Lighting of Historic Facades
For a long time, cities and municipalities focused on developing their outskirts: affordable housing and sterile commercial developments. The consequence has been uniformity instead of individuality and the decline of city centers. In Obernzell near Passau, the community has recognized what makes it so unique: its historic core, which boasts more listed buildings than “ordinary” ones.
A Forgotten Gem Takes Center Stage
A new custom lighting concept has been developed for the 400-meter-long market and its monuments. The spatial conditions and the requirements of monument protection presented a unique challenge: How can we illuminate the traffic area between the elongated row of buildings, enhance the city’s attractiveness, protect the historical ensemble, and redefine its value?
Custom Lighting Situation
In response, wall-mounted lights were installed on the two- and three-story buildings. Since the facades vary in height and architectural detail, a unique and individualized lighting situation was created. Moreover, this view is not obstructed by light poles or similar fixtures. The new lighting concept serves three functions: a wide-angle indirect illumination of the facades, a wide-angle direct lighting of pedestrian areas with 25 lux, and a low-angle illumination of the roadway with 15 lux.
Three-Part Design of the Light
The lights used here have a subdued color and shape, with their true value lying within. Upon closer inspection, the technical sophistication becomes evident: the design required an internal three-part division of the light. Additionally, due to the varying heights of the light points, each individual light beam and its angle of emission had to be customized accordingly. More about