HÜBSCHERGESTALTET

New office and laboratory building, Novartis Campus, Virchow 16 WSJ-182 Rahul Mehrotra,
Basel (2010-2014)

Ground floor and second floor
The perspective of the spacious entrance hall is enhanced by linear recessed ceiling luminaires. These are integrated into metal slats, which softly distribute the light around the luminaire and make it appear three-dimensional. The large, centrally positioned staircase on the second floor is illuminated by luminaires located in the first floor ceiling.

Laboratory rooms
The light lines integrated into the metal suspended ceilings create a uniform, low-glare working light. The light strips, equipped with so-called “batwing” reflectors, which generate the screen lighting, are aligned with the building grid. The high efficiency of the luminaires, combined with wide-beam light characteristics, ensures excellent economy.

Open Office
The workplace lighting is organized via multi-use free-standing luminaires. On the one hand, these are controlled via a central switch for general lighting. On the other hand, an individually switchable light component can be used to increase the light intensity at the workstation to 500 lux. The filigree free-standing luminaires are fitted with microprismatic covers to ensure efficient lighting as well as screen clarity. The dark wood-clad building cores are framed with light lines and thus visually separated from the solid concrete ceilings. Individual printer zones are selectively equipped with fine, linear recessed furniture luminaires.

Meeting and private rooms
In the meeting rooms, round, metal surface-mounted ceiling luminaires bring a soft, low-shadow light into the room. This is also ideal for video conferences and screen use. The small private rooms are equipped with the same surface-mounted ceiling lights as the meeting rooms. The light penetrates through the bright, slightly transparent curtains into the open office areas, making the cubic private rooms appear like large lanterns.

Atrium with overhead lighting
The planted atrium is provided with sufficient ambient lighting via the overhead lighting and the general lighting of the adjoining rooms. It was possible to dispense with actual plant lighting thanks to a clever choice of planting.
Daylight enters the high atrium through narrow, high light slits. This lighting mood is supported by linear, built-in strip lighting, which brings soft artificial light into the interior and simulates the impression of daylight, even early in the morning or in the evening.
Staircases in the atrium and the adjoining zones are given architectural emphasis and glare-free illumination by light integrated into the handrails. In the stairwells, strip lighting installed on the underside of the stairs brings a uniform, present light into the room and emphasizes the three-dimensionality.