450+ MAC Luminaires Illuminate Mercedes-Benz Booth at IAA 2007

Featuring the slogan "See What’s Driving the Future," the 62nd annual IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) ran from September 13-23 at Germany’s Messe Frankfurt. The IAA, among the elite of international motor shows, attracted nearly 1 million visitors from 125 countries, making it one of the most popular in the show’s history.

Top auto brands Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart plied their latest designs in the landmark Festhalle on a spectacular booth lit by TLD Planungsgruppe GmbH and incorporating over 450 Martin MAC luminaires. Lighting and set design was by TLD’s Richard Profe. TLD, in cooperation with architects Kauffmann, Theilig & Partner, Freie Architekten BDA, and the communication agency Atelier Markgraph GmbH, created a highly unique presentation platform.

Carwalk
The Festhalle was spatially transformed into a lamella construction and integrated all three levels of the exhibition area. The focal point was the "Carwalk," a 50 meter long by 12 meter wide media driven road, consisting of LED strips, which merged with a moveable stealth curtain and high resolution LED wall.

On this digital roadway, Mercedes-Benz presented the "Road to the Future" with altogether 10 vehicles, including the world premiere C-Class T-model. The Carwalk included movement and sophisticated multimedia interaction of light, audio and video to communicate the message "Fascination and Responsibility.”

Lighting integration
TLD’s main task was to integrate lighting for the hall’s architecture, exhibits and cars in a semi-transparent detached rectangular grid-roof at a height of 16.2 m. A rig-construction was created to fit precisely into the space. The main function of the rig was to integrate the exhibit and vehicle lighting fixtures optimally without affecting the impressive construction. Automated Martin lighting was used to change the ambiance and was synchronized with the LED lighting, which supported various film sequences. The dynamic lighting altered the look of the lamella construction and dome, producing a variety of stimulating emotions and moods.

TLD decided on a state-of–the art lighting design using automated luminaires in order to ensure complete intensity control in the hall. All integrated architectural lighting was adjustable and/or dimmable and the entire area was controllable in order to create ideal conditions for an atmosphere-generating and changing production.

Martin MACs
In order to ensure a high quality standard of illumination of the various elements of the booth, TLD decided to use Martin moving heads, specifically Martin MAC 700 Wash, Martin MAC 2000 Wash and Martin MAC 2000 Performance fixtures.

Martin MAC 700 Washes were used to light the vehicles on level 2 from the ceiling structure. In order to reduce light spill as much as possible, TLD used the integrated beam shaper to outline the vehicles from different angles. To adjust lighting distances, TLD used the precise zoom optics in lieu of the fixture’s dimmer. The result was vehicle lighting that was balanced and homogeneous, and synchronized to the LED loop.

Martin MAC 2000 Performances were used for precise illumination of various exhibit elements. The framing system, a fully automated and micro-adjusting shutter blade system, was necessary in order to purposely emphasize the individual construction elements of the vehicles and to avoid light spill on the integrated displays.

From the ceiling construction, vehicles on the Carwalk on level 0 were illuminated using MAC 2000 Washes. These were equipped with 35 mm iris rings and PC lenses in order to increase light output while bulb adjustments during setup ensured optimal light intensity. According to TLD, homogeneous color fades, precise optics and a high luminous efficiency made the MAC 2000 Washes irreplaceable.

All of the lighting fixtures were attached to vertical pipes, turned 90 degrees perpendicularly, and integrated into the rig construction. All of the luminaires projected through 138 patterned lighting holes.

Altogether, 120 tons of technical equipment and rigging were built into the Festhalle in the two months leading up to the show. In addition, a show stage was integrated into the architecture to host the world premiere of the Driving Lounge F700.

Client
DaimlerChrysler AG
Brand Communications
Face-to-Face Communications Brand Platforms
Mercedes-Benz PKW and Maybach

Lighting design
TLD Planungsgruppe GmbH, Wendlingen

IAA-Team
Project Management: Alexander Orkisch
Construction Supervisor: Sebastian Ströher, Christoph Rupieper
Architectural Lighting Design: Claudia furrer
Operator: Dietmar Rauh
Lighting Design and Conception: Richard Profe

Communication
Atelier Markgraph GmbH, Frankfurt

Architecture
Kauffmann, Theilig & Partner
Freie Architekten BDA, Ostfildern

Technical equipment (public days)
270 x Martin MAC 2000 Wash
154 x Martin MAC 700 Wash
28 x Martin MAC 2000 Performance