-By Alex Palmer, Photography by Pierangelo Pertile

project: Osram Light Studio Showroom
client: Osram SpA
location: Treviso, Italy
designer: Cerquiglini & Rossi Architecture

As one of the biggest manufacturers of lamps and light management systems in the world, Osram aimed to have its showroom—situated on the first floor of its factory unit in Treviso, Italy—be used for internal meetings, as a place to present its offerings to visitors as well as somewhere for visitors to relax and feel comfortable. The company partnered with Cerquiglini & Rossi Architecture to create this space and showcase Osram's values.

"Our goal was to play with light, to give emotion and inspire the clients and designers who visit the Osram showroom," says Andrea Cerquiglini of Cerquiglini & Rossi. The architect aimed for the design solution to meld with Osram's products, integrating the light into the architecture. All shapes, surfaces, and materials were selected for the way they interacted with light.

Since Osram's focus is on light sources and their control systems, rather than light fixtures, Cerquiglini began integrating these sources—particularly LED modules—into the showroom at the earliest stages of planning, rather than adding lighting toward the end. "Light had to be the main material to construct this project," Cerquiglini explains. "All the light fixtures are custom-made solutions, and they are the interior architecture project. This project is 'the shape of light.'

The 150-sq.-m. showroom is divided into two zones. The first is the showroom and meeting space of about 100 sq. m., which offers presentations of Osram's products and services. Second, there is the 50-sq.-m. bistro area with chairs and tables, as well as a bench bar where visitors can relax, have coffee, or meet more informally.

Cerquiglini describes it as a "living project." Cerquiglini & Rossi chose and proposed colors both to create a consistency with Osram's company image, and also to show the possibility of creating different atmospheres simply by playing with light. "We wanted to create color with light," says Cerquiglini. "We hit the targets that we set, and 100 percent of our needs were met."

There are seven separate systems that Osram can control with a touchscreen, varying from cold to warm color temperatures. They can create repeatable sequences and download them to a controller, modifying them in the system as need be. These sequences can also be synchronized with audio or video to heighten the experience. "The client can watch the video, and then around him the color of the environment changes in accordance to the video," says Gianluca Filippi of Osram.

The shapes used throughout the space emphasize nature, with a thin line of "pipes" in the coffee-break area, which work with LED modules to evoke the feeling of being in a forest. Rounded half-sphere "bubbles" throughout the showroom, with one large one in the room's center, allow for a varying ambience to be created as the light system is adjusted.

The showroom also incorporates an innovative panel system for displaying products. Rather than traditional panels, these are presented much like books on a shelf that can be easily changed or removed. "Light had to create very different solutions, very serious solutions, but also a very funny atmosphere for a party for example," says Cerquiglini.

The innovative showroom required intense creativity and technical prowess. "Throughout the process we discovered a lot," says Filippi. "At the beginning there was a lot of work to do. In the end, we reached the scope."

jury comment:
“The forms and spaces allow the lighting to be the center of attention. The showroom illustrates the immense power that light has over mood and space perception. Information display is cleverly integrated within the motif. The space is transformed as the product is demonstrated.”

who
Project: Osram Light Studio. Client: Osram S.p.A. Architect, interior designer: Cerquiglini & Rossi Architecture. Structural engineer: Peruzzo architettura e progetti. Electrical engineer: Gianluca Filippi (Osram S.p.A.). Lighting designer: Cerquiglini & Rossi Architecture with Gianluca Filippi (Osram S.p.A.). Security consultant: Tiziano Conselvan (Osram S.p.A.). Photographer: Pierangelo Pertile.

what
Dry wall: Armstrong. Flooring/carpet fiber: Bolon. Ceiling: Armstrong. Lighting fixtures: Custome-made, manufactured by Mosconi Luce e Complementi. Light sources and electronic ballasts and control systems: Osram S.p.A. Custome-made big round fixture solution: Savi s.r.l. Diffusing ceiling film: Barrisol s.a.s. (France). Seating: New Line Office s.r.l., Contral s.r.l. Tables, display fixtures: Cavallini Arredamenti s.r.l., Mosconi Luce e Complementi, Contral s.r.l.: Cavallini Arredamenti s.r.l., Mosconi Luce e Complementi s.r.l. HVAC: Aermec.

where
Location: Treviso, Italy. Total floor area: 2.000 sq. ft. No. of floors: 1. Typical floor size: 14.000 sq. ft. Cost/sq. ft.: 150 U.S. dollars.