De Krakeling, Amsterdam: from 19th century gymnasium to modern office space

The architectural intention was to preserve and celebrate the building's history while creating a contemporary workspace. Traces of the original paint colors have been left in many places, for instance, while the new timber structure respects the shell of the building by not touching it. 'Our aim was to both respect the monumental details and appearance, and the main concept as created by Kodde,' says Schwarz.

Light not luminaires

Initially an installer devised the lighting solution, involving cable trays with spotlights and general lighting, all of which looked intrusive in the space. Casper Schwarz switched to ERCO for a more considered, contemporary and discreet solution that harmonized with the historic interior.
ERCO's minimalist concept concentrates on light, not on fixtures. From a heritage point of view it was vital to minimize any intervention in the fabric of the building. In the architecturally sensitive areas, light sources are concealed where possible using structural details such as the ornate elevated wooden walkway.

The key luminaires here are around 100 Optec track-mounted spotlights with wallwash and wide-flood lighting distributions. The track systems that uplight the curved ceiling element are attached to the juncture of walkway and ceiling, while those that wash the walls at high level are located on the pillars of the walkway. This allowed unobtrusive mounting without drilling or cutting the structure.
The use of indirect lighting on both vertical and horizontal surfaces in the main building illuminates the space softly but more fully, and celebrates architectural details such as the original wooden ceiling.

With a range of different optics, Optec covers the complete gamut of display lighting requirements offering high-contrast accent lighting, floodlighting, uniform illumination of walls, or sharp-edged beams for striking effects. Using innovative photometrics, Optec also enables high efficiency without compromising visual comfort.

Elegant and minimal, the Jilly downlight features a flat, rectangular housing making it ideal for low room heights. It combines an extremely efficient lens system with an anti-dazzle louvre, combining visual comfort and high luminous efficacy. The wattage and light distribution enable wide luminaire spacing for standard-compliant but economical lighting concepts.

Versatile and visually pleasing

Elsewhere ERCO's Iku, Parscan and Pollux luminaires were used in a range of applications. Iku downlights, for example, were also installed in the downstairs meeting and waiting rooms, providing ambient lighting with high visual comfort. Available in five sizes and five light distributions with applications ranging from large public areas to smaller spaces such as restaurants, Iku features tunable white light. In wallwasher and double-wallwasher distributions it is ideal for creating a sense of visual width in rooms and corridors, increasing the impression of brightness.

Pollux, a versatile compact spotlight, was ideal for providing a warm accent light in the waiting room, among other areas. Parscan, a compact but powerful spotlight, supplements the Optec fittings in the main building and, designed into the structure of the highly glazed 'greenhouse' lunch area, provides a cozy ambience for evenings and winter days.

ERCO worked very closely with Casper Schwarz Architects to design the lighting scheme, when the developer’s original plan fell short. 'I fought hard to create a lighting plan that would make the monument sparkle and that would contribute to the overall design,' he told interior magazine Pi. As well as accentuating the rhythm of the original structure, the lighting has created a sophisticated, modern office environment. 'The light level in the workplaces is very pleasant,' says Schwarz.