Copenhagen Central Station has been equipped with 24 SGM P-5 wash lights to illuminate the arched ceilings of the railway station, first opened in 1911.
The station has approximately 100,000 daily visitors and consists of two 100m long halls, each with more than 20m ceilings. The contractor on the project was Matrix Sales ApS with Urs Friis-Alstrup as the project manager responsible for budgeting, product selection and programming.
The building has kept much of the period detail with the halls set in dark green and red, leaving the room very dark, particularly during winter. Therefore, the challenge was to create an installation that preserved the original building construction, while bringing it alive.
Friis-Alstrup explained: “We wanted to use a product with a high IP-rating, as the environment inside Copenhagen Central Station is heavily exposed to dust and droppings from the many pigeons inside the halls. At the same time, the client also favoured a Danish solution and we knew we could illuminate many square metres using relatively few units due the latest LED technology.
He added: “Personally, my own favourite feature of the P-5 is its simple construction and design. This, in itself, has made many prefer the P-5 compared to other wash lights on the market.”
The key focus was to keep the lamps themselves invisible so that it was only the lighting effect the visitors would actually be able to see. The solution was to mount the P-5s on the rooftops of the shop buildings that are located in four areas inside of the halls.
Friis-Alstrup concluded: “The client is very happy with the result and is already considering implementing additional light installations. With the P-5s we have definitely achieved the desired effect to the fullest extent.”
