Situated halfway between Europe's and North America's established science centres, Reykjavik University is turning into a new research and technology top spot. Its architectural design, too, deserves special attention: the individual faculties are arranged radially around a circular hub. The campus opens up in a fan-shaped manner towards the beach and forest areas surrounding it, incorporating them into the premises. Apart from endowing all of the rooms with the unique quality of a natural environment, this layout also permits optimum illumination and heating with natural daylight - a crucial aspect of the sustainability of the building, in which trendsetting technologies are not only part of everyday life but are also part of the curriculum.

For the major part of the building, the engineers developed a ceiling system made of perforated sheet steel blades, which was also intended to accommodate the lighting system. In order to meet the vast range of requirements in the best possible manner, the client organised a competition. Zumtobel's most convincing point: despite its small dimensions and the fact that it fully met glare control requirements, the T5 luminaire's light output ratio could be improved by more than 1.5 percent compared with standard technologies. This has been made possible by translucent lateral reflectors, optimised miniature louvres and a perfect lamp operating temperature. From the design point of view, the luminaire could not fail to impress on account of its modular system that is able to adjust to a variety of visual tasks in lecture halls, seminar rooms, offices, libraries and circulation areas - mounted on a gear tray, installed as a wallwasher or as a model with open light distribution.

The LUXMATE LITENET lighting and blinds control system has been developed further to take account of the special local lighting conditions characterised by the Nordic sun's shallow-angle radiation over long periods of time. In this way, high efficiency and maximum comfort were combined with the option of responding flexibly to changing area-use plans, with minimum effort. Most of the luminaires were supplied with so-called Dimming On Demand (DOD) ballasts, allowing for major cost savings as a large number of luminaires were installed.

With its translucent skins and round patios, the pavilion designed by SANAA is the new heart of the École Polytechnique Féderále de Lausanne's campus. In an area of 17,000 m², it accommodates a library, conference rooms, students' workstations, offices for researchers, cafeterias, a top restaurant, a book store, a multifunctional auditorium and - very Swiss - a branch bank. However, the Pritzker Prize-winning architects had definitely more in mind than providing functional rooms. The new building is meant to foster interdisciplinary exchange among scientists, and above all seeks to establish an appropriate position for EPFL in the global research scene.

The building is made up of a single large-scale room with casually arranged functional areas, radiating impressive openness. The dynamic topography of the floor and ceiling creates a fascinating roomscape, divided into zones by a variety of lighting scenes. In the process, the ceiling is not only changed by daylight but also reflects the artificial lighting back into the room. The building is certified according to the Minergie standard, and luminaires with a very high output ratio had to be installed because of the building's size and in line with SANAA's request for indirect lighting.

The specially developed luminaires have been installed as individual luminaires or in twin or triplet configurations, allowing to create any lighting situation required by using a single creative design element. Thanks to the luminaires' flexible fixture, a variety of different angles can be set in relation to the diffusely reflecting ceiling. Many of the total of 282 custom luminaires have been fitted with an extra 100 W halogen lamp for emergency lighting purposes, in addition to a 35 W HIT metal halide lamp with a special IOS reflector system. In the lobby and reception area, LED downlights and elegant light lines additionally provide functional lighting while setting creative accents. In the offices, which have been designed as circular booths, minimalist free-standing luminaires create a pleasant working atmosphere.

The new university centre of the Tomá Bata University in Zlín is a symbol of the city's investment into its citizens and their future – and an appropriate tribute to the visionary ideals of the philantropist and industrialist after whom it was named.

The building's extraordinary structure is based on two crescent-shaped units accommodating the reading rooms, classrooms and book archives. Between the units there is a spacious atrium lit from the top where people find space to relax. The staircase towers located at both ends of the curved façade form the main vertical link between the galleries along both sides of the atrium, giving the building an uncluttered, practical look. This very clear design, which is typical of architect Eva Jiřičná, with maximum functionality is also reflected in the lighting system.

The clear lines of the building are emphasized by equally clear SLOTLINE light lines installed in the rooms. Thanks to its calm, geometrical stylistic idiom, CLARIS II, which is frequently used in school buildings, could not fail to impress either. In the centrally located atrium, it has been installed as a continuous row system with a total length of 54 m. Both direct and indirect light is provided throughout the room, providing a uniform, warm and diffuse lighting scene. In the other main areas, SLOTLIGHT and MIREL II lighting systems have been installed to supplement the light reflected by the atrium. MIREL II louvre luminaires assembled to form architecturally striking light lines provide uniform, glare-free lighting for the libraries and computer workstations.
For highlighting the edges and lines along the windows and peripheral areas, fluorescent lamps have been recessed into the ceilings and walls, underlining the sculptural interior design. The Tomá Bata University is a trendsetting example of how to perfectly integrate lighting into a design concept.

The striking new building of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester's city centre attracts attention. Cubes nested into each other demonstrate monumental geometry seemingly in contrast with the building's purpose - the lightness of music. The building's very small floor area has been used to optimum effect by adding an acoustic buffer against traffic noise doubling up as a shop window for the college. Additional appeal is achieved by lighting in variable colours, which turns the space into a glowing light box with spectacular colour changes, attracting the attention of passers-by. Inside, the lighting system is supplemented by the flush-mounted LIGHTTOOLS lighting channel system incorporating four different lighting modules: spotlights, downlights, linear luminaires and wallwashers.

In almost every area, large windows and skylights allow plenty of daylight to enter the room. Where this is not sufficient, artifical lighting is added via the lighting management system. In concert with pleasant colours and ergonomically compatible furniture, rooms of experience are created that make students want to learn - flexibly and conveniently, and with a focus on saving resources.
According to Craig Jackson from Gifford and Partners, who specified the lighting, the lighting design was strongly influenced by the acoustically sensitive environment. “The luminaires must be robust and without parts which could reverberate from the sound of the instruments,” says Jackson. This special challenge has been met by the LIGHTFIELDS recessed luminaire, which, due to its special micro-pyramidal optic, provides extremely uniform, glare-free light, helping to increase the brilliant young students' concentration.

The new building of the Catholic University College in Bruges is a landmark characterised by architectural contradictions. The façade towards the street is closed, featuring only a single window in the study department, while the façade towards the campus presents itself extremely open. Exciting contrasts are created by a combination of steel, glass, concrete and wood. At the same time, the modular approach allows for adjusting the building to new studying requirements in the future.

The atrium has been designed as a three-dimensional junction featuring wide stairs, open galleries as well as seating areas and islands for studying. According to the architects' preferences, the building was to be fitted mainly with indirect lighting. The MIROS projector-mirror system provides an architecturally sophisticated and technically perfect lighting solution, illuminating the up to 10 m high rooms with uniform, glare-free light. The system's warm light creates a fascinating contrast to the rather cool concrete/glass architecture. Concludes Koen De Klerck: "Using both functional and atmospheric lighting we have sought to enhance the architecture and the building's surroundings even further. In the process, both flexibility and maintenance aspects have been taken into account." The projector-mirror system appears to be part of the building design, and has also been installed in the two auditoriums and the cafeteria.

The lecture halls and seminar rooms, which are accommodated in the three striking blocks, can be reached via the auditorium. In the classrooms, MIREL recessed luminaires installed flush in the ceiling provide plenty of light. In the circulation areas, a special section with indirect distribution provides pleasant, glare-free light.

Another argument in favour of TECTON is its pre-wired eleven-pole track: using the integrated DALI bus line, the luminaires installed in the library and the cafeteria enable daylight-based lighting control. The result is a lighting solution controlled via LUXMATE PROFESSIONAL which provides a pleasant lighting atmosphere 24 hours a day and at the same time reduces energy consumption considerably. In order to keep maintenance costs as low as possible, projector/mirror systems were installed in the entrance area and the five-metre high corridor zones, which allowed to mount the spotlights used at an accessible height so that only a minimum of time is required for relamping.

Quite different, however, is the situation in the cafeteria. Thanks to modern furniture and green transparent chairs, a playful touch is added to these areas – also because of the COPA D high-bay reflector luminaire used. The large roof protecting the footpath between the two buildings of Schoonmersen Campus is illuminated by high-pressure halogen spotlights and RAIN moisture-proof luminaires.

The latest showcase project of Gent University was designed by architects from the cv baro studio: in addition to a number of flats, Schoonmeersen Campus also accommodates several cafeterias and the Hogeschool’s sports centre.

The clients opted for the TECTON continuous-row lighting system to be installed in large areas of the building complex. Fitted with high-quality matt reflector optics, the continuous-row lighting system provides pleasant lighting conditions in classrooms and auditoriums, as well as in the reception area and in the library. All these rooms are fitted with suspended acoustic ceiling panels. This is why it would have been very difficult to use conventional recessed luminaires, which would also have required considerable compromise in terms of design. The flexible TECTON continuous-row lighting system proved to be the ideal solution. Like the acoustic ceiling panels, the track system can be suspended as well, so that the luminaires now match the architecture perfectly.

The new university building of the Cooper Union located in New York's East Village presents itself as an angular metal structure. The spectacular architecture designed by Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne boasts a lighting system based on an equally fascinating lighting design. During the day, the structure shines in white to metal anthracite grey; at night, it softly glows from inside.

This work by the California-based architect creates controversy among New Yorkers, breaking established conventions and being ahead of the times. As a sign of provocation, for instance, Mayne has made the elevator stop only on three out of nine floors. This feature ultimately directs the students' and visitors' attention towards the staircase, unless they have not been attracted earlier by its breathtaking architecture. Like a huge vortex, it ascends upwards across all the floors, opening up towards the sky. Through a large skylight, daylight enters and floods down right to the ground floor.
The upper floors are therefore flooded with bluish daylight, which, as it travels downwards, gradually mixes with increasingly warm artificial lighting provided by VIVO spotlights.

In the other areas of the building, the lighting concept is based on specific functions. In the laboratories, for instance, twice as many light sources have been used as in the seminar rooms, in order to make subtle colours differences and details more easily perceptible. The seminar rooms and numerous laboratories presented a special technical lighting challenge: the luminous panels installed in the ceiling had to be integrated in the heating and cooling modules also installed in the ceiling. A tricky task, yet readily taken care of on account of the building's general environmental compatibility. With this design, Thom Mayne has set new standards, not only in terms of visual attraction. As the first university building in the USA, the new Cooper Union building is about to receive the LEED Platinum Award, the country's most important environmental compatibility prize.

There are not many venues dedicated so completely to architecture and showing this in such an impressive way like the modern neo-classical Palais Chaillot on the Seine. Following careful renovation, the world's largest Architecture Centre was opened in the building's magnificent east wing in 2007. Since then, the prestigious building has accommodated several institutions that bring historical and modern architecture and France's cultural heritage together under one roof.

The lighting design of the spacious entrance hall on the ground floor imparts this area with a clear structure, enhancing visitor orientation and centralising access to the various areas. The light lines set in the ceiling trace the main axes of the hall along the monumental columns.

The open-access library with its high-ceilinged, flowing rooms houses some 28,000 books. Jean Francois Bodin has managed, without major interference with the fabric of the building, to create a functional, contemporary library interior. The reconstructed fresco cycle from Saint Savin sur Gartempe Abbey has been set centre stage using a luminaire especially developed for this purpose. The barrel vault of the 40 m long room is flooded by warm light provided by reflectors based on the TECTON system, which have been installed above the shelves on the wall.

The impressive gallery of architecture expands across the curved room occupying the complete second floor of the wide building tract. The central exhibition area is illuminated uniformly by seven large, backlit ceiling rotundas; the lighting can be controlled to provide a variety of illuminance levels, if required.