Sony Center, Berlin

Architect: Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn
Light Artist: Yann Kersalé

The Sony Center, an urban ensemble of seven buildings in the center of Berlin at Potsdamer Platz, is a combination living, working and entertainment hub. Designed by architectural firm Murphy/Jahn of Chicago, Sony Center is a grand engineering achievement of steel, glass and fabric.

The main feature of the visionary design is the oval shape of the covered Forum. Captivating in its transparent quality and modern character, the roof structure floats in the center of the complex. Serving as both a covering and projection canopy, it is illuminated after a light concept by Yann Kersalé and forms one of the nocturnal landmarks of the “new” Berlin.

Forum
The 4,000-square-meter public Forum plaza is the focal point of the center and space for cultural events, which can be staged in the open air even under inclement weather. Framed by restaurants, cafés, shops and entertainment facilities, the gigantic roof structure of steel, glass and strips of fabric hovers like an open umbrella.

Murphy/Jahn themselves comment: “Inside is a new type of covered, urban Forum for a changing cultural and social interaction of our time. The spatial dynamics and variety is contrasted by a minimal and technological attitude. Light, both natural and artificial, is the essence of the design. Sony Center is luminous, not illuminated. Façades and roof act as a fabric, which moderates the natural and artificial light. They become a screen. With its characteristics of transparency, permeability to light, reflection and refraction, there is a constant change of images and effects during day and night, effecting not only the appearance but also maximizing the comfort and minimizing the use of resources.” *

Lighting relaunch
The lighting of the Sony Center roof was actually a relaunch from a previous lighting system. Lighting design company LichtVision carried out the relaunch, including project planning and quality control, without altering the original concept of the light artist. The existing fixtures, unusable after only five years, were replaced with Martin Architectural Exterior 600 Compact color-changing washlights.

Exterior 600 Compact
LichtVision chose the Exterior 600 Compacts based on a number of factors including cost effectiveness, illumination technique, durability, maintenance issues, and electrical efficiency. A long life 575-watt lamp means the cost of maintenance can be planned and held within a visible framework, not an insignificant factor for light planners and investors as the fixtures are installed at a height of over 50 meters and professional climbers need to be called in for maintenance. Moreover, the Exterior 600 Compact is weatherproof IP 65 rated with an aluminum housing resistant to dirt, dust, water and Berlin’s poor city air.

The Exterior 600 Compacts are attached at the edge of the elliptical inner ring on special mounting plates. Some 48 are used to illuminate the sails while six with narrow angle lenses are used to light up the middle of the construction. Two fixtures are used to light each sail, with the long sails requiring three fixtures each.

The lighting scheme traces the design idea of the architect, beginning with white light. But as dusk approaches the roof reflects the colors of an evening sky - night-blue, cyan and magenta.

Martin’s partner A&O Lighting of Oyten realized the assembly and adjustment of the lights, as well as production of the mounting plates. A&O Lighting also handled the lighting control system - an EIB system working with a DMX recorder - as well as connection to the existing building control system.

*www.murphyjahn.com