Grand Basel—custom-designed lighting for exclusive collectors' automobiles

If aesthetics alone are not enough, the fact that the "Déesse", with its central hydraulics for suspension, steering and brakes wrote engineering history, may prove the relevance of the exhibit. As symbols of progress and objects of desire, classic cars always represent the zeitgeist of their creation—and, thanks to limited availability, have long enjoyed the status of both collector's items and financial investments. Accordingly, it seems only reasonable that the Swiss exhibition company MCH Group, organisers of the world's leading art fair Art Basel, are focusing on this issue with their new event. After all, who else could draw on a comparable depth of experience with highly aesthetic and costly exhibits, but also with a correspondingly exclusive audience?

The concept of the Grand Basel, which celebrated its premiere from 6 to 9 September 2018, is also based on strict selection. More than one hundred automobiles will be shown—but never more than two or three selected vehicles from a dealer or collector will be positioned in one of the "frames" that make up the exhibition architecture: immaculately white, frame-like platforms that are sealed above by opaque stretch film. This homogeneous form of presentation also includes staging of the exhibits with light. In order to convey an optimal visual impression of shapes, colours and materials, both "live" and through the media via photo or film, the technical parameters for quality of light were defined at an early stage in the design process. Responsible for this was the engineer and lighting designer Andreas Seiler who planned the lighting and other technical elements on behalf of the Berlin design company Blue Scope.

One challenge was the desire to travel with the entire exhibition architecture. Like Art Basel with its international offshoots, Grand Basel will also make stops in Miami, Hong Kong and other locations in the future. For the technology this means: it must not only be portable and efficient to assemble and disassemble, but must also comply with the various power grids, regulations and safety requirements of the host country. To avoid mixed lighting situations in naturally illuminated exhibition halls, the lighting designers specified a daylight-similar light with a 5700K colour temperature—but also very good colour rendering of Ra≥90. Further specifications included dimming control on the housing and flexibility with regard to the beam angle.