To reconnect a windowless basement to the outdoors, Licht Kunst Licht installed a 21-metre-long mural of the Rhine River (with vertical strata that reproduce the parallax effect of a 3D landscape) behind a false window. Also behind the glazing: RGBW LEDs in the floor to simulate natural light reflected off the water at dawn and dusk and LEDs in the ceiling to mimic midday sunshine (including all its daily and seasonal variations) with imperceptible transitions thanks to an intelligent control system. Elsewhere, recessed ambient lights are synchronized to the luminous wall, while sculptural pendants add accents to the tables and counters.

Project: HSBC Cafeteria, Dusseldorf, Germany
Firms: Licht Kunst Licht with Ingenieurbüro Heiming and ttsp hwp seidel Planungsgesellschaft mbH
Team: Isabel Sternkopf with Ingenieurbüro Heiming, Andreas Schulz and Tanja Nopens