Lighting solutions for the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art are tailored to match the dynamism of
Zaha Hadid’s architecture. Instead of traditional floodlighting, the building’s stacked volumes are outlined by energy-efficient
fluorescent strips concealed in the exterior parapets. The same lighting family is also used in the office interiors, whose ceilings
are visually prominent on the nighttime façade. Here, slick linear fluorescents are arranged in an accelerated pattern that
reinforces the architecture’s sense of movement.
The Center’s rich array of galleries is arranged in a three-dimensional matrix at the heart of the building. Each gallery space is
unique in geometry and scale, with heights ranging from 7’6” to 25’. A key challenge was to light these varied spaces, while providing
a high degree of adjustability for ever-changing art installations. Track-mounted spotlights are deployed throughout the galleries,
recessed into ceiling channels in lower galleries, and concealed above metal mesh panels in the tallest spaces.
Facilitating maintenance, the same family of luminaries, chosen for their user-friendly characteristics, is used throughout.
Since all the fixtures have identical mounting and handling, the lights can be simply exchanged from gallery to gallery as needed.
Filters, lenses, and screens are easily added to further modulate the lighting effects.
