De Castelli showroom, Beijing

The De Castelli brand is known for its dedication to metalworking, which adds a touch of craftsmanship to the luxurious furniture collections. The De Castelli Gallery in Beijing is located in a picturesque traditional courtyard and displays exquisite metal artworks, furniture and surfaces. To present these masterpieces in the right light, ERCO was commissioned to develop a lighting solution that would emphasise the beauty of the exhibition space.

The showroom was designed by Liwan Yang from Just Design. According to De Castelli, the showroom design combines oriental spirit and western beauty, rational compatibility and a warm atmosphere that reflects the brand’s three core values: exquisite craftsmanship, outstanding technology and continuous innovative development.

With its open-plan design, the main hall is reminiscent of an art museum. In this room, the boundaries between inside and outside appear fluid thanks to the large, high windows. The building’s second floor has a more modern and functional design and houses the material exhibition area and the conference area. Large glass window frames create natural images, emphasising the changes of the day and the seasons with details.

The exhibition space welcomes visitors as a large, open area with a double volume. It conveys a sense of grandeur, while visitors’ gazes are drawn to the large-scale metal artworks accentuated by ERCO Optec spotlights in various light distributions. Metal can be difficult to illuminate due to its highly reflective properties; this is where ERCO’s precise light control comes into play to reduce glare and reflection as much as possible.

Accent lighting draws attention to specific pieces, emphasising unique features and textures. This lighting approach helps to create hierarchies of perception in the exhibition space and to direct visitors’ gazes to the works of art and pieces of furniture.

A colour temperature of 3000K was chosen to emphasise the modern and simple aesthetics of the furniture while at the same time creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere. The track lighting enables flexible positioning of the luminaires so that the light can be easily adapted to changes in the exhibition concept. In addition, the use of recessed channels for the tracks ensures seamless integration of the lighting system into the architecture.

A mixture of Quintessence recessed luminaires and Starpoint recessed spotlights was used on the second floor. In addition to general lighting, accent lighting creates drama and emphasises certain areas.

The aim was to create an inviting atmosphere with light while at the same time meeting high energy efficiency requirements. The use of LED lights significantly reduces energy consumption while maintaining high light intensity, which leads to long-term energy and cost savings and enables visually impressive presentations.