The effect of natural and artificial light combined with colour and plasticity are the themes of the Zumtobel Showroom, which was installed in a former light bulb factory in Berlin. The showroom is surrounded on three sides by coloured glass screens, which not only frame the views between interior and exterior, but also filter and manipulate the light. During the day the artificial light in the interior provides a stark contrast to the blue-tinted daylight shining through the screens, whilst at night the whole façade forms an illuminated body that radiates into the city like a lantern. Niches in a “floating” wall in the centre of the space are designed to display a number of the company’s products. They constitute a stage for the fittings and simultaneously provide a surface that lends materiality and presence to their light. A wall of frosted white glass in the background serves as a projection screen.

The visitor is guided from the reception area via a steel staircase and past a luminous “cascade of colour” to a conference room and offices on the upper floor. Here different spatial configurations serve as the “set” for varied lighting situations – from a daylight ceiling to exhibition and workplace lighting. Coloured surfaces are placed to accentuate the public areas, whilst selected materials and individual furniture pieces ensure atmospheric differentiation across both floors.