Osram creates a globally unique lighting solution for the Lenbachhaus

Lighting solutions for museums are a fine art. They should not only display the colours of exhibition objects as true to the original as possible, but also simultaneously protect works from damage. The LED technology from Osram installed in the Lenbachhaus municipal art museum in Munich takes this into account: More than 170,000 light emitting diodes and intelligent light control are able to generate almost 100 different colour shades to display works from Kandinsky and Beuys for example in the very best light. "We've integrated the complete range of our lighting expertise to create a globally unique lighting solution," attested Peter Laier, Head of Technology at Osram.

On Monday, the Lenbachhaus municipal art museum in Munich opens its doors again to journalists for the first time at 11 o'clock. The fundamental idea for the lighting concept came from the lighting artist Dietmar Tanterl – the artworks should be seen bathed in various light atmospheres, and of course always with the best possible presentation of art. Osram engineers and scientists coming from various sectors got together in order to technologically implement this concept and to develop a solution that until now has not been used in any museum in the world: The basis is a combination of five different LEDs, the light of which is mixed together. The fully dimmable system can now be flexibly set between warm white (3000 Kelvin), similar to sunrise red, and daylightsimilar cool white (6000 Kelvin).

The mix was programmed to achieve a very high colour rendering index of greater than 95 for the almost 100 colour shades, and with every setting. This demanded exceedingly tight cooperation between LED and optics development, light measurement technology, programming and project planning. The technology is used, depending on the specific room in the museum, within four types of luminaire: cove luminaires, light ceiling luminaires, spotlights and so-called "shed" luminaires in the skylights of the upper floors.

The museum was modernised under the management of the construction department of the City of Munich and the architectural offices of Foster+Partners, and the lighting solution was implemented together with the Bamberger and Partner engineering offices. The project was supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.

Osram has extensive experience in the technological implementation of lighting concepts from architects, artists and planners for exhibition spaces. For example the lighting concept of the Bucerius Kunst Forum in the Hamburg exhibition building was upgraded to LED lighting together with the light manufacturer, and the trophies of the FC Bayern football club's World of Experience were also highlighted with correspondingly appealing light.