Prestigious lighting concept for municipal administration

LTS fits new townhall in Wolfegg with sustainable luminaires

Light is not just functional: It also shapes the character and the symbolic power of public buildings. This also holds true for the new townhall in Wolfegg in the Allgäu region. The new building is not only used as the office of the municipal administration but also accommodates the tourist information and a comprehensive children’s library. This means that there isn’t a clearly defined user group, but many people with different intentions visit and use the building. As a result, the required lighting concept should focus on the basics of human perception, design and communication: Light that includes rather than excludes users. The products from LTS Licht und Leuchten, the Upper Swabian luminaire manufacturer from Tettnang close to Lake Constance, helped turn the new townhall in Wolfegg into an attractive building with great appeal for all local citizens and visitors of the municipality in the district of Ravensburg.

Set back facing an impressive courtyard, the discreet building is appealing, and its function, shape and light colours harmoniously blend into the village structure and the historical context. Oversize windows on each side of the house which deviate from standard window formats attract attention. It’s already visible from the outside that the architect has created and realised a particular lighting concept. Artificial light and the incidence of daylight harmonise perfectly and are mutually dependent.

“Humans always subconsciously move towards the light. We deliberately used this idea. Oversize windows in the new townhall in Wolfegg create an interface between the outdoor and indoor areas. A glance inside, a glimpse outside – deliberately intriguing visitors to discover the various floors.”
— Andreas Jäger-Halder, WURM architectural office, Ravensburg

Once inside the building, a sophisticated lighting concept guides staff and visitors over three floors, from the ground to the top floor. Making sustainability and additional energy savings a priority, presence detectors have been installed to switch off the light when there is sufficient daylight.

Built today for Wolfegg’s future

Buildings are especially sustainable when they have been designed for several generations and bring along the necessary flexibility. Modern administrative buildings also require ultra-modern and sustainable lighting solutions. Energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption play an important role. LTS Licht & Leuchten GmbH is continuously researching and developing innovative and sustainable components and modules. The low power consumption and long service life of LTS luminaires reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions. This makes all LTS LED luminaires from Tettnang an excellent fit for this sustainable building project. These quality features have helped LTS convince the electrical designer Norbert Roth:

“Like everywhere, the price/performance ratio must be right, and illumination is always an important factor. I found both in LTS. I also attach importance to regionality, short distances, reliability and a fair partnership. So it was natural for me to work with the Upper Swabian luminaire manufacturer LTS. I was in very close contact with the LTS lighting design department and everything worked super smoothly. Anytime again!“
— Norbert Roth, Norbert Roth GmbH, Electrical design office, Aulendorf

With this new building project, the luminaire manufacturer LTS can show how flexible their Lichtkanal product range is, and how the architectural light line can be adjusted to the most diverse conditions. The “made in Germany” quality product is used in all public hallways, offices, lounge areas and all other rooms with special functions. The adaptability of the cover and the light control film make it very easy to highlight the difference between the rooms and find the perfect solution for every requirement. The LTS Lichtkanal is available in four different basic types which differ in their widths. The length, shape and colour of the Lichtkanal range is always customised. As far as mounting is concerned, clients can choose between recessed, surface-mounted and pendant luminaires. Electrical designer Norbert Roth specifically chose the ceiling-recessed variant of Lichtkanal for the offices.

“The selected light must always provide good illumination and, at the same time, be intentionally subdued and not distract. For this reason, we opted mostly for the ceiling-recessed Lichtkanal variant. The luminaires fulfil all necessary standard values and requirements and offer the best possible visual comfort for the employees.”
— Norbert Roth, Norbert Roth GmbH, Electrical design office, Aulendorf

Irrespective of whether a person is sitting at their desk or standing, the LTS Lichtkanal always guarantees optimum glare-free light thanks to innovative glare control technology. Despite straight light installation, a 360° glare-free working radius is guaranteed which allows for creative and productive working all around. Lichtkanal also offers a very good lighting quality which ensures an ideal visibility of contrasts and 3D surfaces, no matter whether you are working with or without a screen. Perfect visual comfort is the objective. This means the lighting sets out all the conditions that are necessary for effortless and productive working.

The new conference hall in the open attic of the three-storey building is another particular highlight. It represents the centre of democracy in Wolfegg and also serves as a stage for various festive opportunities. The oversized gable window with a view over the village all the way to the Alps makes visitors feel like they are rooted both in Wolfegg and the cultural landscape of Upper Swabia / Allgäu.

Three large flat and round LTS luminaires are used to illuminate this room. They are floating as disc-shaped points of light above people’s heads. These circular LTS ceiling luminaires with the fitting name „Lunata” emphasize the character of the modern ambience. Norbert Roth, the electrical designer from Aulendorf, explains:

“The municipality and I wanted to create something very special in the conference hall and I think we succeeded. The room’s overall concept is very coherent and will be a leading example for the region in terms of the installed technology for years to come. It certainly holds a wow factor for everybody entering the room in the dark and switching on the light.“
— Norbert Roth, Norbert Roth GmbH, Electrical design office, Aulendorf

The Lunata luminaires are suspended and shine their light where the people are, which makes them feel comfortable and safe despite the high ceiling. Thanks to the thin cables, the suspensions are hardly visible and make the light points seem like they are floating. This gives the conference hall a touch of exclusivity.

“The building we have created here is an architectural and technical highlight in the region and offers the best conditions in a state-of-the-art environment to provide all services in a practical manner.“
— Felix Wurm, WURM architectural office, Ravensburg

Felix Wurm explains how light is an effective medium to make architecture accessible and user-friendly, guide streams of visitors and define various spaces for specific use cases.

“Public administration buildings hold our societies together, allow them to function and make them worth living in. After all, humans gather in these buildings, move around in them and share their ideas.“
— Felix Wurm, WURM architectural office, Ravensburg

The right illumination ensures that people feel good, that the townhall is visible in the village and that it stands out from its surroundings. It emphasizes the architecture’s character and its purpose. LTS has helped give the Wolfegg townhall a unique appearance, strengthening its power of identification. In a nutshell: It offers guidance for locals and visitors.