Light Towers

Light Towers

Part of the lighting concept for the Old Cotton Floeha

Project Lighthouses receives recognition award in the competition “Ab in die Mitte! Die City-Offensive Sachsen” 2022

Under the motto “Creative out of the crisis – rethinking the city center”, 34 project ideas for the revitalization of city centers were submitted by 33 municipalities. The award ceremony will take place at the Denkmal trade fair in Leipzig on 25.11.2022.

Ruairí O’Brien . Lichtdesign is developing the lighting concept for the old cotton mill in the city of Floeha and is accompanying the lighting design development of the new city center within the old cotton mill and its new marketplace. The project “Light towers” of the city of Floeha, which was created according to our lighting concept, received a recognition award worth 5,000 euros. Head of the building department Andre Stefan accepted the congratulations and the certificate from State Secretary Thomas Kralinski (SMWA).

Floeha’s project idea involves the interior lighting of the three towers on the “new building” by installing resource-saving LED lights. It is intended to be the first building block for the implementation of accent lighting and to contribute to making the cubature of the largest building complex in the old cotton mill appear in an intelligently timed manner in the early evening hours in order to lend the future center more attention as well as quality of stay and experience.

Here you can see our visualization of the competition entry “Light towers” of the city of Floeha 2022.

Tourist Guidance System for Neustadt in Saxony

Tourist Guidance System for Neustadt in Saxony

Holistic, individual orientation system in combination with a pedestrian guidance system and a parking guidance system

Consisting of individual elements:

  • Arrow signposts
  • Orientation boards (city and district maps)
  • Announcements (showcases / display cases)
  • Pin boards
  • Hiking boards / hiking maps
  • Welcome boards / town entrances
  • Parking guidance system / parking signs and arrow signposts

Planning services:

  • Phase zero / goal identification
  • Concept development (urban orientation concept)
  • Goals and route development based on target spiders
  • Application for funding / project management funding documents
  • Architectural concept (guiding system elements, design, dimensioning, materiality)
  • Cartography: city maps + panels
  • Signalling (signs, pictograms, contrast, font sizes)
  • Graphic design (corporate design, application and adaptation)
  • Text editing / translation (Czech / English)
  • Implementation / realization (project mangaement, construction supervision)

Client:

Municipality of Neustadt in Saxony

Period of development: 2019-2022

On the Road in the Light 2022, Potsdam

On the road in the light 2022, Potsdam

“Soundless Music” The illuminated Potsdam city center 2022

On the road in the light. But safe!

On the third weekend in January, our LICHT composition “Soundless Music” was performed in Potsdam’s city center. With the concept developed especially for “On the road in the light 2022”, a composition of colors was staged in Potsdam’s city center during the evening hours, from Friday (Jan. 21) to Monday (Jan. 24), expressing the universal process of THERMODYNAMICS.

Beginning with blue tones on Friday, ending with red tones on Monday, the LICHT composition incorporated 18 buildings, each in turn with 24 light scenarios that harmonize and interact with each other to create an immersive walk through the “Holistic art piece” of public space, architecture, light and time.

Kicking off on Friday, the beauty of the cold winter months was celebrated in tranquil BLUE and INDIGO combinations, which gave way to the optimistic GREEN of spring on Saturday and was replaced by the WARM summer joy of YELLOW and ORANGE tones on Sunday. The dynamic process concluded on Monday with a more reflective backdrop of DARK RED, accompanied with lighting moods from all the MAIN COLORS of the color spectrum for the FINALE.

“We have not forgotten you”.

This LIGHT ART effort was connected to the concern of the state capital Potsdam to convey to its citizens and its cultural institutions that it has not forgotten the importance of CULTURE in the city and the relevance of all those active in the cultural scene, even in these difficult times. For all, this weekend celebrated the beauty of life and art in and with (light) culture.

The illumination was realized by the following partners: Landeshauptstadt Potsdam (organizer), P3 Projekt GmbH (organization), Ruairí O’Brien . Lichtdesign (lighting concept), TLT Event AG (technical realization)

Links:

www.ruairiobrien-lichtkunst.de

On the road in the light. But safe! – Potsdam Marketing and Service GmbH (potsdamtourismus.de)

https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/4722010-3479097-unterwegs-im-licht-in-potsdam.html

Photos 1,7: Alexander Rentsch

Photos 2-6,8: Peter Fischer

High-rise Buildings in Pirna-Sonnentein

High-rise Buildings in Pirna-Sonnentein

Renovation of corridor areas, concept for light and color, orientation concept for elderly people

In 15-story residential high-rise buildings in Pirna Sonnenstein, the public corridor areas were redesigned with fire protection measures taken into account. The interior of the buildings was thus made more attractive. Additional design measures also take into account the needs of older residents in particular.

The rooms were made brighter, friendlier and more individual. The individual floors stand out from one another with different color schemes and motifs, making orientation easier. To improve the quality of stay, an individual lighting concept was developed.

New, square surface-mounted luminaires illuminate the corridor area. Individually placed spotlights mark the entrance areas of the apartments. The walls were redesigned. Different individual wall motifs form eye-catching illustrations on each floor when exiting the elevator, creating a focal point at the end of the stub corridors and additionally helping with orientation within the building.

The entrance areas of the apartments were marked with color accents, and the doors and wall were kept in a uniform color, creating a sense of spaciousness in the narrow corridors. In addition to color-coordinated new flooring, the apartments received new doorbell buttons and large signs at eye level.

Handrails made of stainless steel, protective profiles for the existing wall corners and a new information board and signs for the escape routes increase the quality of stay and living for the residents.

Client: Städtische Wohnungsgesellschaft Pirna mbH, 2013-2015

AMD Dresden, office and labotarory rooms

AMD Location Dresden

Office and laboratory rooms

Interior design, colour concept, lighting design

Completion of the new premises of the Dresden branch of AMD according to the concept for light and colour by Ruairí O’Brien.

Requirements:

Study for space-optimised use for optimal fulfilment of operational functions, individual workplace needs and efficient use of space. Planning Office spaces, laboratory spaces, representative areas / reception area / reception, conference / meeting rooms (telephone rooms, micro-meeting rooms), informal meeting space / work café, laboratory and development spaces / server rooms, social areas (break rooms, tea kitchens, communication corners), telephone booths, bathroom / toilet spaces, circulation areas / corridors.

Planning objectives:

  • optimal use of space for employees, optimisation of the workplace situation to create attractive workplaces and compliance with occupational health and safety regulations,
  • Creation of modern working environments of today, attractive for international employees, tailored to the individual requirements of each area
  • For a working environment that offers ideal working conditions and is a pleasure to be in.

Services:

Study room layout for different numbers of workstations for different sizes of utilisation unit, planning interior design / room layout, furnishing concept, lighting concept, HOAI LP 1-8.

Location: Annenhöfe Dresden, Germany (2022)
Client: TLG REAL ESTATE AG
Architect: O M Architekten GmbH BDA
Services: Interior design / colour concept / lighting design
Client: Xilinx Dresden GmbH / Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
Photos: Baldauf&Baldauf

Middle Building of Dora Concentration Camp Memorial, Nordhausen

Middle Building of Dora Concentration Camp Memorial, Nordhausen

Redesign of the didactic development of the tunnel complex

Competition entry, 3rd place

Our concept “Points and Lines” consists of two elements: Points of information and lines of paths in between. This concept includes the didactic idea that the light line guides the visitors and the information pillars (points) mark the destinations.
The information pillars or information light sculptures, convey the story and give the guided tours gathering points where the visitors get visual information and explanations together by the guide.
The light lines are guiding elements that lead to these information points and at the same time illuminate the space.
Both the information modules and the lighting are clearly different in their design from the original environment and thus convey a contrast to the original historic gallery. Since the exhibition elements are placed away from the walls and ceiling, they can be displayed while showing the surrounding environment.

We are pleased to have won third place in this competition with numerous renowned participants.

You can find our concept in detail here.

Upper Market Freiberg

Lighting of Upper Market Freiberg

Marketplace lighting, unique luminaires, town hall facade, Otto fountain, water features, seating furniture

The new marketplace lighting in Freiberg broke new ground in urban lighting design. The unique light poles, specially designed for the historic Upper market Freiberg, combine their duality of a technically functional object with the artistic light sculpture.

Innovative technology meets contemporary architecture, art meets science. In addition to illuminating the marketplace in the evening, the light poles (reflector system) can also be individually controlled or dimmed depending on the need for use in the public space. During the day, dichroic glasses in the upper mast take part in a solar geometric interaction with the sun, immersing the marketplace in a subtle, vibrant play of colors. The light-architectural work of art tailor-made for the historic upper market is completed by the illumination of the historic Otto fountain, the listed façade of the town hall as well as the water features and the unique granite seating furniture, also designed for the Upper market, which invites visitors to remain in the prestigious market square.

The lighting of the upper market Freiberg was nominated for Elisa – the Energy Efficiency Award of Saxony 2014. With the nomination, the lighting of the Upper market Freiberg was distinguished by the expert jury as a practical example and highlighted as a multipliable, proven, sustainable as well as efficient example from Saxony or for Saxony as a corresponding incentive for energy-efficient solutions.

Columbia Concentration Camp Memorial

Columbia Concentration Camp Memorial

Artistic-architectural concept for marking and visualizing the historical site

The Columbia concentration camp was one of the first concentration camps at the time of the National Socialists and was located at the northern edge of the Berlin Tempelhof airport site, with whose construction it was demolished.

With the aim of making the building and this part of German history perceptible again in the public space, the “Topography of Terror” Foundation organized a design competition to which Ruairí O’Brien was invited to submit a proposal.

Our concept, which is in line with the preservation order and barrier-free, is purposefully kept simple. A band of Corten steel is used to mark the footprint and volume of the disappeared building in parts on the original site.

The entire area can thus be experienced in a multi-layered way. Through the prominent bridge and the large gravel surfaces, the area can be perceived on different levels. As the viewer moves, his perspective changes, creating new spaces for thought. At the same time, the footbridge is a signal with a long-distance effect that provides a distinctive reference to the memorial site and also offers the possibility of accessing the entire site.

Sponsor: Topography of Terror Foundation

Project partner: Slapa und die Raumplaner

Design Guide Muellerstraße Berlin

Design Guide Muellerstraße Berlin

Design Guidelines for the Living Center Muellerstraße

Muellerstraße is located in the heart of the Wedding district of Berlin’s Mitte district. It is, with more than three kilometers, one of the longest shopping streets of the city.

Cultural and educational institutions are grouped in the adjacent areas. Branches of large companies, specialty stores, service companies and gastronomic offerings characterize the urban and transcultural flair of Muellerstraße. The first floors of the buildings are almost always occupied by stores or restaurants. Often, the entire first floor zone of a building consists of a single store unit.

The original window and door arrangements of the historic buildings are often no longer recognizable. Structural changes to individual areas in keeping with the trend of the times or energy-related renovations have altered the original character of the facades. Temporary additions such as advertising signs or awnings are also often part of the determinants of the facade appearance of the structures and thus the streetscape itself.

This design guide is an important building block in the future development of Muellerstrasse. It serves as a guideline for action in the redesign of facades or stores and functions as an advisory tool within the framework of the building consultation of the urban development office.

Everything from urban planning and architectural structures to details on buildings and light and lighting topics, such as advertising signs, window or color design were essential contents of our investigation and must be brought back into harmony in order to be able to develop a great design line for Muellerstraße. In this holistic approach, the micro level (details) and the macro level (the entire street) are placed in context with each other in an analytical-planning manner, and a system is developed from this, with the help of which a structured implementation of the guiding ideas can be guaranteed.

The design guide can be downloaded here.

House Bramsch

House Bramsch

Individual single-family house / architect’s house

Haus Bramsch is a distinctive architect-designed house in the classic modern architectural tradition, whose architecture brings together the individual habits, desires, preferences and lifestyles of the owners in a harmoniously elegant design. House Bramsch is planned in advance as a flexible, open or closed living concept and is thus also compatible with future changes in the needs and living situations of its residents.

Living space: 120m²

Services: HOAI Lph 1-8

Client: private