120 LIGHT + TECH Facade area: 2,471 sq m
Organic photovoltaic area: 1,333 sq m 10,680 OPV modules
15,120 double-sided LED lights, 30,240 LEDs in total
22,536 tubular elements on
supporting structure 11,608 node elements
NOVARTIS PAVILLON ZERO-ENERGY MEDIA FACADE, BASEL, SWITZERLAND
LIGHTING DESIGN iart
Stadia, shopping malls, corporate HQs, art centres – the media facade has become a familiar element of the cityscape. While the 3D images of the Las Vegas Sphere and giant cat billboard in Shinjuku,Tokyo, are admittedly jawdropping – both cities having clearly thrown in the towel when it comes to light pollution – there is also necessarily a drive for the restrained and sustainable. The winner of both Dezeen’s architectural lighting design of the year and an IALD Award of Excellence, the energy-neutral media facade of the Novartis Pavillon is an artistic ‘canvas’, combining photovoltaics and LEDs to create a communicative building skin. Designed by Italian studio AMDL Circle, led by Michele De Lucchi, the pavilion is located alongside the Rhine at the campus of the Novartis healthcare company. A place of learning and exchange, its aim is ‘to bring the world of science and medicine closer to the community’. It hosts a permanent multimedia exhibition, as well as meeting spaces and a cafe. The media facade, which wraps round the circular pavilion, was created by Swiss media architecture studio iart, which describes it as ‘converting sunlight into art’. The design was based on the idea of an organism, with the building’s skin comprising individual cells, and inspired
by the shapes and colours of cells and molecules. It features a total of 10,000 diamond-shaped organic solar modules with 30,000 embedded LEDs and consumes only as much power as it can produce.
The LEDs not only shine outwards, but also inwards, causing the metal shells beneath to reflect the light. The semi-transparency of the photovoltaic layer is crucial, as it is the sole reason the light shimmers not only over, but also through the building envelope. The multi-layered membrane is used to screen the works of three international artists, shown on the facade every day after sunset. The artworks – by Daniel Canogar, Esther Hunziker and Semiconductor – were created in collaboration with Novartis scientists, and ‘embody constant change and research’. During the day, the facade displays moving text, using only the white LEDs that face away from the building. Organic solar modules were chosen over silicone-based counterparts for sustainability reasons. ‘They require less grey energy in production and need little light to start generating electricity,’ iart founder Valentin Spiess told Dezeen. ‘They can be used in areas where light conditions are not ideal, such as a facade. ‘With this project we want to show that a media facade not only consumes electricity, but can also generate it itself,’ added Spiess. ‘It’s a real milestone when it comes to media facades. And especially zero-energy media facades.’
‘This high level and innovative “skin” of light brings the building to life and allows it to constantly change and fluctuate in visual appearance,’ said the IALD judges. ‘The engaging and artistic use of light is powered only by integrated solar panels and requires no additional power, which sets an example for future buildings.’ –
Client: Novartis
Architect: Michele de Lucchi + ADML Circle; Blaser Butscher Architecten Art curation: HEK
Digital artwork: Semiconductor
ALL IMAGES: ART AND LAURIDS JENSEN
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