The Znith in Strasbourg Wears Martin

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 || Martin Professional

Architect: Massimiliano Fuksas
Lighting Design: Pierre Negre

The visually spectacular Znith de Strasbourg, the largest multipurpose venue in France, opened its doors earlier this year to a great deal of fanfare, and with good reason. Essentially a work of art, this lighter-than-air contemporary sculpture was designed by renowned Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, known for his Twin Towers of Vienna, among other works.

A stated goal of the venue is to establish the Alsace region as a crossroads for the worlds best artists. With seating for ten thousand and outfitted with the most sophisticated technology available, this new generation hall is already attracting major shows and international tours.

Built through a partnership between the Urban Community of Strasbourg, the Administration of Bas-Rhin, the Alsace Region and the State, the Znith is much more than a building. A unique orange web - a tensioned textile membrane - and decentralized ellipses render it a remarkable architectural and cultural landmark.

Exterior 600

Massimiliano worked with lighting designer Pierre Negre on the exterior illumination of the structure. After evaluating several possible solutions, Pierre chose Martin Exterior range color changing luminaires based on the illumination of a square located near the site.

How to throw light on a 12,000 m2 surface however posed a special challenge, so eight masts each 22 meters in height were specially manufactured for the project. Each mast houses five Exterior 600 color changers.

The Zniths textile membrane proved the ideal material for the saturation and even dispersion of projected light. The 575 W CMY color changing luminaires create an animation of color on the venue to the delight of visitors and passersby alike.

Lighting Design (other areas)
Light square: Workshops Light
Inner light: Pixelum

Installation
Exterior: AMEC SPIE
Interior: INEO