What makes a good lighting concept that combines natural and artificial light optimally?
It is important, in the first instance, to look at the setting: How does the light shine into the building? How can I best avoid artificial light during the day? A very important factor is to use dimmable luminaires so the light sources produce a pleasant ambience suited to the relevant occasion in the evening – dinner or meeting, sales situation or display window at night.
Artificial light, on the other hand, can be used to create constantly new scenes. With the ERCO Spherolit lenses, for instance, I can highlight a wedding ring as easily as an evening gown or a running shoe, using just the light to engage the customer emotionally. And all that with a single spot!
Is it not just as easy to produce good light with conventional luminaires? What exactly, in your view, makes LED light the ideal solution?
Efficiency and durability, for a start. LED light is sustainable and technically brilliant. I opted for ERCO to illuminate our office because of the many and diverse possibilities of the LED luminaires.
The toilets in our office, for instance, are deliberately kept in dark grey – from floor to ceiling. This means you are in a completely dark room with white bathroom facilities. Therefore, we used an ERCO luminaire with 7W – and the room is now illuminated perfectly. You can see absolutely everything: yourself in the mirror, the washbasin, and the toilet. The rest recedes into the background. If we had used conventional luminaires, we would have needed 70W to 150W for that small space!
It is still a common prejudice that LED light is far too cold ...
LED light is not cold. You see – my office is equipped completely with warm white LEDs at 3000K – and we get many compliments for it.
You have a quote in large letters at the entrance to your office, which says, “We believe that brand design is about content, emotion and engagement”. What does that mean for your everyday work?
When you are an architect or interior designer working in the retail sector, you need to approach these tasks with great passion. The result must also stir emotions: Three-dimensional branding combines artwork, light and materials with the product to create a spatial experience. Be it for Nike or Lego: Every design needs to have a content-driven concept that appeals to the target group. And it must be updated regularly so as to keep the customers fascinated for the long term.