New study and conference centre at the Mannheim Business School with an individualised lighting solution from Zumtobel

An individualised lighting solution from Zumtobel is helping to create an optimum learning environment in the new MBS study and conference centre, featuring concentration-enhancing light that relieves the eyes during long periods of work.

Opened in October last year, the study and conference centre in the western courtyard of the Mannheim Palace has quickly become the new architectural centrepiece of the Mannheim Business School. A disused boiler room and the adjoining coal cellar have been completely rebuilt to create the new lecture theatre complex. Arranged behind an expansive glass façade that looks out onto the gardens behind the west wing of the palace, the study and conference centre incorporates two semi-circular lecture theatres, a flexible conference area, ten seminar rooms and a spacious barrier-free foyer.

The lighting solution had to satisfy a series of special requirements. The new installation needed to provide uniform illumination of the arched and shell-shaped ceiling in the lecture theatres, while also meeting all the relevant standards and delivering glare-free light throughout the centre – ready for a future in which paper is completely replaced by touchscreens. Zumtobel solved these varied challenges with the help of a new calculation method, using the HiLite programme to precisely calculate the reflections of the vaulted ceiling. The multifunctional SUPERSYSTEM II lighting tool from Zumtobel proved to be the ideal solution, incorporating an oval-outline film with a very narrow distribution to gently illuminate the concave-shaped ceiling. Each LED spotlight from the SUPERSYSTEM II maxi range was then carefully positioned and directed in line with a detailed set of calculations.

Zumtobel chose a solution for the foyer that simultaneously reflects the historical background of the building and creates a transition into the old palace. The vaults in the former kitchen now benefit from the soft and uniform light of the CRAFT S high-bay LED luminaire. This small industrial fitting with big performance blends high resistance, maintenance-free operation and low energy requirements over a long service life. The compact high-bays are installed as direct uplights to illuminate the vaulted ceiling in a balanced way with minimal shadowing, generating a brilliant lighting atmosphere in the entrance area.

A special version of the frameless Zumtobel PANOS evolution LED recessed downlight with a concrete inlay has been developed for the ceilings in the corridors. Great care was taken to achieve a clean transition between the luminaire and the acoustically effective ceiling by integrating the plaster ring into the concrete housing. The PANOS downlight series is characterised by high luminaire efficiency and powerful lumen packages – for the very best lighting quality.