In the centre of Copenhagen, Postbyen is a new district that combines urban lifestyle, sustainability and architectural quality. Together with the project’s architects and lighting designers, the South Tyrolean luminaire manufacturer ewo has created a lighting system that is sophisticated in terms of both craftsmanship and technology. The project-specific ’Parklight’ luminaire combines functional and atmospheric lighting requirements in an unusual design, setting new standards for lighting in public spaces.
In the heart of Copenhagen, the new district of Postbyen has been developed on the site of the former postal centre ’Postgrunden’. Planning began in 2015 with the vision of creating the most attractive central district in Denmark. Urban lifestyle, sustainability, architecture and urban quality have been combined in the open and welcoming neighbourhood, which blends seamlessly into the existing urban structure around the Central Station. With a mix of residential, office, hotel and retail uses, Postbyen forms a diverse and sustainable urban living space in the centre of Copenhagen. An important aspect of the design was to create atmospheric open spaces with plenty of greenery in the car-free neighbourhood, and to maintain this quality in the evenings and at night. To ensure this, the Danish lighting design firm ’fortheloveoflight’ developed a differentiated lighting concept for the area.
Project-specific luminaires by ewoIndividual
In close cooperation with the architects and lighting designers, the South Tyrolean lighting manufacturer ewo has developed special luminaires that combine various functional and atmospheric lighting requirements in an unusual design. The technically and technologically sophisticated luminaires underline the unique character of the new district and symbolise ewo’s claim to use light to enhance people’s well-being in outdoor spaces.
For the realisation of their lighting concept, the designers were looking for a partner capable of translating their project vision into real products. The decision to work with ewo was based on the company’s extensive experience in optical development and its high level of design and manufacturing expertise in the implementation of bespoke luminaire developments. Following a series of on-site lighting tests, the final design was developed using prototypes, which were then manufactured in small series for the project.
‘Postbyen was a real dream project for us,’ enthuses CEO Hannes Wohlgemuth. ‘The ‘Parklight’ luminaire forms a perfect symbiosis of contemporary design and high functionality. We were able to bring all of the expertise that ewo stands for as a brand to the project: a customised solution that combines state-of-the-art lighting technology, sophisticated metalwork and intelligent control to create a contemporary and durable product. There could hardly be a better example of our ewoIndividual approach.’
The lighting concept with the bespoke ‘Parklight’ luminaire
Nicolaj Birkelund, founder of the Danish lighting design firm ’fortheloveoflight’, describes his design as follows: We dreamed of a "Parklight" that would combine three very different functions: General lighting, lantern lighting and additional sculptural lighting. This allows us to use different levels of light at different times. The concept represents a completely new approach to street lighting, providing orientation and safety while creating an atmospheric and inviting light. Imagine a luminaire as a lighting performance. This is the vision behind Parklight: the harmoniously designed luminaire transforms the space - taking on the role of a performer in the dark hours. It becomes a sculptural element that embraces the night with its multi-layered light and control, modelling the surroundings and creating space for people. A luminaire that reflects the past with its materiality and the present with its vision.
In addition to the differentiated lighting functions, the design of the luminaire was also intended to give the neighbourhood an independent design identity. To this end, a design was developed using durable materials with robust, characterful finishes such as hot-dip galvanised steel and mouth-blown glass. The natural imperfections of the material give the luminaires an authentic character that is in keeping with the location. The solution, developed in workshops with lighting designers ’fortheloveoflight’ and Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter, is a completely project-specific lighting system consisting of a mast and a pole-mounted luminaire. The cylindrical, grooved luminaire body consists of a metal basket hand-forged by ewo and sturdy, mouth-blown glass from Denmark that meets all the necessary safety standards. The lighting systems for the various lighting applications are embedded in the basket. A downlight unit provides general lighting for the circulation areas. An additional, circumferential LED strip emits a warm-toned light into the glass cylinder, creating the desired lantern effect. Above the downlight unit, two swivelling spotlights are integrated into the housing, allowing accent lighting of tree tops, for example. The necessary control gear and DALI control electronics are also housed in the hot-dip galvanised mast. With daylight-dependent dimming and the ability to call up different lighting scenes, they ensure integration into the neighbourhood’s Smart City system.
In close collaboration between the client, architects and lighting designers, ewo has realised an unusual lighting solution for a remarkable new urban district in Copenhagen. The aspirations of all those involved in the Postbyen project were fully in line with ewo’s vision of ‘empowering wellbeing outdoors’.
Special features of the ‘Parklight’ luminaire
Project participants
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