Prague EUROPARK

In the wake of the economic and cultural expansion of the European Union, cities like Prague are opening up to new experimental methods in architecture and architectural lighting. Prague EUROPARK, a shopping center of American character, opened its doors to visitors in September 2002 with a dynamic façade illumination featuring Martin color changing luminaries.
 
In addition to the main tenants, Interspar and OBI, the public now has access to over forty exclusive stores and a rich range of catering operations, all housed in a pleasant atmosphere.
 
Controversial facade
With the aim of creating a "controversial" façade design for the EUROPARK, the architectural team of A & GP of Vienna, in association with H.H. Brunner and Zumtobel Staff of Dornbirn, Germany developed an extraordinary light façade construction for the shopping center, with involvement from light planner Lutz Gock and the company NextMove. Under contract by ASPIAG Management AG Interspar from Switzerland, Prague EUROPARK was the largest privately financed building project in 2002 in Prague.
 
Divergence from common method of architectural illumination
The fundamental planning idea was to create both an efficient and fascinating building illumination design for the complex. The idea was to diverge from the common method of illumination applied in the architectural field – that is, low-key illumination only visible to the conscious observer - but rather to consciously apply dynamically changing light and color. The result is a colorful translation of feelings into light and color that continuously merge into one another, constantly presenting new opportunities of observation.
 
White enameled glass façade
The linear and clear forms of the building are not simply illuminated with light but become the subject of a light-based graphic design with color, which is integrated into the architectural planning. The selection of white enameled glass as the material for the outer façade gave the artistic designers room to maneuver. In this way, it was possible to integrate into the general design of the complex a sophisticated choreography of light, with coordinated structural animations and synchronized alternations of color, all following a general theme.
 
Northern façade Exterior illumination
The location of the building meant that the north and south facing facades were particularly appropriate for design purposes. The northern façade, stretching over a length of 180 meters in the interchange area of an urban motorway and entry road into Prague, is not just a joy to the eye from a light-design point of view, but its marketing aspect is also considerable, both for the EUROPARK as a whole and the individual stores located there.
 
The basic light design elements on the north side include 37 outdoor color changers - 33 Martin Exterior 600 and 4 Martin Exterior 200 - located on the roof, at a distribution determined by the planning instructions. The Martin Exterior luminaries are IP 65 protected with elegant, aluminum casings. They deliver a patented CMY color mixture by way of 1.2 million DMX-controlled color variations.
 
Here, movement of color and light are applied quite deliberately in such a way that they affect the onlooker´s physiological and psychological perception of the object. The constantly changing colors vary in form and intensity, and, used in combination with clear and direct symbols and images, attract the attention of all those hurrying by, and remaining as a pleasant memory.
 
MAC 2000s in weatherproof domes
A further 15 Martin MAC 2000 multifunctional profile spotlights, installed in specially developed, air-conditioned weatherproof Plexiglas casings, represent the climax of the general design and light choreography on both the north and south facing facades. These high performance projectors, used primarily in the events industry, are specified solely for indoor use. The partner companies succeeded in developing a special air-conditioned and weatherproof housing made of Plexiglas, in cooperation with Huber Lichtwerbung GmbH from Dornbirn and Lumen Elektromontage a.s., Èeské Budìjovice. Design specifications were provided by NextMove. These high performance projectors, which are responsible for the animation and dynamics of the light projections, and which are also equipped with the CMY color system, are operated by the DMX control language and integrated within the general scenic presentation.
 
Southern façade
The southern facade functions as the main entrance to EUROPARK Prague. Its lively MAC 2000 color and light shows, which depict stories in pictures for special occasions or holidays, such as Christmas, Easter or Valentines Day, welcomes visitors as they arrive. For instance, at Christmas, visitors were greeted by Father Christmas sitting on a sleigh and being pulled by a reindeer, an image that appeared at fixed times as part of a general Christmas light choreography.
 
In interaction with the southern facade, a discreetly integrated, changing color creation was selected for the completely galvanized roof dome, which, apart from providing a rounded end to the facade illumination, also functions as a marketing instrument and is visible from a considerable distance.
 
LightJockey control
All sections of the building are operated from a central, PC-based Martin LightJockey control unit. This DMX control software is located on a computer in the engineering room, which has been configured to meet local requirements. It not only stores and administers all the design-based program steps for the light choreography and illumination scenarios, but it is also the point where system and lamp start and stop commands, as well as calendar and maintenance functions, can be accessed and processed. The entire complex is accessible for convenient processing in the form of a complete 3D visualization with real time presentation of the current illumination scenario. Remote maintenance and programming options are also catered for.
 
The company NextMove, under the management of Christian Mentrup, was involved from planning stages of the lighting concept, which was designed by Lutz Gock. Both companies have been working together for years, guaranteeing the customer smooth planning and implementation without added cost. The close interplay between light planning and implementation meant that the expectations and ideas of both customers and architects were fulfilled.
 
In only five weeks, NextMove had implemented the building project from the start of construction to the complete, basic-program system, ready for the opening of the EUROPARK on September 24, 2002. The installation team comprised a maximum of eight personnel. Characteristic of this strict and targeted form of installation was the smooth and highly coordinated cooperation between the participating firms working on these and the adjacent contract activities. Constant time and quality control was performed at the agreed interface points by the planning authority, NextVision, and the building contractor, NextMove. This made it possible to adhere both to the timetable and the prescribed budget without difficulty, in line with the requirements of the investors. Nevertheless, in the end it was thanks to the recognized specialists in intelligent multimedia and light installations, that both customer wishes and planned targets were rewarded with functional implementation.