Brand communication with light: new showroom for Otto Wulff Projektentwicklung, Hamburg

Dirk Hollweg's design is based on visual perception hierarchies: bright-dark contrasts or graduations in brightness establish a sense of drama, specifically emphasise individual areas in the space and enable these to visually come to the foreground. Other less brightly illuminated areas are more discreet and blend into the background. “Light allows me to order and classify, and that creates excitement and at the same time communicates the quality approach of the Otto Wulff brand,” said Hollweg, who used 3000K luminaires throughout the showroom, because “warm, directed light has a high quality appearance whereas cool, indirect light tends to be sober, functional and frequently boring.” His qualitative approach to lighting design structures the space, emphasises individual zones and sets specific highlights “like the sun’s rays” with spotlights. The result: a superior and highly inviting atmosphere throughout the showroom.

Orientation with the aid of light: bright zones attract visitors

Individual areas are illuminated in a differentiated way to guide visitors specifically through the exhibition. “Customers tend to move automatically to where it’s brighter,” explained the lighting designer. As a consequence, the wall panel with a striking Otto Wulff logo at eye-level seen by visitors in the entrance area is very brightly and uniformly illuminated with a 24W Optec wallwasher, transforming it into a central eye-catcher. A reception desk is situated on the right-hand side above which two decorative Starpoint 8W pendant luminaires with extra wide flood light distribution were installed. The wall area behind displays a 'welcome' greeting highlighted with a recessed Compact wallwasher. This area is illuminated significantly brighter than the opposite waiting area, giving visitors a clear signal to go towards the right. The lighting is unobtrusive in the waiting area to the left—an Optec spotlight with spot distribution illuminates a side table next to the sofa like a small island in the space, two Compact lens wallwashers illuminate the picture behind the sofa and a decorative task light adds a cosy touch.

The sales-promoting impact of light: influencing the focus of customers

The tables in both meeting rooms are specifically highlighted with light where consultants present designs and planning details as well as individual project information. “This makes customers focus their attention on the sales discussion,” explained Dirk Hollweg. Only a single Skim recessed luminaire ensures the uniformly bright and glare-free illumination of the table surface. A decorative task light positioned at eye-level on the shelf to the side also emphasises the high quality appeal of the interior. The lighting design works with concise hierarchies of perception here as well: the focus with brightness and therefore attention is clearly on the tabletops, whilst other areas in the space blend more into the background. “Rooms or spaces that are too uniformly illuminated create stress,” stated the lighting designer. A living situation is simulated in the rear area of the showroom where decorative pendant luminaires and floorstanding uplights create a cosy atmosphere. “An Optec spotlight with just 6W and narrow spot distribution also creates a campfire effect on the low coffee table where people gather as they did in earlier times around a campfire. Another Optec spotlight sets a spot of light on the picture above the sideboard,” informed the designer. 6W Optec with spot distribution also accent individual products in the bathroom exhibition.

As such, the rendering of colours and materials as true as possible to nature was a further essential factor in the lighting design. The ERCO LED lighting tools installed in 3000K warm white feature outstanding colour rendering and achieve true-to-life material appearances (RA ≥ 90).
The new Otto Wulff Projektentwicklung showroom in Hamburg demonstrates how innate brand values such as quality and the spirit of innovation can be communicated with the aid of light. The photometric advantages of ERCO lighting tools, for example excellent colour rendering and consistent quality of light, also complement the diverse design options made available by high-precision ERCO lenses.