Our factory in Arnsberg created a unique work of art for the German Football Association Academy in Frankfurt am Main - an eight-metre light sculpture reminiscent of a bundle of luminous reeds.

 

It was an unusual and exciting request from Berlin. Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung GmbH sought a partner to create an eye-catching artwork for the German Football Association Academy. The concept was based on an eight metres high bundle of luminous reeds. The key theme was Sports. Therefore it was decided that the stems should be made of pole vaulting poles and the homogeneous glowing pistons constructed from a satin-finished plastic. The sculpture's destination was the newly renovated foyer of the DFB headquarters.

Individual requirements demand individual solutions

TRILUX has proven its expertise in implementing sophisticated bespoke solutions, demonstrated in countless projects. But art? Naturally, we want to and can do that, too. In the first step, the manufactory team assessed the effort, costs, risks and budget, among other things, and tested the project's feasibility in the training workshop. The first hurdle was controlling the movement in the work of art as flexible pole vaulting poles formed the stems. "The designer precisely specified the geometry and the radii with which the pistons were to spread outward," explains Christian Hömberg, Engineering Customer Solutions Architectural. "Due to the material and the eight-metre rod length, there was a risk that the heads would tilt to the ground," says Hömberg. Therefore, the fibreglass rods were reinforced with internal stainless steel tubes for the required stability.

Highest quality, clever details

The construction of the luminaire itself also proved to be challenging. The luminaire bodies were of the highest quality satin-finished plastic, with seamless and form-fitting transitions to the entire tubular bulb. To match, innovative lighting technology provides excellent light. Five diffusers inside the translucent tubular bulbs guarantee attractive and homogeneous illumination. "Also, the mounting situation had a lever effect, due to the height the luminaire had to be as light as possible," recalls Hömberg. Other clever details include the modular design of the omnidirectional luminaire body. Inside are linear and diffuse-emitting LED gear trays, which made it possible to create a maintenance-friendly, sustainable solution.

Flexibly up to any task

Since May 2022, the enormous sculpture has stood for everyone to admire in the Frankfurt foyer. "The project shows we can implement the unique requirements needed to develop a special luminaire within a very short time frame through our internal know-how and close collaboration with strong partners," explains Christian Hömberg, "I look forward to many more exciting manufactory projects; they are always genuine lighting and design masterpieces (even without an explicit "art commission").