healthy curiosity means you won’t run
out of ideas.”
Inspiration comes from many sources.
Jason Bruges has taken his architectural
training and applied it to an array of art
installations using light as the primary
medium of expressing a narrative.
jason bruges creative light-artist
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44
”We have teams and everyone is
instrumental in making things happen;
we are more of a collective primarily.”
Jason Bruges, Light artist
interactive design
Bruges designed Arial Dynamics, the
”living, breathing”, interactive light
installation at Coca-Cola’s Beatbox
pavilion in the Olympic Park in 2012
”with a broom handle and handful of
polypropylene strips.” His invention
was introduced to the pop-drinking
visitors as 180 individually controlled
mechatronic ”bubbles” that glowed
with brand-enhancing red and white
jason bruges creative light-artist
LED light in response to bottle clinking.
”People often come to us because
they know how we work: innovative,
artistic, quite unusual in our response to
things compared to where they might
usually go for a spatial or brand expression,” says Bruges. ”But every project has
a brief, even the most fluid artistic commissions.” Those are the best, he adds,
”because you are exploring something
different, things you are interested in
and want to study and evaluate – the
blankest canvas without any boundaries
is the most challenging.”
One of Bruge’s best-known interactive works is the deceptively simple
installation at Sunderland station, in
the north-east of England, known as
Platform 5. A 144 m-long piece presents
a virtual platform populated by ghostly
passengers apparently moving behind
a 3 m-tall glass block wall containing
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a low-resolution video matrix. There
is a real but disused platform behind
the virtual platform. And in London’s
Leicester Square, the illuminated facade
of the W Hotel responds to changes in
the skyline recorded by rooftop cameras
and translated into coloured light from
LED battens that diffuse through fritted
glass to create a an energy-efficient
landmark/artwork.
”Interaction with the audience is
very important and becomes part of
the work, with Platform 5 we ramp up
in response to the train, not the people.
And in Leicester Square the building
is performing to the people around it
but it responds to the day’s weather
essentially.”
story telling
While they are all interactive and lightbased, what links Nature Trail, Platform
5 and the Leicester Square installation
is narrative. Nature Trail magically and
directly transforms each viewer’s short
journey. The figures on Platform 5 are the
forms of real local people. The Leicester
Square installation speaks of continual
change, of comings and goings.
”You want to tell a story, so the other
way we work is very much as an art
studio. When we are commissioned to
build something for someone and build
it on site, it’s a labour of love and a piece
of artistic expression. If there is a strong
contextual, site-specific narrative a work
stands a much better chance of having
relevance, and the elegance and timelessness that goes with that,” he says.
”The technology you use may or
may not still be fashionable but it is
about design intent. Even with Dan
Flavin, who is long gone and can’t be
there to direct an installation, gallerists
follow the design intent from sketches
in the most truthful and representative
way they can. It’s a way of working that
is more about an idea and a narrative
jason bruges creative light-artist
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46
than technology. You avoid cliché if you
are more interested in the idea.”
light expression
Light fits naturally into Bruges palette
of ”very ephemeral, mixed media. It has
a big impact through relatively “light”
usage; it’s very accessible, very powerfull within a scheme or a landscape or
a facade or environment, but we don’t
use it alone. We are led by concepts
and the opportunities the technology
offers. Digitally controlled technologies
such as LEDs have become very useful
as a medium but mainly because as
the technology changes and grows, its
jason bruges creative light-artist
use is less defined by the factory or the
industry than by us. And its effect can be
surprising.”
Bruges recalls designing an interactive dado rail for Three Ways School,
near Bath in south-west England, in collaboration with sound designer Martyn
Ware of Illustrious. As pupils run their
hands over the rail’s sculpted surface it
creates sounds, including animal noises,
and it generates vibrations and a shapeshifting, blue light that runs across the
rail. ”It was a small intervention used
to teach to children with special needs
to maintain awareness and concentrate. In some cases, where they were
in a locked-in state, they came out of it
briefly, and we were quite astounded by
that,” he says.
”Seeing people’s reactions – delight,
interest, curiosity – is the best moment
on any project for me. I always joke I’d
like to do something that is seen from
space. That’s not an ego thing, I’m just
intrigued by scale. The dream project
would be one that has a proper benefit,
as the Great Ormond Street Hospital
installation, things we have done for
schools, something like that, at a larger
scale. And if you could see it from space
that would be great.”
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jason bruges creative light-artist
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Light planning with
opal surfaces
LED-technology offers possibilities we couldn’t have imagined just a few years
ago. Armed with LEDs, luminaires with large opal surfaces can be used in every
imaginable way. Placed in ceilings, walls or floors, in any pattern or angle you may
fancy. Requirements on performance, light ergonomics and energy efficiency are
fulfilled whatever you choose to do. Just remember to supplement with vertical
lighting for variation. Otherwise, even the most spectacular solution might be
experienced as ordinary.
text amelie bergman | image fagerhult
Three Fagerhult luminaires for creative light planning; Freedom, Tibi (pendant) and Pozzo (wall).
light planning with opal surfaces
49
irregular patterns
Use opal surfaces to break the traditional linearity. Irregular patterns surprise
and stimulate imagination. Why not
use circular luminaires and treat them
like grains of sand? Take a bunch in your
hand and ”throw them”. The pattern
created can be used on walls as well as
in ceilings.
the sky is the limit
Create your own sky – or wall of light
– by mounting luminaires with opal
surfaces tight together. The small
dimensions of the LED-luminaires make
this kind of project easy to realize and
install, especially when compared to
old fashioned light ceilings based on
fluorescents. The ease with which LEDs
can be tuned in different colours opens
up many new creative ideas.
standard is the new special
For a long time, creative lighting solutions have been considered the result of
special solutions. This is no longer the
case. New energy and size efficient light
sources have made anything possible.
Each and every other standard luminaire can be mounted in all imaginable
patterns and installations, without
requesting any extra arrangements.
light planning with opal surfaces
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50
catching fire
Photo: Mats Andersson
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Catching fire
Fagerhult in creative collaboration
with Ingegerd Råman
The ”Spira Lamp” is a piece of art. It is the vision of designer
and artist Ingegerd Råman, realised by Fagerhult in
collaboration with skilled partners and subcontractors.
text amelie bergman
it's like a gigantic votive reflecting in
the cold waters of a Nordic lake. The culture and concert hall Spira in Jönköping
is all glass and light – crisp and bright
during the day with a warm glow at
night. Created by Gert Wingårdh, one
of Sweden’s best known and successful
architects, in collaboration with Jonas
Edblad, Spira took its inspiration from
the local heritage. The long tradition
of glassmaking is evident throughout,
while the orange tinted glass panels pay
tribute to Jönköping being the home of
the Swedish match. This 15,000 square
meter centre of culture has four stages
and can host up to 1,700 visitors. From
theatre and dance to classical music and
jazz, Spira collates a wide repertoire of
performing arts throughout the region.
The public areas, offices, corridors and
storage areas are illuminated by a selection of Fagerhult luminaires. A versatile
lighting project, crowned by the gigantic
post modern chandeliers in the foyer –
the ”Spira Lamp”.
a different scale
”When Gert Wingårdh asked me to get
involved I was honoured, exited – and a
bit scared”, admits Ingegerd Råman.
”Although glass is my element, I’d
never worked with artificial light and
luminaires before. Not in this way. The
real challenge was the difference in
scale. It’s so big. I’m used to work with
millimetres, but this time the proportions were quite different”, she explains.
As the queen of Swedish crystal,
Press photo Orrefors.se
Creativity according to Ingegerd Råman
”It's difficult to differentiate creativity from
life itself. It's my work and it's my way of
being. I think it is the same for all human
beings. We are all creative, it is a way of
surviving.”
catching fire
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52
Istvan Magyarovari, Engineering Designer at Fagerhult. Photo: Marie Peterson
famous for her collaborations with
leading crystal brands, she knows her
material. In 1995 she was granted a
professor’s title by the Swedish government, in praise of her unadorned and
functional design that always has a
silver lining. She has collaborated with
Wingårdh before, in a project for the
Swedish Embassy in Washington and
knows the drill.
”Gert had given me free reign, only
saying that he wanted luminaires ins-
catching fire
tead of traditional art work. I was very
clear in my vision; I wanted the luminaire to be a piece of art in speaking with
architecture. Spira is a building with a
strong expression – the trick was to find
my own formulation without opposing
the house.”
At an early stage, Ingegerd was
introduced to Istvan Magyarovari, Engineering Designer at Fagerhult. Inspired
by the new LED-technology he presented an innovative material solution.
”Glass is extremely heavy and hard
to handle in those kind of large scale
installations. By using acrylic sheets
with milled grooves, we could combine
excellent light performance with the
artistic expression”, says Istvan Magyarovari.
The LED-modules, hidden in – and
by – Ingegerds design, distributes the
light through the grooves in a way that
reminds of cut glass.
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Photo: Mats Andersson
Photo: Johan Werner Avby
”It’s almost like magic. When standing
under the luminaire you have a child’s
perspective – looking right into the
luminarie. But there’s nothing there but
stripes and light.”
Ingegerd Råman, Designer and Artist
catching fire
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Photo: Mats Andersson
like magic
”The hard part was to achieve the
simplicity of the light lines. With this
solution the light blends naturally with
the fittings. With the LEDs hidden in
the construction it is possible to look
directly into the light without being
blinded”, Istvan concludes.
Ingegerd Råman is delighted with
the result and how the four luminaires
have developed, creating streaks of light,
moving as you walk through the room.
”It’s almost like magic. When
standing under the luminaire you have
a child’s perspective – looking right into
the luminaire. But there’s nothing there
but stripes and light.
When realising a project like this –
balancing on the edge of new technology, exploring new materials and designs
– collaboration is crucial. For Ingegerd
catching fire
and Istvan, who both are used to work
with industrial serial production, the
Spira luminaire was a true challenge.
When combining their skills and experience they stretched the boundaries
of what’s possible. Although aesthetics
was the main object, practicalities
such as safe installation and operation
couldn’t be overseen. Together with
involved partners and subcontractors
every detail was formed to perfection.
”I’m known to be quite stubborn”,
Ingegerd laughs.
”I wont take ‘can’t be done’ for an
answer. It’s the designer’s objective to
make the participants in a project go
that extra mile. Of course, you have
to be responsive and humble to other
professionals – and you have to know
the limits – but in a project like this, old
truths should be challenged.”
innovative technology
In this case, Fagerhult actually formulated a new, innovative lighting technology. The principle of beaming LED-light
into a reflector sheet, creating big, even
surfaces of light, has been applied to the
award winning Appareo-pendant.
”To succeed with this kind of project
– and now I’m talking both about the
Spira luminaire and about the actual
building – you need to have a foresighted project owner. A person with visions
and the guts to stand up for it. This
person existed in the Spira project in
form of property manager Erik Pålsson”,
explains Ingegerd Råman.
”It’s people who dare, who make the
difference.”
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Photo: Lars Kroon
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light increases creativity
57
Light increases
creativity
If only subconsciously we all know it. Light makes us
feel good, makes us happy and feel more creative.
But what is the connection? And how can artificial
light help create happier and more creative academic
or working environments? Tommy Govén, Head of
Research at Fagerhult, has identified the link between
light and creativity.
text amelie bergman
our research projects have shown that
if you light your premise in the right way,
you can achieve a working environment
in which people feel at ease and perform
better. All you need is knowledge and
good luminaires. But does light really
make us more creative? Yes it does!
”In 2009, we conducted a study at
a primary school in London, in partnership with University College London and
the Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund
University. We weren’t satisfied with
simply finding out how the pupils felt,
but also gathered biological evidence
in the form of cortisol measurements”,
explains Tommy Govén.
”The results showed that the pupils
in the classrooms which were lit with
a higher proportion of ambient light,
more light on the walls and ceiling,
actually performed better and got
higher marks. In a room which is perceived as being bright but not dazzling,
we become more productive. Even if
productivity shouldn’t be confused with
creativity, the link is obvious. In a room
with poor lighting, which is inadequate
or harsh on the eye, the opposite is true.
light increases creativity
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We become tired, unproductive and – in
the worst case scenario – aggressive.”
inspired by nature
The key theme we can take from this
study is the importance of ambient light
in planning creative and inspiring environments. Its influence is linked to our
experience of natural light, which is in
itself a form of ambient light. The ”light
norm” of humans is the celestial sphere,
which extends from the ground towards
the horizon and then upwards.
We rarely look at the sun as its
blinding and we are dazzled by the
glare. Instead, we absorb the light which
arrives vertically, from the side and just
above us. By planning the artificial light
in an office in a similar way – allowing
it to bounce off indirectly from walls
and ceilings – we can achieve the same
effect.
creativity for free
The emergence of LED has made this
light increases creativity
approach a whole lot easier. Over the
last few years the technology has undergone incredible developments in terms
of, not only light quality, anti-glare and
efficiency but also price.
”Now the technology has matured
and we wanted to find out what people
think of LEDs compared to a traditional
T5 light source”, says Tommy Govén.
”In our latest study with the Faculty
of Engineering (LTH), at Lund University,
we built two identical office rooms
which were both equipped with direct
light above the workstation and supplementary ambient light on the walls.
In one of the rooms we used LED and in
the other T5. The result was very clear:
the light from the LED was perceived as
being brighter and more pleasant with
ambient lighting of 100 cd/m2, a feeling
which persisted right up to 300 cd/m2.
Consequently, when using LED lighting
in an office you can achieve a brighter
and better working environment while
at the same time reducing your energy
consumption. You could say that you get
creativity for free!”
coloured light
In addition to creating a well lit environment which is perceived as being more
attractive, LED technology offers the
scope for a greater level of variation
and style. The colour of the light can
be altered within the white field, often
referred to as ”tuneable white” over the
course of the day dependent upon the
daylight outside or according to your
own regime. With LED it’s possible to
use an ”equaliser” for the light, just like
with music, following the same principle that every office and space can have
their own, individual tone.
”Another clear advantage is that
you can work with coloured light and
create accents and effects in the office
design and also project different types
of images. With LED the light really
does become an integrated part of the
interior design.”
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new research
led vs t5 in schools
An on-going study based on previous
findings where we compare LED lighting
with normal T5-lighting in a upper
secondary school. Since we have found
that increased ambient light makes
students perform better and that LED is
perceived brighter that T5 we wanted to
explore this in a field study. The results
are to be presented beginning 2014.
the effect on led-lighing on elderly
The world’s population is aging. The
lighting standards for today are written
for people aged between 30–40 but we
know that people have to work longer,
so do we need to plan differently for
elderly people? This study investigates
how elderly people perceive LED.
Tommy Govén, Head of Lighting Technology & Research at Fagerhult and Torbjörn Laike,
Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lunds Technical University. Photo Teddy Strandqvist, Studio e.
”When using LED lighting in an office you can achieve
a brighter and better working environment while at the
same time reducing your energy consumption.
You could say that you get creativity for free.”
Tommy Govén, Head of Lighting Technology & Research, Fagerhult
Read more about research where Fagerhult participated:
Preferred luminance distribution in working areas – T. Govén et al 2002
The background luminance & colour temperatures influence on alertness & mental health – T. Govén et al 2007
The influence of ambient light on the performance, mood, endocrine
system and other factors of school children – T. Govén et al 2011
The impact of lighting controls on energy consumption of lighting in
classrooms – T. Govén et al 2011
The experience of ambient light from common light sources with
different spectral power distribution – Light emitting diodes (LED) vs.
3-phosphorus fluorescent tubes (T5) – T. Govén et al 2012
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Creative lighting
without limits
Welcome to the fast lane! Lighting technology is developing rapidly, creating exciting opportunities for light planning. Fagerhult’s broad range of LED luminaires,
innovative fluorescent fixtures and downlights offers the opportunities for new,
unique expressions. With aesthetics and sustainability as starting points, we offer
creative lighting solutions for every kind of project.
Photo: Jakob Börjeson
creative lighting without limits
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väla gård, skanska, helsingborg,
sweden
In October 2012 the project development and construction group Skanska
finished their greenest building ever.
Their new local office in Helsingborg is
built as an energy neutral building, lit
with Fagerhult’s latest luminaires.
Photo: Lars Wareby
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kilden, kristiansand, norway
The Performing Arts Centre looks like
a big wooden wave rising over the sea.
Fagerhult’s light covers the different
areas in the centre – with functional
light in the hallways, concert halls, dressing rooms and offices to pure beautification around the centre, enhancing the
wooden walls and colourful settings.
Photo: Halvor Gudim
creative lighting without limits
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sweco office, stockholm, sweden
The office was rebuilt and reopened in
2013. Consultant company Sweco found
that the two open entrance halls was an
excellent area to sketch light lines with
Freedom. The shape flows nicely in the
architecture, framing the location.
Photo: Åke E:son Lindman
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un city, copenhagen, denmark
UN's new headquarters is shaped like a
star with a unifying center. The daily life
springs from the central atrium with a
grand staircase that extends up through
the entire building and opens up to
all levels. Notor, Ray, Pozzo and Pleiad
from Fagerhult illuminates most of the
construction.
Photo: Adam Mørk – 3XN
creative lighting without limits
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arag legal expenses insurance,
leusden, the netherlands
This building consists of two parts, built
in 1985 and 1992, and has been completely renovated. The interior is fully
adapted to the so called “ABO” concept.
A mix of Fagerhult LED, T5 and compact
fluorescent fixtures, often in combination with an intelligent DALI system.
Photo: Iemke Ruige
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Visiting Copenhagen and PLDC?
Welcome to the
Fagerhult Creative Lab™!
Are you visiting the PLDC in Copenhagen?
There are a number of things you can’t
miss when in Copenhagen, some really
interesting architecture, the Little Mermaid, Tivoli and of course the Creative Lab
at the Fagerhult stand at PLDC.
www.copenhagenmediacenter.com,
photo: Cees van Roeden
text amelie bergman | photo cecilia selvén, cees van roeden & fagerhult
welcome to the fagerhult creative lab™!
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"Together we have got hundreds of years
of experience in lighting at Fagerhult"
Henrik Clausen, FLA Manager/Business Development Director, Fagerhult
pldc stands for Professional Lighting
Design Convention and is held in Copenhagen from the 30th October to 2nd
November. To Fagerhult Lighting Academy’s devoted leader and inspirer, Henrik
Clausen, it was obvious that Fagerhult
should support the PLDC-event.
”We are building our future visions
of light, lighting and lighting design
on inspiration from young students
spiced up with facts based on research
will present his latest findings. Personally I will be presenting the speakers on
the Research track all Friday and to bring
the event to a close we will gather a nice
group of lighting professionals around
our table for the Saturday night Award
show and closing Gala dinner.
As icing on the cake, Fagerhult has
also been shortlisted in two categories
for the Professional Lighting Design
Recognition Award 2013. Tommy Govén
rooms for creativity by using existing
products in new innovative ways. On top
of that we share some inspiring projects
and updates on trends and research.
We strongly recommend that you
don’t miss this!” says Henrik.
results and many years of hard earned
professional experience. That’s exactly
what the upcoming PLDC event captures under one roof! Here you can meet
young and old – newcomer and highly
experienced lighting nerds. We wouldn’t
miss it for the world!” says Henrik
Clausen, Director of Fagerhult Lighting
Academy (FLA).
The 2013 PLDC tracks Lighting
Applications Research, Lighting Application Case Studies, Professional Practice
Issues and Sustainable Lighting and
Design; all areas in which Fagerhult has
vast experience.
”Fagerhult will be highly visible
during this event. We will launch a new
Creative LabTM concept at our stand, and
our Head of Research, Tommy Govén,
in the Research category and Fagerhult
as a company in the Best Partner in
Industry category”, says Henrik with a
large smile on his face.
for knowledge about light came quite
naturally. The Fagerhult Lighting Academy trains and educates employees as
well as customers by interacting with
light and lighting solutions.
”Our main strategy is working with
light in every way, and with a clear focus
on a constant effort in creating the
perfect light”, says Henrik Clausen.
Virtually every Fagerhult employee is a
part of our Academy.
”Fagerhult has got an enormous
pool of highly qualified people, and
together we have got hundreds of years
of experience in lighting. We in FLA are
the caretakers of this knowledge, we
gather and structure, we evaluate and
distribute!”
creative labTM
As mentioned before, Fagerhult will
launch the Creative Lab™ at the stand at
PLDC and we have to ask; what is that?
”Creative LabTM is a workshop that
really boost your creativity. It’s about to
take a step back and think in a different
way to clear your vision, so to say.
We want to be a partner in the creative process and with all our experience
we really think that we can contribute to
better lighting for a light loving world.
We look at the creative process and
some examples of design and lighting
fagerhult lighting academy
Light means energy, safety and wellbeing for people. Light also needs energy.
That’s why the idea of creating a centre
welcome to the fagerhult creative lab™!
www.fagerhult.com