The new Teatro degli Arcimboldi, in the former industrial area of La Bicocca, a suburb of Milan, was inaugurated at the beginning of 2002. The building’s structure is divided into three clearly recognisable volumes: the common areas (entrance, ticket office and foyer), the auditorium and the stage tower. Composed of a large curved and sloping glass wall, with a canopy that marks the entrance for the public, the new project fits into a square. Inside, the large glass wall rises to its full height: steel pillars mark out the hall that houses the ticket office, bookshop, cloakroom and stairwells. The balconies of the stalls and galleries overlook this area. The lighting design is provided by luminaires incorporated or integrated into the architectural elements, equipped with low-voltage lamps with various wattages and beam emissions. Custom lighting design consisting of a crown of 12 dichroic lamps surround each steel column in the entrance hall and the first level of the balconies: they provide the architectural lighting of the rooms and create a brilliant series of reflections in the large glass wall. For architectural lighting, “Radius” type luminaires were installed on the central beam of the entrance canopy to give a strong and uniform light to the surface of the canopy, creating a strong and inviting sign. Glass panels, used both to regulate sound reflection on the stalls and to diffuse light, provide some of the light in the concert hall. The wooden walls of the balconies house recessed luminaires with compact fluorescent lamps, while hanging in the centre of the hall, a large semi-circular chandelier specially designed with five sections of laminated glass panes, supported by a metal structure, uses 118 halogen lamps to provide general and overhead lighting for the stalls. This work was the result of close collaborations between the two professionals, the many meetings at the table between lighting designer Castiglioni and Gregotti led to a project integrating light and architecture.
Collaborations:
Gregotti Associated Architects
Photo Courtesy:
Piero Castiglioni
Year:
2002
