Das Lebendige Haus

Traxon DOT LED solutions and e:cue lighting control from OSRAM support the impressive display in which sound recordings from the surroundings become perceptible as a lighting and sound installation after being processed and alienated. This creative project has been winning awards ever since – DNA Paris Design Award 2019, LICC London International Creative Competition 2019, European Product Design Award 2019, Iconic Awards: Innovative Architecture 2019 – and was recently nominated for the German Design Award 2020. 

A large and previously vacant property with an area of 70,000 m2 has been creatively and sustainably renovated and converted into a modern mixed-use building. Das Lebendige Haus in Leipzig, which opened in November 2018, houses co-working places, 5star suites, office space, restaurants, bars, commercial space, leisure and fitness facilities, various showrooms, and shops. Parts of the building can also be booked as meeting and event locations. 

Das Lebendige Haus is particularly impressive at night. The acclaimed Viennese artist SHA. has created a spectacular lighting installation which generates different atmospheres depending on the color programming and can be marveled at from great distance. This innovative project under the glazed rooftop space of the former main post office at Augustusplatz is called SKY. 

An urban symphony: 1,500 m2 of spatial art for all the senses 

The sophisticated work of art extends across 1,500 m2 and forms the beating heart of the revived property. The newly created location with views over Augustusplatz, one of the largest squares in Germany, is used as a modern event, catering and meeting center. Becoming one entity with the city, SKY enters into dialogue with its adjacent architecture. SHA. used the urban vitality of the square as a starting point, with video and audio recordings from the surroundings now being projected onto the roof and artistically processed. The final result is a lighting and sound installation that touches the senses.  

“We microscope reality by constructing a medial mirror,” says the artist. “5,000 individually controllable light spots constitute the pixels of a huge three-dimensional screen. Thereby a unique and aesthetic form of relaxation is created – with an added benefit of a stunning view overlooking the city. Special lighting moods and sound atmospheres shape the multi-sensory design. These spaces stay in constant motion during the day but also throughout the seasons. SKY lives with the city, its pulse, rhythms and the rituals of the people. An urban symphony,” says SHA.  

More than just light: Traxon DOT LED solutions and e:cue lighting control from OSRAM 

In the dark, Das Lebendige Haus shines far beyond Augustusplatz into the Leipzig pedestrian precinct. A total of 6,000 acrylic light tubes were used, which creates different atmospheres depending on the color programming. 5,000 of them embellish  the new glass roof space alone, and 1,000 more adorn the stairwells and the lower passage. Innovative LED lighting and control technology from OSRAM has allowed SHA. to create an artistic display which surpasses  the aspect of sheer decoration. 

The acrylic tubes are used as light conductors. LED DOTs from Traxon (Black Cable and Black DOT, 35 PXL) are mounted at the ceiling and shine all the way down into the acrylic tubes. The tubes themselves convey a satin finish at the bottom which makes the light disperse gently and evenly. The lighting is controlled by e:cue, consisting of Lighting Control Engine 2, Sympl e:bus node and Glass Touch control panel. Different lighting scenarios have been installed which can be changed to suit different requirements. 

Denkmalneu – spaces for people 

Whether it’s old factories in ruinous condition or vacant office buildings, Denkmalneu develops and manages special properties. With Das Lebendige Haus the German group of companies has developed an urban mixed-use concept which combines working, living, catering and leisure under one roof. It is the second major property after Dresden. 

SHA. – The Art of Exceptional 

The Austrian brand of SHA. stands for sensory spaces. The studio, headquartered in Vienna, operates globally and provides creative consulting in the form of development, planning and implementation. Today, the studio’s projects can be found in 40 countries at more than 300 locations. They have won multiple international awards. With all its projects, the SHA. studio attempts to go beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.