The existing lighting of Zurich main station had reached the end of its life and needed to be renewed as well as adapted to today’s requirements.
With half a million passengers per day, the station is the largest in Switzerland. To find an adequate lighting concept for the listed part of the building (platform, cross and main hall) an international lighting design competition was held. Vogtpartner’s “City Lights” concept won first place and we were allowed to implement it.
The lighting concept focuses on the people, helping travellers find their way around quickly and makes them feel comfortable at the station. Additionally, an important component of the concept was compliance with the requirements of the preservation of historical monuments, which was significantly involved in the approval process for the detailed planning of the lighting for the over 150-year-old station.
Luminaires that can meet both aesthetic and complex technical and lighting requirements, were developed for all areas.
The platform hall is now decorated with pearl-like rows of floating lanterns which, in addition to the standard-compliant illumination of the platforms, emphasise the length and structure of the steel construction.
The lighting in the transverse hall is to bring a sense of calm to the visually demanding situation and thus to strengthen orientation and the legibility of important information. For additional glare control, the luminaires are equipped with a shade that matches the colour of the hall roof.
The lighting in the historic Wannerhall is even more restrained. The lighting focus is on the historic facades, which are finely illuminated in a controlled manner using so-called gobo projectors.
The fundamental lighting on the ceiling construction is now provided by several smaller luminaires in a denser grid. The lighting can thereby be specifically adapted to the numerous events and commercial occasions.The blue accent lighting on the windows adds to the identity of the main hall, ensures that the windows do not appear as “black holes” during the hours of darkness and at the same time subtly implies the “blue hour” of the night sky.
The lighting is controlled by daylight sensors and a clock. Brightness is set according to need at any time 24/7h with several dimming levels. This saves energy and increases safety. Overall, the conversion to LED has improved the quality of light and at the same time reduced energy consumption by about 60% compared to the old lighting.
