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The Ratskeller in the heart of Saarbrücken is lent exceptional character with a centuries-old feature: a splendid vaulted cellar in natural stone masonry gives the restaurant a rustic and yet warm and cosy atmosphere. The rooms in the restaurant are designed to accommodate a wide range of uses: guests can enjoy a tipple at the bar or savour regional specialities in the seated area. The Ratskeller can also be booked for events and celebrations.
A place of discovery and myriad colours
The lighting design needed to satisfy two main requirements in this case: achieve, on a low budget, illumination with eye-catching effects and also to comply with the regulations governing buildings of historic interest. A custom light was designed for this project using a manufacturer’s standard luminaire. Once produced in a smaller format, it conformed to the permitted size: the energy-saving lights from the original plan were replaced with high-power LEDs. These lights are installed on the ribs of the ceiling. They operate with three beam angles each, in order to trace the contours of the arches exactly. The changing colours constantly bathe the architecture in new light.
Modern frescoes of light
The vault ceiling has also been incorporated in the design. Twelve DLP projectors cast a variety of motifs onto the surface. They can change according to the season and the event: from a flickering open fire to typical Christmas decorations. Projections appear as free-floating individual images or in the form of patterns extending over the entire surface, which merge to create a unbroken image on the ceiling.
Invisible technology
The DLP projectors provide excellent contrast, enhanced by the short projection distance. The most complicated component involved was the control system. It works via an e;cue system; the video content required for the projections is saved here and runs automatically. A regular part of the evening programme is the “Ratskellerstunde”, a lighting composition created especially for this traditional venue and that has become a firm fixture over the years. Thanks to professional planning, the Ratskeller has achieved a lighting solution that lives from its individual design and yet remains affordable, even in constant operation.
Design team:
Tobias Link
