100 years of innovation from the incandescent lamp to the modern LED presented in a multimedia infotainment world. This is the “World of Light” from Osram. For the installation of this multifunctional exhibition, the high-tech photonics company, Osram, has received the Sinus Award. Mark Zwerner, Global Head of Events, Fairs, Special Projects, Strategic Partnerships and CRM Strategy, talks about how the project was implemented from planning to execution.
1. Their “World of Light” was awarded the Sinus Award 2020. Would you have expected that?
Since the opening, we have received a lot of positive feedback on our “World of Light”, from external guests as well as internally and we are very satisfied with how well the exhibition and the event area works for us, but of course you can never really count on such a great award.
2. In “World of Light” visitors can embark on a multimedia journey through the company’s history. How did the idea for this multimedia showroom come about?
We have many customers, journalists and external visitors visiting us, but we never really had the chance to show what OSRAM really does and how OSRAM has developed in its long history since the brand was registered in 1906. That’s why, also on the initiative of our Board of Management, we started planning whether and how such a showroom with event space could be built within an existing office building, and of course at a reasonable cost.
The necessity for this has become ever greater and will continue to grow in the future, above all because the lighting market has changed and continues to change so quickly and fundamentally.
For many people, OSRAM is still regarded as a manufacturer of light sources, but in fact very large parts of our business are now in the field of sensor technology and invisible light. OSRAM has transformed itself from a manufacturer of incandescent lamps to a high-tech photonics company.
3. Were there any challenges or problems you faced during the realization of the project?
The biggest challenge was the construction in an existing property, which was actually designed and planned as pure office space. Here we had to find solutions that would work with the existing ceiling heights, create new accesses and transitions between the floors and integrate the existing infrastructure into the new planning in a sensible way.
In addition, the entire building itself had to function without disrupting regular office operations, even in a fully used property.
4. How long was the process from the basic idea to the finished project?
The pure effective construction time was about 9 months, whereby we worked in two phases. The planning phase before that, including tenders etc., naturally started a few months earlier.
5. What is the highlight of the showroom for you?
Here it is almost difficult for me to have to commit myself to only one highlight. But in my opinion, the visualization of our company history parallel to the development of technology, our light cinema, in which we can impressively illustrate the emotional effect of light together with music, as at a concert or in a club, as well as our multifunctional event area on the ground floor, which has already proven how well it works at numerous events of the most varied kinds, stand out in particular.
The Sinus – Systems Integration Award is presented annually at Prolight + Sound for creative and artistic solutions in the use of technology in audiovisual installations. Although this year’s Sinus Award winner is already being presented, Osram will receive the award at Prolight + Sound 2021.
Pictures: Osram
