Austrian National Library – State Hall

Within a Baroque building lies an authentic architectural jewel commissioned by Emperor Charles VI and built between 1723 and 1737. Today, the Austrian National Library is one of the most valuable libraries, with over 12 million items, 4 million are books.
In the “heart” of the library, the State Hall (or Imperial Hall) extends almost 80 metres in length and rises to a height of 20 metres. Overhead is a dome frescoed by the court painter Daniel Gran. On the shelves over 200,000 volumes are preserved and on display for the public, including the collection of 15,000 tomes once belonging to Prince Eugene of Savoy and one of the largest collections of printed book on Martin Luther’s reform worldwide.

The technology of light at the service of art

The State Hall and relative access staircase have been the subject of a major overhaul in terms of the lighting that has seen the Studio LDA in Vienna at the helm in collaboration with Linea Light Group. Helmut Regvart, studio founder and lighting designer, has created a project that involved replacing and restoring all the lighting bodies and relative electrical components (from the cables, ducts and distribution panels, through to the safety systems), with the goal of creating “theatrical lighting” through the installation of highly-effective solutions that are perfectly integrated into the building’s architecture.

The Linea Light Group solutions adopted by the LDA lighting design studio were different. The Navata_Optus projector, for example, was chosen to illuminate the bookshelves, the ceiling frescoes (above the imperial staircase) and a selection of architectural aspects. This particular product has a flexible arm and an integrated base that guarantees 100% stability during installation and a fixed direction once installed. What’s more, in line with the provisions of the restoration division, all the levels of light for the more than 300 luminaires utilised were regulated (with the power of the individual luminaires reduced by means of a dimmable system) and a sustainable and low-energy consumption system was created.
The wall version of the Optus_W2 has been installed to replace the PAR64 fitted prior, guaranteeing a better result. The two Optus light sources can be individually adjusted. In addition, each luminaire has been customised with a DALI driver for perfect integration into the control system.

High Protection luminaires also found their place within the lighting project. With a custom 3500K light colour and the DALI control, they have been utilised to emphasise the historic spiral staircases which, in the Imperial Hall, lead from the visitor’s floor to the gallery. From an architectural perspective, these are very important components that have been appropriately highlighted thanks to the new lighting design.

Alongside, the statues and busts are exalted with Periskop, the small-sized and high-power projector that is particularly appreciated for its ease of installation. Then there is the Periskop, in a customised version with 14 narrow beam elements, utilised to illuminate the Imperial Staircase leading to the hall of the same name. A sort of “crown” emphasises the busts around the walls, the vases and the inscription above the entrance. Other Periskops were also installed to light the half-domes of the windows.

Credits:
Lighting design project: Helmut Regvart, Lighting Design Austria
Client representative and Project Manger: Mr. Ing. Wolfgang Zellermayer
Head of Techinal Department: Leitung Technik
Products: Navata_Optus, Optus_W2, High Protection in a custom version, Periskop
Photo: We Feel