© Yashar Architects
3D visualisation and skech of the architectural volumes with BMW Mini showroom from Delek Motors. Yashar Architects
A car showroom in a dramatic position in Israel makes a statement to passing motorists thanks to the innovative use of an illuminated ceiling. The design was the result of an intense collaboration between architect, lighting designer, client and contractor. The BMW Mini showroom, at the main entrance to Tel Aviv on the east-west highway that links Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is a landmark for Delek Motors. This glass building is a particularly innovative creation and a high-end beauty. Millions of drivers travel this way by day and night and they can't avoid seeing the innovative and elegant glass box. Designed by Jonathan Groswasser of Yashar Architects, it embodies several interesting ideas: the interaction between the building and its urban environment; the dialogue between the building's lights and the city's illuminations; and the use of luminous ceilings to create an evenly spread ambient light. According to Dorit Malin, co-founder of architectural lighting design practice IDEA: “It reflects the fact that the building is not an island. The neighborhood is like a family: each building affects the next one and the one after that. We need to have a conversation between buildings and the city.” Lighting was a major issue for the BMW Mini showroom, because the owner, Delek Motors, had to adhere to strict brand guidelines from the automotive franchise, whereas Yashar Architects submitted
an innovative concept which eschewed classic lighting fixtures, replacing them with luminous ceiling panels. The architect spent more than a year looking for a manufacturer that could meet the specification for full-surface illuminated ceilings. They needed to combine soft ambient and evenly spread light with powerful luminosity, highlighting the vehicles on show. This was one of the determining factors in choosing the Philips OneSpace solution. The luminous panels create the ambient lighting, which provides 70% of the luminance throughout the building. In order to focus strongly on the cars, ‘dark light’ spots were in-terwoven among the panels. These spots are almost invisible when you look at them, not dazzling or interfering with the ambience of the showroom – yet they enable extremely strong lighting on the cars as part of the lighting design. The inspiration comes from buildings in New York from the 1960s that used the revolutionary approach of open-plan offices with large visible lit ceilings – a “light” feel that married well with the modern style of building.
PROJECT: CAR SHOWROOM CEILINGS 15
