The Sayner Hutte foundry: an iron cathedral

About Project

With its airy structure of glass and iron based on a balanced combination of columns and cast-iron arches, the Sayner Hutte Bendorf iron works, built in 1830, is one of the most refined examples of industrial architecture in Europe. The building was originally designed as a coating room for the existing foundry to increase iron production, an activity that ended in 1926. On account of its floorplan, the structure is often referred to as the "iron cathedral", as it is basically an industrial basilica with three naves. The layout of its columns creates a further partition in the building's interiors where a number of ball mechanism cranes are located to remind visitors of the structure's industrial past.

Today, the foundry is used as a multipurpose community centre, so the lighting system has been designed to adapt to a wide range of requirements. This has been achieved by installing LED devices that are individually regulated by a control system. The depth of the building is underlined by Linealuce RGB luminaires mounted horizontally under the roof and sustained by a wooden structure on which the terracotta roof tiles are laid. The effects and emission levels of the luminaires are defined according to the type of event staged. These devices also make an indirect contribution to the environment's diffused lighting that is calibrated at 3000 K and integrated with cold colour accent lighting at 4000 K, projected by Maxi Woody luminaires mounted on strong columns. The Woody floodlights, on the other hand, are focused on the cranes. All the devices have been coated with a special paint that matches the colour of the building's columns and iron framework.
 

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• Year:
  2017
• Client:
  Sayner Hutte Bendorf
• Lighting project:
  Andreas Schulz and Licht Kunst Licht
• Photographer:
  Johannes Roloff/Thomas Naethe