EXPO 2015: U.S. pavilion in Milan shines with light from ETC

EXPO 2015 was held from May 1st to October 31st, in Milan, Italy. The theme of the international exhibition was "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life." One of the largest pavilions in Milan belonged to the U.S. exhibition, which gave a warm welcome to more than five million visitors. True to the green motto, the Americans relied on energy-saving LED technology from ETC for its lighting. Approximately 5,700 square meters (61,354 square feet) of exhibition space is lit by 150 Source Four® LED Series 2 luminaires, complemented by 20 Selador® Desire® D60 luminaires, and 130 conventional Source Four fixtures.

Habegger AG, from Switzerland, was responsible for the detailed design and installation of the lighting technology. What tipped the scales for Habegger AG to implement this prestigious project, according to Francesco Stendardo, managing director for Habegger Italia S.r.l., was the readiness to work with partners to sustainably invest in products, making it possible to offer an attractive overall package to the customer, who had high expectations. Stendardo says: "The customer's expectation was a state-of-the-art installation with quality products and a similarly high ease of use. There was a very experienced and highly skilled team at the customer site. The documents were prepared accordingly and that made the implementation easier for us." So did the use of the Source Four LED Series 2 profile luminaire, a requirement from the lighting designer in charge, Paul Palazzo, from New York. The luminaires had also been Stendardo's first choice: "There is currently no other product on the market that delivers the same quality and desired result."

The company satis&fy AG, from Karben, Germany, served as a rental partner, supplying a total of 150 Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr® arrays. They lit triangular shapes that decorated large, open areas. This formed the framework for projection surfaces where videos could be displayed. Stendardo explains: "The fact that the individual triangles were each lit with one luminaire made it possible for us to play with intensity and color. So we programmed them to match the content of the projections." Stendardo was delighted by the result: "The colors from the Source Four LED Series 2 are intense and incredibly uniform over the entire illuminated area. Even colors that we were not familiar with previously. You can never get pastels with color filters, but these luminaires from ETC can. Pairing them with traditional lens tubes and shutters makes for an unbeatable combination, if you want to achieve the highest-possible quality."

The LED luminaire setup was supplemented with 20 Desire D60s, 30 conventional Source Four XT® HID Zooms, and 100 Source Four HID fixtures, which also lit up triangular surfaces, as well as objects. The area where they were installed was partially exposed to indirect sunlight. "The fixture gives the object a subtle highlight. Although they are hardly noticeable during the day, the overall impression they give is critical nonetheless," says Stendardo.