Padova Congress

Congressional lighting in the heart of the Veneto region

Strategically located close to the city centre and the train station, the new convention centre (the largest in the Veneto region) aims to appoint Padua as one of the Italian convention capitals. Indeed, only three months after its official inauguration in April 2022, Padova Congress already boasts a number of important events scheduled through to the end of the year along with no fewer than seven conferences for 2023. As an authentic architectural jewel designed by architect Kengo Kuma, the building is a contemporary and flexible space that combines design, functionality and technology.

Within the spaces of the exhibition ground where once stood the old Palazzo delle Nazioni, the sculptural portal has been maintained. Padova Congress is the result of an architectural project developed by Architect Kengo Kuma, seeing not only the use of the Japanese technique of layering, consisting of overlapping elements with different levels of permeability, but also the restoration of the Paduan tradition of intermediate spaces with large façade partitions inspired by the city's porticos.For the construction of the current building, which covers an area of about 12,000 square metres and contains several modular halls able to accommodate more than 3,000 people, significant works were completed in terms of sustainability and respect for the environment, as well as a careful lighting design aimed at emphasising the structure and creating a continuum of light between inside and outside.

For the lighting project, numerous Linea Light Group solutions have been installed. For example, on the outside, to emphasise the wooden pilasters that surround the entire building in a harmonious manner, in providing both an aesthetic design element and a functional sun-shade for the large windows that distinguish the entire conference centre, the Suelo_R uplight was used to create impressive lighting from below thanks to its 6° optics. For the terrace on the top floor, which surrounds the entire building and provides a breath-taking 360° panorama of the city, the Vedette_Q wall light was fitted on the wall, blending perfectly into the façade.

Great attention was paid to lighting the portal by Luigi Strazzabosco and Amleto Sartori, serving as the entrance door, as it did for the pre-existing Palazzo delle Nazioni. Made of expanded steel sheeting, the entryway is 20 metres high and 60 metres long, adorned with the tiles from the old portal that were preserved and relocated to the centre of the podium at the top of the entrance staircase. The right highlighting comes thanks to the Archiline, mounted on a galvanised steel T-bracket, with narrow optics and equipped with the special “anti-glare fins”, an accessory that exalts the stones whilst impeding any glare effect.Finally, to further emphasise the preciousness of the marble of the portal, Guardian downlights were recessed into the ceiling. These same lights have also been used (again outdoors) to illuminate the platform roof.

A technical lighting design was also developed for the interior. It began with the two main halls, the Giotto and Mantegna, the auditorium rooms in which large events and meetings are hosted and for where the Angular projector has been specially customised by means of a steel track installed on the ceiling to guarantee power supply and simplify any future maintenance through the existing walkway.Ribbon lights were chosen to illuminate the walls, whilst Aspho_R downlights were selected for the stairs, providing lighting that is both aesthetically pleasing and safe.Installed in the control room and some smaller meeting rooms is the Emy, a ceiling light with an aluminium body and micro-prismatic PMMA diffuser.

Pound projectors were used to illuminate the reception area on the first floor, whilst the Cob20_RX with controlled UGR and higher power were selected for the counters at the entrance. The same Cobs are also the solution of choice for lighting certain smaller meeting rooms used as offices, in place of the Emy ceiling light.

In the service areas, there are My White wall lights to illuminate the stairs and the tin Alix ceiling light for the technical rooms. The stairs connecting the various floors are lit with Pools, which combine technology and design to offer high-quality visual comfort and, not least, provide a scenographic effect thanks to the simplicity of their lines.

The Loro_R downlights with a black finish were recessed into the wooden ceiling that distinguishes the secondary entrance to the conference centre and which, through the wood, is intended to recall the external pilasters.Finally, to light the tunnel that connects the two entrances, Tu-V suspension lights have been used in various lengths and fitted at double and triple heights to create a play of light that gives movement and forms a very elegant yet spectacular effect.

Credits:

Architectural design: Architect Kengo Kuma

Construction company: Cogevi (Vittadello Group)

Lighting Project: CogeviProducts: Pool, My White, Alcor, Alix, Pound, Tu-V, Loro_R, Vedette_Q, Cob20_Rx, Ribbon, custom Angular, Guardian, Suelo_R, Joe, Aspho_R, Emy and Archiline

Photo: TheStudio

Year: 2022