Security and atmosphere for Regensburg main station

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Regensburg is known for its many historic buildings. These include the current main station reception building, which was completed in 1892 in the neo-Renaissance style. The station building was extensively renovated back in 2004 and extended with an additional exit to the newly constructed passageway of the adjacent shopping center. Between the refurbishment of the building and the currently planned redesign of the station forecourt, the station was almost completely converted to LED. As part of the lighting refurbishment, the façade of the listed building was illuminated and the stairwell and administrative offices were fitted with LED lights.

The 120-metre-wide reception building of Regensburg’s main railway station is located on the southern edge of the historic old town and was without any significant exterior lighting until 2023 - with the exception of the mast lights on the station forecourt, which belong to the city of Regensburg. Functional illumination of the immediate surroundings of the building was therefore very important to the clients. The aim of the lighting was to increase general safety around the station building and to improve the visual situation at entrances, stairs and entrances, including for people with disabilities. In consultation with the Office for Monument Protection, the cornices on the building façade were approved for luminaire installation, but without a wall arm or bracket. The lighting, which was originally planned to be purely functional, initially only envisaged direct lighting on the lowest level of the façade. However, in consultation with the clients, the lighting design was extended to accentuate the architectural features such as the building projections. The three characteristically protruding wings of the building can now be seen from afar. The extension of the façade lighting now conveys an increased sense of security as well as an inviting atmosphere for visitors and the surrounding restaurants and hotels.

A modern take on history

Aura Light GmbH, the German subsidiary of the Swedish lighting manufacturer of the same name, was responsible for the lighting design and implementation. Modern LED lighting technology with different optics and system outputs (light color 4,000K, Ra value = 80) was used. The overall efficiency of the façade lighting is 136 lm/W. The entire lighting was implemented with just one type of luminaire, the “Morisia Flood CL5515” floodlight from Aura Light. However, different LED configurations from 13 to 55W system output and various multilayer lens optics with light distribution curves to suit the respective location were used. The luminaire outputs were selected to ensure optimum illumination with maximum energy efficiency and a low CO2 footprint. With its flat design, the small floodlight is less conspicuous in daylight and its dimensions allow it to be easily integrated into the contours of the cornices. The neutral white light color 4,000K was chosen because the building is already yellow and the light color and reflections already appear warmer as a result.

Easier orientation

The arches of the main hall entrance have been indirectly illuminated and the columns highlighted using narrow-beam light distribution. This makes it easier for visitors to find their way around, allowing them to get inside quickly and safely via the brightly lit steps through the now illuminated archways. The disabled-accessible entrances are located on the right and left at the front of the intermediate buildings. It was important to illuminate these areas evenly and completely. To achieve this, the floodlights were used with different optics on the front and end faces. The luminaire with M-class light distribution from the street lighting was selected for the front, while the floodlight with asymmetrical medium-wide distribution optics was installed at the front. In this way, an extensive carpet of light was created between the respective building projections without decreasing lux values on the wall side - lighting that also does not interfere with road traffic.

Discreet but effective

The façade of the three wings of the building was originally to be fitted with six very narrow-beam, upward-facing floodlights to accentuate the building projections with grazing light. This would have been visually ideal, but was not possible due to the different arrangement of the cornices - in the central wing without any upward interruption, but with several cornice levels on the right and left. For this reason, several narrow-beam spotlights were used one above the other to create as much of the same effect as possible on all three wings of the building despite the different conditions.
The spotlights are each aligned so that the light distribution tapers upwards towards the façade wall and ends at the main cornice at the latest in order to counteract the brightening of the night sky.

The project was planned using the “ReluxDesktop” software. With over 1,800 construction elements used, it was possible to model the buildings realistically and ultimately implement them as accurately as possible.

The stairwell inside the building was fitted with the Kvill luminaire, shown here in the surface-mounted version. To ensure good and complete illumination, the 4000K version with opal optics was chosen and used as a ceiling and wall luminaire.

Kvill was also used in the corridors and social rooms of the administrative wing, but in these rooms as a “smart” version with the AI-based ActiveAhead lighting control system, which ensures energy-efficient use and can be installed without rewiring thanks to wireless communication.

In the meeting rooms, the existing downlights were replaced by the Samo LED downlight, which is very well suited to these rooms thanks to its soft, pleasant light and low glare.

The coffee/tea kitchen and the corridors were also equipped with Kvill - here as a pendant or surface-mounted version and including the ActiveAhead lighting control system.