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VRKAUF UND PRÄSENTATION • RETAIL AND PRESENTATION TECHNISCHER AUSBAU • TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

D ue to Count Franz I. zu Erbach-Erbach’s (1754-1823) passion for traveling and
collecting objects from far-away locations, the town of the same name in the
Odenwald developed into a centre of German ivory-carving art. For a long time, the
extensive collection had been exhibited in the Werner Borchers Halle. At the end of
2015, the hall was closed. Since autumn 2016, a small yet exquisite part of the ivory
carvings has been given a new home in Schloss Erbach. The extraordinary exhibi-
tion concept developed by Sichau & Walter Architekten BDA disengages the buil-
ding envelope and presents the collection in darkened rooms with anthracite spray-
painted spatial delimitation areas. A walkway leads through the thus almost dis-
solved space and compensates the existing differences in level as well serving to
link the display cases like the proverbial common thread. The display cases are
lined up at the “pontoon” like light-filled glass cubes.

Display cases of partly satinated glass

The showcase panes which are satinated in their lower thirds are illuminated with
edge lighting which is emitted from their bases. In a continuous transition, the satin
finish becomes clear glass. Thanks to the edge lighting, a kid of soft brightness is
produced which – similar to mist – veils the object carriers of the ivory figurines. In
Historische Wandschränke wurden mit LED-Leisten bestückt. • Historic wall cabinets were equipped with LED strips. addition, small profiles with miniature spotlights have been installed at the upper
edges of the display cases. A sampling showed that, in this spatial setting, silver
Dank Satinierung sind die Objektträger kaum sichtbar. • Thanks to satin finish, object carriers are hardly visible.
anodized profiles and luminaires are less visible than black anodized components.
The miniature spotlights stage the exhibits by adding accents while, at the same
time, preventing glare. In the larger display cases, miniature spotlights with narrow
and medium beam-emitting optics alternate. In this way, the impression is created
that the carvings, as it were, luminously rise out of the mist. The converters – for
the edge lighting of the satinated glass as well as for the spotlights – are hidden
from view in an accessible cavity in the base of the showcase. The passable walk-
way and its low balustrade are covered with red leather. With a concealed LED light
band in the upstand, the walking surface becomes a free-floating path in an intan-
gible, completely dissolved spatial envelope. For this purpose, openings were mil-
led into the upper sides. The openings, diagonally directed at the walkway, contain
LED light bands which are protected with a honeycomb grid against views from
long axes. The upper part of the balustrade can be removed for the installation and
the maintenance of the LED light strips. However, the balustrade still looks massive
and as if made in one piece. The converters of the LED light bands are placed into
the cavity under the elevated walkway.

Historic cabinets and variable lighting solutions

In one room, existing historic wall cabinets are used in which a wealth of small
objects is mounted to the back wall covered with molleton. The exhibits are accen-
tuated with linear lighting concealed in the furniture. The LED strips for this are
Grundriss • Floor plan
arranged horizontally at the top as well as vertically running down the sides. The
luminaires were positioned in such a way that an optimum of illumination combi-
nes with a minimum of visibility of the sources of light. The last room, intended for
temporary exhibitions, currently sees the visitor off with a glimpse at still unproces-
sed elephant- and mammoth tusks and thus also makes the controversial aspect of
the exhibition theme noticeable. Miniature spotlights at the ceiling increase the
dramatic impact of the exhibits. The spotlights are from the same system as the
showcase lighting but are somewhat larger and have more luminous intensity. To
fit better into the colourfulness of the spatial envelope, they are here anodized in
black. Arranged as frames, they are suited for optimal staging exhibits at the peri-
phery of the room as well as in its middle in case of changing exhibition contents.
The showcase spotlights, the edge lighting, the walkway illumination and also
the lighting of the existing cabinets can be dimmed and operated by remote control
for individual showcases or rooms. The dimming values of the individual compo-
nents are adjusted in such a way that the aspects of staging and space-creating are
optimally taken into consideration. Coordinated with the dominating shades of red
of the showcase bases and the access walkway, warm-white colour of light was
chosen for all the lighting elements. With the aerial perspective, this makes the
exhibits stand out from their surroundings even more and materializes them
through focal glow. With concealed, low-glare light sources, LichtKunstLicht thus
increases the exhibition dramaturgy rich in contrasts and in this way brilliantly
stages the treasures.

142 • AIT 9.2017