Interior Design

Thomas Gottschau, Journalist, Lebach, Germany

Special Effects with Lighting

In the Bundesrat Building in Berlin, lighting elements with “Conturax” profile rods enhance stylish surroundings with pleasant lighting.

The building in Leipziger Strasse, Berlin, has had an eventful history. Built between 1899 and 1904 as the seat of the first chamber of the Prussian Landtag (parliament) in the style of a baroque nobleman’s palace, its subsequent occupants included the East German Academy of Sciences. Since summer 2000 the former Prussian manor house has been the seat of the Bundesrat or upper house of the German parliament.

In September 1996 the Bundesrat decided to move its headquarters from Bonn to Berlin. In the four years leading up to the move, the building had to be adapted to suit the requirements of modern parliamentary work. The architects, Schweger & Partner from Hamburg, achieved this without any major changes to the basic structure of the historic building. One special challenge turned out to be the lighting system, which had to be harmonized with the historic architecture of the building.

Challenge for Light Engineers

In modern-day lighting engineering, glass and light are inseparably linked to one another. Special types of glass with specific properties are usually indispensable. When illuminating the various conference halls in the Bundesrat Building, lighting specialist Spectral thus opted for modern glass technology from SCHOTT-Rohrglas. Prism-shaped “Conturax” profile rods are part of the lighting elements providing the rooms with decorative illumination. The profile rods made from 3.3 borosilicate glass have long been highly successful in sophisticated lighting systems. “Conturax” combines aesthetics and the excellent properties of “Duran” borosilicate glass. It is resistant to aging and able to withstand fluctuations in temperature of up to 500°C. Glass lighting elements for the ceiling provide perfect integration of innovative lighting systems into historic architecture. In each meeting room 40 rectangular lighting elements offer uniform, virtually glare-free illumination. The specified distribution of light has been achieved by using reflector systems and optical elements. Light sources located on one side of the room project the light onto aluminized plastic components via reflectors placed at precisely calculated positions. Additional “Conturax” crystal glass prisms provide the desired reflection and an amazing brilliance. The result is an attractive illumination system, impressive both visually and in terms of functionality.