Façades

Façade illumination makes it possible to “frame” the character of a building front in keeping with its uniqueness and importance. The edifice is given its very own identity within the nocturnal cityscape. Sensitive planning allows for a blend of illumination and architecture. This can be achieved even with low energy consumption!

From the designer’s viewpoint, architectural lighting design is the most challenging element of the nocturnal cityscape. In the daytime, all buildings are illuminated equally by sunlight of varying brightness. The staging of architecture becomes possible only at night. Every building has its own significance and uniqueness, its special geometry and material composition and can be showcased individually through lighting. If light design is employed skilfully, less is actually more. All concepts should be based on technical know-how but also, and to the same degree, on artistic sensitivity.

As the example of the Vienna State Opera shows, light helps to convey the emotions experienced by opera-goers during the performance to the world outside. Conversely, the example of the Salzburg State Theatre indicates the artistic genre presented at a given evening through the colour used, which changes on a daily basis. Especially in case of coloured illumination, LED technology opens up great possibilities for design which, however, should be made use of with restraint.

Sparing resource use (energy efficiency and sustainability) and respect of nature (avoidance of light pollution) should always be aimed for. The intelligent application of efficient lighting technologies allows to attain the desired effect even with low energy consumption.

After midnight, the urban night should be left to take over by turning down all illumination to the absolute minimum: the intensity of street lighting is reduced, and architectural lighting can be switched off entirely, allowing the stars in the night sky to emerge and become once more visible.