PROJECT MAURITSHUIS ART MUSEUM, THE HAGUE

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2 25 PROJECT Masters of light The new lighting installation at the Mauritshuis art museum in The Hague has been created to reduce heat levels and improve visibility of the collection. Nadine Buddoo takes a look at the LED scheme that has transformed the gallery The Mauritshuis or Maurice House in English is a classical art gallery in The Hague, the Netherlands. Originally the residence of John Maurice, Count of Nassau-Siegen, until his death in 1679, the building now houses masterpieces from some of the world s greatest artists, including Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn. The increasing popularity of these painters has resulted in a greater number of visitors to the Mauritshuis, making it important for the gallery to look at ways to reduce the heat load in the area. In this 17th-century building, however, there was insufficient space to expand the air-conditioning system so changing the lighting was a more practical solution. Despite this decision, the lighting designer for the project, Hans Wolff of Hans Wolff and Partners, was unsure whether a change to LED was the right solution for the gallery. At the start of the design process, we were not convinced we would guarantee the same quality with LED lighting. In the museums with LED lighting that the Mauritshuis [management team] and I visited, most of the time the quality of the light filled us with horror. PROJECT DETAILS Photo: Ronald Tilleman (Mauritshuis, The Hague) CLIENT THE MAURITSHUIS LIGHTING DESIGN HANS WOLFF AND PARTNERS ARCHITECT HANS VAN HEESWIJK ARCHITECTS MAIN CONTRACTOR KONINKLIJKE WOUDENBERG SUPPLIERS LIGHT PROJECTS, SORAA, XICATO

3 26 Photo: Ivo Hoekstra (Mauritshuis, The Hague) Hidden gems Following the LED upgrade at the art museum, the technique and colours in Vermeer s Girl with a Pearl Earring can now be viewed with greater clarity It was decided to use the best lighting available at that time low-voltage halogen and to investigate during the construction process whether there was a suitable LED alternative available. Over a period of two years, with much consultation with the international lighting industry, Wolff and the Mauritshuis team of curators and restorers investigated the LED solutions available. Optimum visibility Mauritshuis senior curator Quentin Buvelot says: In my opinion, lighting systems can make or break any museum presentation. People should feel welcome in the museum galleries and be able to see the internationally renowned collection to its best advantage. Many of the paintings on display, including Vermeer s Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius, feature intricate details that are only visible under the right lighting. Focused on providing optimum visibility of the collection, the team looked at LED light sources from a variety of manufacturers and conducted tests at the museum using real items from the collection. Most of the available LED light sources scored poorly during the research for the spectral composition of light and were unsuitable for museum use, explains Wolff. The team finally settled on LED solutions from two manufacturers: Xicato and Soraa. The Xicato Artist Series 2,700K was selected for the primary lighting in the gallery, while the Soraa Vivid MR16 2,700K was chosen for the shop area. Wolff then looked at which luminaires would be the best selection for the project. He says: There were about ten manufacturers who designed track spots with changeable reflectors and the necessary accessories around the selected Xicato light source. All these spots were sampled and subjected to a series of technical tests. Eventually, we were left with products from two manufacturers which were, technically, equivalent. These products were extensively tested and those from Light Projects were chosen based on the design of the luminaire. The elegant

4 STREET LIGHTING What intelligent street lighting means for our cities p30 27 PROJECT Sources for courses The Xicato Artist Series 2,700K module has been used throughout the gallery (above and right) and the Soraa Vivid MR16 2,700K was selected for the shop area design of these spots was better suited to the interior of the halls than the more technical spot from the other manufacturer. The galleries of the Mauritshuis are now completely fitted out with the all-led lighting system and Light Project s ArtLED fixtures. Q-Cat, the lighting distributor for the project, supplied the ArtLED self-dimming fittings so the intensity of light can be tuned on a fixture-by-fixture basis. A key feature of the fittings is the changeable reflectors. Two identical ArtLED fittings can each produce a totally different distribution of light by using reflectors with varying degrees. For example, one fitting can produce a 14-degree spot of light or, Visitors have the impression that the paintings were cleaned during the museum s restoration and the light level has been increased both are untrue Hans Wolff, Hans Wolff and Partners Photo: Ivo Hoekstra (Mauritshuis, The Hague) Photo: Ronald Tilleman (Mauritshuis, The Hague)

5 28 Perfect fit The ArtLED fixtures were supplied in different colours to complement the decor. Lighting designer Hans Wolff felt that the elegant design of Light Projects fittings were in keeping with the Mauritshuis interior. The ArtLED Honeycombe Louvre (pictured in black) was used extensively to reduce glare Picture perfect The ArtLED self-dimming fittings allow the light intensity to be tuned on a fixtureby-fixture basis to make sure that each and every painting, sculpture and artefact is displayed to optimum effect with a change of reflector, a wall-wash effect can be created. All of the 1,300 lm Xicato LED modules emit a colour temperature of 2,700K and are powered by a 1,050mA driver. The fixtures have been installed in white, and a custom grey finish. Buvelot is impressed with the result: With the newly installed LED lighting system, every detail of the paintings can be seen by our visitors, who love what they see, while the warmth of the halogen lighting is still there. All of us who work at the Mauritshuis hope that many generations to come will enjoy this inspiring place. Wolff can also attest to the pleasing results: Visitors have the impression that all the paintings were cleaned during the restoration of the museum and that the light level has been increased both are untrue. The light levels are set at a maximum of 150 lux, sometimes less. Because of the superb colour of the total spectrum, the paintings seem much brighter and free of haze. So, although Wolff was not initially convinced it would be possible to find a suitable LED solution for the Mauritshuis, he admits the final result has changed that opinion: I am extremely satisfied with the quality of the lighting. Not only are the reds displayed perfectly a problem with most LED light sources but the display of green and blue shades is also amazing. A FINE ART Photos: Ronald Tilleman (Mauritshuis, The Hague) The Mauritshuis is renowned for its collection from the Dutch Golden Age. Its decadent silk-lined walls form the perfect backdrop for more than 200 works from the Dutch Masters Photo: Ivo Hoekstra (Mauritshuis, The Hague)