Creativity in an old brewery: Archimedes Exhibitions, Berlin

Archimedes Exhibitions GmbH is a communications agency in Berlin specialising in the design and creation of exhibitions, brand spaces and interactive installations.

Its clientele includes scientific, cultural and economic institutions as well as science centres and well-known companies. Last year, the agency decided to expand and modernise its charming offices in a former brewery building, which were given the finishing touch with ERCO lighting tools that blend completely effortlessly with the interior design.

Gunnar Behrens, one of the managing directors at Archimedes and himself an architect and scenographer, deliberately considers the agency premises - planned in-house and furnished in part by the Archimedes workshop -, as the brand’s signature designed to communicate its image and values. The decision to opt for ERCO lighting tools was based on a variety of factors. Quality and technical reliability are inherent principles of Archimedes – even if some clients may need persuading. Behrens therefore expected the same high standards to be reflected in the agency’s own premises.
A second point in favour of ERCO was the fact that it had the right lighting tools for a variety of very different visual tasks involved in the work of Archimedes. Moreover, ERCO’s team of consultants in Berlin had already demonstrated outstanding knowledge and expertise in a number of joint projects with Archimedes – such as the illumination of the Max Planck Science Gallery in 2011 or the permanent exhibition on the history of parliamentarianism at the German Cathedral on Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt in 2013. Finally, Behrens revealed a personal background of sorts with ERCO – coming from a family of architects, he practically grew up under ERCO spotlights.

Reception under a striking vaulted ceiling
The offices of Archimedes, which take up an area of around 1,200sqm, are housed on the upper floors of a building previously used by the brewery as a drum storage facility. Their location under the roof explains the striking vaulted ceilings found in a number of the rooms – such as the spacious reception area with its almost stylish and sophisticated design. The barrel vault here is illuminated discreetly yet effectively by four Pantrac ceiling washlights with deep beam light distribution for uniform uplighting, whilst Quadra Quadra lens wallwashers are focused on a wall unit behind the reception counter. The vertical light draws the visitor’s attention, all the while giving the room a welcoming and spacious feel. Quadra downlights with oval flood characteristic, meanwhile, efficiently illuminate the desk behind the counter with a linear beam – offering an aesthetically minimalist alternative to linear fluorescent luminaires for a homogeneous overall appearance of the room.

Sophisticated ERCO track for dynamically fluid creativity
Nothing says grand like a vaulted ceiling in the executive office, where Parscan floodlights are used to provide brilliant ambient lighting. Mounted on track installed deliberately as a space-defining element and taking up the entire longitudinal axis of the room, they allow the flexibility required to react effortlessly to frequently changing work situations, as Gunnar Behrens explains. The position and alignment of the luminaires was easy to adjust to the task at hand, while ERCO’s patented Spherolit lenses, which determine the light distribution, were interchangeable, ensuring that the light could be directed precisely to illuminate the required space.
Track systems with Starpoint pendant luminaires offer the same maximised flexibility in the two conference rooms whilst being easy to lower if and when required. Thanks to their filigree cylindrical design, the minimalist luminaires blend easily with the aesthetically sober interior of the conference rooms, creating an almost homely atmosphere. With extra wide flood light distribution, only two of these pendant luminaires, with a wattage as low as 8W, are needed to illuminate the conference tables efficiently with intense light.

Individual lighting solutions create the right ambience
The studios of the product designers and software developers were matched with lighting tools from the Opton range. Whereas spotlights with oval flood light distribution illuminate the desks, wide flood versions are directed precisely onto the material library and the pin boards. Once more, ERCO LED light sets itself apart with optimal colour rendering and efficient glare control, complying in every respect with the prevailing standards required for workplace lighting.
ERCO light, however, illuminates more than just the actual workplaces and prestigious areas at Archimedes. The lighting tools of the Light Factory can also be found in the break room with kitchenette, where Pollux spotlights are used, as well as out in the hallway where the coat racks are illuminated by Quadra wallwashers. Good light, after all, influences the mood in any room, whilst enhancing its amenity value – a benefit that is appreciated whatever the space.