The new corporate headquarters for Berlin Hyp is intended to showcase the bank's sustainable vision while at the same time contributing to the urban development of the surrounding area. Planted terraces, a roof garden and a newly designed inner courtyard bring the greenery of the surrounding streets up to the roof. Photovoltaic modules are integrated into the natural stone façade grid to produce the bank's own electricity. The aim is to achieve DGNB Platinum certification.

The building offers various zones for a wide range of activities, from active exchange in a team, with customers or in large groups, to concentrated work at individual workstations. Our lighting design includes the public areas such as entrances and atrium, the office floors and the outdoor areas. Workplace lighting controlled by smart technology with the help of sensors not only meets sustainability requirements, but also offers a high degree of individualisation.

The sly is a new hotspot in the east of Berlin. The combination of modern design and a touch of Berlin history gives the hotel a unique aesthetic.

The centrepiece of the hotel is the restaurant in the greenhouse. With numerous plants and a huge glass roof, the lighting was a major challenge. Clear and bright during the day as in the outdoor area and cosy and full of intimate atmosphere at night.

Here, we developed a special luminaire consisting of two glass half-shells that can be planted in the space in between, creating a hanging garden above the guests' heads.

The upper half-shell is partially mirrored and reflects the roof with the colour of the sky during the day. At night, the diffuse hemisphere inside the upper half shell is backlit and reflected in the dark, nocturnal glass surfaces.
A downlight is mounted in the lower half shell and shines hard, brilliant light onto the tables with a warm light colour.

This contrasts the coolness of the roof with the warmth of the tables.

We received two lighting design commissions: From the investor Blackrock and the user Mr. Spex. This made comprehensive lighting design possible. We developed a mounting system for the luminaires and acoustic panels, which is being used here for the first time. First, two tracks are mounted parallel to the façade; only one is a lighting track. This means that there is only one power supply to all the luminaires across the entire area. This has enabled us to keep the open ceilings tidy.
For the corridor lighting, we use the electrical routes and guide the light as a path through the building for orientation and structure.

3 ministries share a large conference center in Berlin Mitte on Mauerstrasse. We were able to optimize the daylight glare with fabric louvers. The lighting can create a wide variety of moods and specifically increase the blue of the sky light. The pictures show the full spectrum of possibilities.
In addition, there was the development of special luminaires: A luminous mobile with dichroic filters and solid glass blocks, and glass luminaires filled in the entrance to the Ministry of Family, Women, Children and Senior Citizens.
Both luminaires were developed by us for the project.

For the Federal Ministry of Health we designed wall lights made of massive glass blocks. Some of the glass blocks are backed with dichroic color filters and change the perceived color of light depending on the angle of vision. We used blue tones towards the window facade and orange and yellow filters towards the inner back wall.

AVUS was the world's first race track for cars and the grandstand is now its only remaining visible element. The building contractor saved the grandstand from falling into ruin and our lighting design is now a gesture of welcome and a wave of farewell when you arrive or depart from Berlin via Autobahn. A Berlin landmark, just like the Funkturm and the ICC right next door.

The lighting design firm Lichtvision was commissioned to develop a concept to illuminate the facades of the Humboldt Forum. The result was an intentional lighting of the facades in terms of intensities of illumination and their distribution.
The lighting design bathes the building in a uniform light. It accentuates the mighty presence of the Royal Palace in the heart of Berlin. The flat evenness of the light without much shadowing places priority on the building's three-dimensionality over its details so that it appears imposing and grand, especially from a distance. The height of the light points is necessary to avoid casting hard shadows and to create a uniform lighting.
The designers' lighting specifications were based on standard luminaires. Their design then needed to be integrated into the light columns that also illuminated the exterior areas. KARDORFF was commissioned with achieving these two tasks by using one type of light column.
First, the positions for the light columns were chosen by Kardorff Ingenieure to ensure that the entrances and views of the palace remained unobstructed. The desired light distribution at the defined positions had to be recalculated for the luminaires that can be used in Selux's LIF light column. The LIF light column was custom designed by Kardorff Ingenieure and has highly complex facade modules which can precisely aim individual LED using many separately adjustable deflective mirrors.
This made it possible to achieve the same lighting effect even with another product and at other positions than Lichtvision had originally designed.
As a result, the illumination of the square and the facade have been integrated into one luminaire.

In the Schumacher Quartier, over 5,000 flats for more than 10,000 people are being built in a lively, urban environment. Innovative construction methods, a climate-neutral energy supply, high energy standards and new models for mobility will characterise the quarter. The technologies needed for this are largely being researched and developed next door on the site of the former Tegel Airport.

As with the neighbouring Urban Tech Republic research and industrial park, we are planning the lighting for the public streets and squares. Multifunctional light columns developed by us meet the requirements of the future-oriented and sustainable Smart City. These can be equipped in different ways and, in addition to lighting components, can accommodate technology for communication and security as well as e-charging stations.

On the foundations of the old Petri Church in Berlin, a new sacred building is being built that will unite the three monotheistic world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam under one roof. It will be a house of encounter, for people of different religions to get to know each other and exchange ideas. Three sacred rooms are arranged around a central domed room. Above this, the building opens up to the city with a loggia and offers views over Berlin.

For the imposing dome room in the centre of the building, we developed a discreet wall luminaire with several lighting components. This allows us to illuminate the entire room as well as the dome in a balanced way with just a few luminaires. A universal luminaire in the same aesthetics, also developed by us, provides uniform illumination of the circulation areas throughout the building. In the sacred rooms, skylights optimised by us with different characteristics create an appropriate room atmosphere with daylight. At night, this is taken over by the precisely planned room lighting consisting of simple pendant and surface-mounted luminaires.

A research and industrial park for new technologies is being built on the site of the former Tegel Airport. The Urban Tech Republic is to become a place of innovation for the next generation, whose most important drive is collaboration. The concept was the first commercial quarter worldwide to be awarded the DGNB platinum pre-certificate.

For the project, we are planning the lighting of the public streets and squares. Multifunctional light columns developed by us meet the requirements of the future-oriented and sustainable Smart City. These can be equipped in different ways and, in addition to lighting components, can also accommodate technology for communication, networking and security as well as e-charging stations.

The Aletto Hotel Potsdamer Platz is more than just a hotel. It has all sorts of rooms for micro-fairs, events or pop-up stores. These rooms are multifunctional in their lighting in order to do justice to a wide variety of needs.
In the areas used for pop-up stores, a busbar has been integrated into a complex, multifunctional mounted rail display system. The structure's design and arrangement also takes normal hotel operations into account. Cylindrical surface-mounted downlights with busbar adapters and swiveling reflectors provide general lighting. This is supplemented by decorative pendant luminaires on rails.
Standing as a highlight on the rooftop terrace looking out over the city is an over-sized and eye-catching outdoor standing lamp.

The structure of the "MY.B" facade, with the building's striking soffits and length, led to the idea of illuminating the facade using laser projection.
The soffits stick out as the prominent structural feature of the building's form and serve as the perfect backdrop for the glancing views along the front. The dynamic of the commuters coming into the city in the morning and leaving in the evenings going northward can be experienced in the similar movement of the light.
The newest generation of laser technology and automation are used on the "MY.B" building.
Depending on the situation, the lighting can vary between restrained static motifs and very dynamic geometries with long-distance effects.
The system consists of two laser projectors that are integrated into bespoke outdoor cases that have been mounted on the upper section of the columns.
Power consumption is about 90 to 150 Watts max. per projector, which is, for this specific use, about 50% below the requirements for LEED Gold or Platinum Certification and can therefore be considered as the most energy-efficient facade lighting.

UCI Gropiuspassagen has been transformed to a luxury cinema of the brand UCI luxe, for which we developed a lighting strategy and individual light planning of the cinemas. The lighting concept supports the corporate identity of the cinema brand. The lighting sculpture in the foyer is made of bespoke lighting rods.

The UCI luxe Mercedes Platz is a flagship of the new luxury cinema brand from UCI Multiplex GmbH, for which we developed a lighting master plan. A common lighting design was given to entrance zones, walking areas, hospitality areas, WCs and hall lighting. The foyer eye catcher is a bespoke solution and varies in the different cinemas.

The new headquarters of KPMG AG Advisory Services are situated in direct neighbourhood to Berlin main station and the government district. The lighting concept features integrated facade uplighting. It supports the facade structure with vertical pilaster strips and ceiling plates that vary in their protrusions and setbacks. Through the asymmetric lighting in the facade setbacks, different impressions are produced related to different perspectives. The building aims
to be certified with DGNB Platin.
 

Mercedes Platz is a new address for concerts, cinema and entertainment and has the highest screen density in Berlin. Screens on facades and media steles can be controlled in a coordinated way and empower a unique open-air media experience. We planned the interplay between all lighting elements on the square and the adjacent facades.

The German headquarter of the largest project developer in Europe is located at the top of the Upper West Tower in Berlin. The interior design captivates with its unusual concept. Materials inspired by industry, such as metal and concrete, combine with the more domestic woods and textiles to yield a contrast-rich interior with an especially warm lighting atmosphere.

The Hotel Pullman Berlin Schweizer Hof chooses a light sculpture for the entrance lobby. Due to the seasons and the events of the hotel, moods are staged by light. The possibilities of playing a 3D LED matrix range from waves and volumes to displaying simple motifs in all colours.

The representative office and retail building fits seamlessly into the magnificient buildings at the boulevard Kurfürstendamm in Berlin. In addition to the facade, the garden in the courtyard and all public areas in the building were illuminated by Kardorff Ingenieure. The careful detailing of all design elements as well as the noble materials are set in scene.

Facade lighting for a residential and commercial building in a side street of the Kurfürstendamm Berlin.

With only 16 instead of 32 headlights, the facade of the Berlin city-West's historical landmark is illuminated. Thanks to the energy-efficient LED technology, the old tower ruin is set up with an upwards diminishing light intensity. Thus, detrimental scattered light is avoided and the blue windows of the buildings keep their original effect.

Extensive modernization of the former Debis building with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Kardorff Ingenieure supervised the DGNB gold-certified project from planning to execution for the 22-storey, 106 meter-high office tower, the spectacular atrium with adjacent lobbies and entrances, as well as the new exterior illumination. Already completed in 2015, the Sky Office showroom is located on the eleventh floor.

New residential building in Berlin City West inspired by Art Deco which fits into the historic streetscape. The lighting concept complements the architecture’s elegance. Custom made lamps convey its historic charm amid the urban lifestyle.

Following the motto "light attracts people" the DomAquarée passage was shaped more friendly and inviting by installing large pendant luminaires. For additional extraordinary lighting effects cylindrical hanging lamps were designed. By using controllable LED rings inside different light scenarios are possible. These possibilities reach from atmospheric lighting with warm white light in the evening to dynamic, colored setups for special occasions.

Between the Charité and the banks of the Spree, not far from the main train station, is the new location for the administrative seat of the Federal Ministry.
The building has been given “gold” according to the standards for sustainable construction of federal buildings (Nachhaltiges Bauen für Bundesgebäude / BNB); certification according to “DGNB Gold” is being striven for.

With the Humboldt Palais on Hegelplatz in Berlin Mitte, the property developer BUWOG has realized a new construction project offering exclusive residential space. The upscale commercial area on the ground floor will house a complex temporary light/space installation until the tenant has moved in.

This hotel belonging to the Steigenberger Group is part of the Europacity development around Berlin’s main train station. The facade lighting designed by Kardorff responds to the different vantage points from which the building can be viewed. The hotel was awarded the gold DGNB sustainability certification by the German Sustainable Building Council.

The art gallery in the Deutsche Bank’s Berlin headquarters is an established platform for international contemporary art. Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung designed the new KunstHalle entrance, which with its walls of LED light is visible from far away.

The Mercedes-Benz building contains office space for 1,200 employees, an impressive vehicle showroom, and a restaurant. Kardorff Ingenieure was responsible for designing the lighting of the inner areas and facade.

The 2015 German Prize for Lighting Design in the category Museum was awarded to Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung.
This private museum for architectural drawing located in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg not only displays the collection of the Tchoban Foundation, but also the collections of internationally leading cultural institutions.

The 31 meter-high “Highlight Tower” of the Audi dealership in the Berlin neighborhood of Adlershof forms a new landmark that can be seen from a distance. The exhibited vehicles have been illuminated in an extremely energy-efficient manner using LED spotlights and are visible from all sides without any interruptive glare.

Commissioned by the planning consortium pg bbi, consisting of GMP and JSK, Kardorff Ingenieure designed the lighting from the basic evaluation to the conceptual design. The lighting scheme uses extremely long-lived lamps, such as inductive fluorescent lamps to make the lowest maintenance costs possible.

A word-light installation for the 300th birthday anniversary of Frederick the Great. Using lasers, the poems of the Prussian king were projected on to the facades of the Humboldt University in Berlin and the Altes Palais. Artistic direction:  Gabriele von Kardorff

Between the Potsdamer Platz and the Kulturforum in Berlin, the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz serves as the entrance to the Casino and Musical Theater Adagio. To animate and enhance the atmosphere of the square, a dramatic lighting was chosen whose effect is
reminiscent of a catwalk.

The 2013 German Prize for Lighting Design in the category External Lighting was awarded to Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung: The commercial building at Friedrichstrasse 40 closes the last gap in the urban axis. The project was also recognized with the distinction "best architects 12".

The world’s largest OLED chandelier according to a design by Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung hangs in the presence of highly prominent art. It is suspended over seven meters in the stairwell of a foyer.

To increase the attractiveness and enhance the Marlene Dietrich Platz, heliostats reflecting natural light onto the square were placed on the adjacent buildings. In addition, new artificial lighting is intended for the square and the large projecting roof.

BauWerke designed a departure terminal for flights in historical airplanes, such as the "raisin bomber". Preparation for this experience takes place with a reception for the flight guests and a historical documentary. The lighting integrates itself compactly into the surrounding surfaces.

To illuminate this imposing building, a patented spotlight system with projection glasses was used for the first time in Germany. Using this state-of-the-art technology, the facade is lit horizontally, free of glare, and very energy-efficiently. The power consumption is 2 kW, less than 1 Watt per square meter of facade.

New construction of the Federal Ministry along the Glinkastrasse connected up with the pre-war buildings in the Taubenstrasse and Jägerstrasse.

The residential buildings on Potsdamer Platz are made of a natural stone foundation and stuccoed walls. The lighting for the colonnades, lobby, and all public areas was designed by us.

Another milestone for our team: the lighting of a world heritage site and a large, internationally famous collection. In 2009, after ten years of intensive planning, we were able to handover the realized lighting concept in the restored Neues Museum. The discreet light atmosphere and the soft, yet precise
illumination of the objects – particularly Nefertiti – are highly admired by museum specialists and visitors. For the overall architecture, David Chipperfield received the 2011 German Architecture Prize, among other recognitions.
 

The original Hotel Berlin, founded in 1958, was an important post-war site for culture and society. Today, Berlin’s third
largest hotel embodies both this past and a modern hotel operation with approximately 700 rooms and suites.

At Leipziger Strasse 126, a new office building was constructed. The residential and commercial buildings “The 3 Leipziger” distinguish themselves through a top inner-city location on Leipziger Platz and Potsdamer Platz, across from the historic Bundesrat building and the Federal Ministry of Finance.

With a seating and standing capacity for 17,000 plus 59 suites, the O2 World Arena is the second largest multi-functional hall in Germany. The lighting concept for the public areas, facade, and the arena itself originates from Kardorff Ingenieure.

The Schloss-Straßen-Center unites a diverse group of 30 specialty shops onto three levels. It is located in one of Berlin’s most popular and commercially most competitive shopping
districts.

The lighting concept underpins the spatial proportions of the square. The luminaires outline its polygonal shape, showcasing the fountain, the world clock, and the entrances to the underground train.

Bebelplatz is one of Berlin’s most important urban squares on the main boulevard Unter den Linden. Framed by historical buildings, such as the State Opera, Cathedral of St. Hedwig, and the Humboldt University, the square is defined at nightfall by
the uniformly lit facades. For this project, we developed a light pole which unites all the necessary modules into one very minimized form.

The Hotel de Rome is located on Bebelplatz in direct proximity to the grand boulevard Unter den Linden. This beautifully restored historical structure, built in 1889 by the architect and master mason Ludwig Heim, was the main seat of the Dresdner Bank until 1945.

The former electric power substation now listed for historical preservation has become a popular venue in Berlin Mitte since 2005. The closed character of the industrial structure was transformed into a light, modern office building opening out into the city. Kardorff Ingenieure designed the entire interior and
exterior lighting.

Haus Huth is the only building on Potsdamer Platz originating from the German Empire that has survived the tumultuous history of Berlin virtually unscathed. It currently houses the Berlin office of the DaimlerChrysler concern.
The house, unlit until 2004, was hauled out of the darkness by the lighting design of Kardorff Ingenieure and now stands with presence in its old place surrounded on all sides by modern architecture.

The Berlin Cathedral was built as a baroque-influenced Italian high-renaissance structure. The eastern facade is lit by only two light poles standing on the other side of the Spree’s bank.

The illumination of Pariser Platz emphasizes the horizontal areas. There is no direct lighting of the building facades. As an historical monument, the Brandenburg Gate is placed at the focus and is illuminated deep into its structure.

For its 100th anniversary, the famous department store was revamped. The goal was to create a pleasant, yet elegant shopping atmosphere. The high-class display areas are
given identity through clear placement of the lights and targeted light accents for the aisle ways. Particular attention was paid to well-designed ceiling areas.

In 2004 the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte was restored and completely rearranged. We designed the lighting for the areas open to the public, including the vitrine lighting.

The CityQuartier DomAquarée with a total rental space of 70,000 m2 not only offers individual shopping opportunities and gastronomical highlights, elegant apartments, flexible office spaces, and the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel, but
also the SeaLife Center and a GDR museum.

The French Dome stands on one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin, the Gendarmenmarkt, and is part of an architectural ensemble with the Deutscher Dom (New Church) and the Schauspielhaus.

A milestone for Kardorff Ingenieure Lighting Design: first place in the 2000 competition for the illumination of the Brandenburg Gate, the national symbol of Germany’s history. After completion in 2002, one of the most-photographed monuments could finally be captured in uniform light color. The lighting emphasizes the gate as the most important structure on Pariser Platz and strengthens its silhouette in the long axis stretching from the Tiergarten all the way to the historic center of Berlin. (See also: Pariser Platz and Unter den Linden)
Video Brandenburg Gate (Video by Linus Lintner)
 

Within the glassed-in area facing the Friedrichstrasse, a thin rod of light (height: 21 m) was installed at a slightly tilted angle. Through its multiple reflections on the surrounding glass, a separate lighted space is created.

We designed a solar reflecting system for the narrow lighted courtyard (5 x 5 m) in the residential building in the Friedrich-Carré. The rays of sun are reflected all the way down to the bottom of the courtyard. The mirrors are set at steep angles and provide for minimal shadowing of the direct incident light.

The lighting was adapted for a sculpture exhibit in the hall of the Gemäldegalerie.  The light fixture designed by Christoph Sattler and Thomas Albrecht was completed by us in terms of lighting technology. Targeted illumination of the sculptures made the desired three-dimensional presentation of the individual exhibits possible.

The light master plan covers the historic Berlin Mitte. The master plan was drawn up in such detail that the city and future planners will have direct information on the implementation. Now nearly ten years later, the master plan has been almost completely realized.

The new church building includes the surrounding urban areas in its spatial design concept. The structure consists of an open and closed cube. The interior design of the church is conceived of as circular.

The red lacquered walls with the mounted glossy panels of picture size form the basic design element of the Bar am Gendarmenmarkt. The light connects these two surfaces. A light color was selected which lets the coral red of the wall glow.
Over the bar, a luminous ceiling which shimmers in a mellow red was hung down into the room.

This Berlin office building was built by the architects Pysall/Rollenhagen from 1972 to 1974. Remodeling and modernization took place in 1999-2001 and were carried out under partial continued use.

The new construction of the Indian Embassy in Berlin’s Tiergartenstrasse appears on the outside as cuboid with an interior cylindrical atrium. A soft lighting of the entire building is achieved from the peripheral security fence.

The futuristic coffee shop concept was developed for reproduction all across Germany. An innovative interior design, beverage and service concept was to contrast with the established coffee shop franchises. The lack of acceptance regarding the coffee products put an end to the experiment.

For the new branch office of the Boston Consulting Group, it was necessary to create a contemporary atmosphere that would particularly appeal to the young consultants and reflect Berlin’s image as a place of awakening.

A lighting solution was required for a conference room that would allow the user to not only use the light to respond to specific moods, but that would also allow for an unsurreptitious, continual, daylight-oriented, change in lighting. An elliptical luminous ceiling was equipped with diverse lamps which create the necessary color spectrum.

The objective of the lighting concept was to do justice to the organic layout through random placement of the lighting fixtures. The type of luminaire developed for this has different lamps with which two lighting milieus – day and evening – can be switched on.

The design for Europe‘s first Niketown in 1997 was very complex. Each sport is showcased in its own pavilion and receives individual lighting. The illumination of the shelves was coordinated with the products in a series of tests.

In 1997, a daylight and artificial lighting concept was developed for all the rooms with skylights in the Pergamon Museum. For the first time, a computer simulation of the daylight, including even the falling of shadows on the exhibits, was conducted.

In 1997, we developed a lighting system for a Litfass pillar that received a patent. Only in 2010 was it possible to begin serial production after advertising systems had improved in terms of quality and increased in price. A 70W, central metal vapor
lamp homogenously lights the placard surfaces.

For the Siemens AG, a light master plan was developed for the 100th anniversary of the Siemensstadt in Berlin. This master plan highlighted the highly urban qualities of this quarter with light. As a first step, the building on the Rohrdamm received a new illumination of its facade.

Kardorff Ingenieure conducted a study of the effect on working conditions by a light-deflecting slatted window blind and a light reflector on the ceiling. The design of the natural light system was done by Bartenbach Lichtlabor in 1996.

The commercial building Gloria Galerie on the Kurfürstendamm was completely renovated. The symmetrical facade has been underscored by a lighted gateway which also outlines the main entrance. This was the first project undertaken by Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung after its founding in 1997.