Prize(s) Winners in Landscape Lighting Design
Lighting Design/Product Company studio teilchenwelle
Lead Designers Stefan Lotze
Architecture Company helleckes Landschaftsarchitektur
Client Stadt Offenburg
Photo Credits Sebastian Schels, Klaus Storch
Completion Date June 2023
Project Location Offenburg, Germany
Entry DescriptionThe Zwingerpark, a listed garden monument from the 19th century, is located in the heart of the city Offenburg. Between the Mühlbach and the surrounding historic city wall, it forms the most impressive section of the green belt around the old town.
The challenge was to find a balanced solution of environmental impact, sustainability, safety aspects and a design appropriate to the urban space. The landscape architects created an identity-forming public space. A corresponding evening atmosphere was achieved in close collaboration.
A defining element is the row of linden trees along the main path by the stream. From high poles, avoiding glare, narrow spotlights on the path merge into one another with soft contrast and thus reflect the ductus of the row of trees. The concept includes also the old witness trees from the original planting. Fixtures are attached with tree belts and, as an exception, aimed through branches to create deliberate project shadows of leaf patterns on the ground.
The precise but discreet illumination of the city wall in the winter months is an important element to increase the recognizability of the surroundings and thus the sense of security. The path at the back remains unlit, except for seating niches and an island of light by the pond. Light accents are set by the statues, monuments and the fountain to emphasize the depth of the space.
Sustainability ApproachThe focus of sustainability was on biodiversity by minimizing the environmental impact of the lighting.
A decisive component was the temporal differentiation of lighting levels and requirements, through a control system. In the early evening hours, the focus is still on people and the urban space. During the night, however, only the walkway is illuminated and dimmed to a minimum.
The light spectrum was chosen just as importantly for environmental impact: 2200K was chosen as standard, 2700K in the accent areas.
Very precise spotlights were used especially for the difficult, almost horizontal illumination of the city wall (only in winter). Together with the manufacturer, customised long anti-glare tubes with an internal linear louvre were developed to ensure that no stray light falls over the edge of the wall or into the sky.
Company DescriptionWorks between architecture, light and art.
Light art with spatial, architectural reference –
Architectural light with a creative and conceptual approach.
Light installations engage with the location, with the actual spatial, but also with its use and perception. In the realization precise, abstract, sometimes fine as a light particle, but conceptually always in relation to a larger context.
Architectural lighting meets far more than functional requirements. The architectural concept is taken up and translated into light and a new level of perception of space is created.
