Nulty are entertained at Martin Professional HQ
Hej……that’s hello in Danish! Last week Martin Professional invited Anna and I to an installation products training session for lighting designers, architects and engineers at their Headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark. For those who do not know Martin they specialise in dynamic lighting solutions for the entertainment, architectural and commercial sectors. The training was an excellent chance to get an in-depth look at Martin’s energy-efficient exterior LED luminaires and video products for media façades.
Martin Professional HQ
The first thing you notice when approaching their HQ is the massive media façade which spans the rear wall of the entrance. Visible from the outside this makes quite a statement and shows that they practice what they preach. You can watch a video of the media façade here – it presents a wide variety of dynamic graphical content designed by Danish design practice Kollision (but more on them later). The media panels react to visitor interaction in the form of activities and movement in and outside the building.
The panels are from the LC Plus Series – a modular system of LED video panels designed for the rental and staging market as well as for fixed installations. It’s great to see this kind of technology in a real-world environment and to be able to get up close whilst it’s in action.
We were told by Martin staff that the interior was designed to resemble the back of a stage; industrial materials were used and the walkways look like scaffolding – the environment is a brand experience in itself. They also have an internal courtyard with a shallow pool which reflects light beautifully and provides a serene atmosphere for the space.
Programme
The programme included hands-on training with Martin LED products, such as the Exterior 400 Range and new LED Exterior 400 Image Projector. On the Thursday we had an introduction to engineering services offered by Martin and in the evening a full-scale, outdoor lighting exercise on the building façade of their courtyard. Also, on the Friday morning we had a behind the scenes tour of the Martin R&D and test facilities – it felt like we were in a Bond movie being shown around Q’s lab!
Light Show
On the Thursday night we were treated to an amazing light show! They have a room set up like a small theatre and the stage is rigged out with all their entertainment luminaires. Unfortunately my phone didn’t record but I have managed to find a video online from the Martin stand at the PL&S Show which is similar to the light show we saw – click here to see the video.
Talk by Rune Nielsen of Kollision
We had a very inspiring talk by Rune Nielsen, the founding partner of Danish design practice Kollision. They specialise in interactive communication, user participation and dynamic media design to provide users with engaging experiences. He talked to us about their user-driven approach and how they develop their projects. They often collaborate with Martin and have a strong relationship with them. Some of the projects they have worked on together include the Danish Pavilion for Bjarke Ingels Group at the Shanghai Expo 2010 and the incredible SAXO Reactive Ceiling for the HQ of SAXO Bank in Denmark – click here to see the video.
One project he went into detail about was the design for the HQ of The Confederation of Danish Industry in Copenhagen. Called Dia Lights, the design and player system creates a language of light in line with the DI brand, exploiting the diagonal nature of the LED-structure on the façade.
Video of Danish Industry – click here to view.
Visit to ARoS to see “Your Rainbow Panorama” by Olafur Eliasson
We had some spare time before heading back to the airport so decided to visit ARoS to see “Your Rainbow Panorama” by Olafur Eliasson. The continuously circular pathway sits on top of the museum. Measuring 150 meters around, the transparent glass unit is designed to act as a visual compass for the city, its colours marking the physical location of each visitor.
I particularly like the way it constantly changes with the weather and time of day, affecting the way the light is filtered through the coloured glass panels. It really feels like you are walking through a rainbow – the perfect way for us to end our trip! Tak (thank you) Martin for an incredibly inspiring and informative few days at your HQ and for your kind hospitality.
