The historic Wintergarten Varieté Berlin, long a venue for spectacular productions and great names in show business, has now also created a true architectural highlight: with an exceptional linear LED lighting concept, the impressive façade of the 19th-century building is atmospherically staged in the evening — warm, inviting, and at the same time highly attention-grabbing.
LIGHT AS PART OF THE DRAMATURGY
The aim of the lighting design was to focus and further develop the visual identity of the venue while ensuring respectful treatment of the historic building fabric. The lighting blends harmoniously into the classical façade structure while adding a new theatrical dimension: an interplay of light and shadow that makes the special magic of the variety theatre tangible even to passers-by.
PRECISE PLANNING AND CREATIVE IMPLEMENTATION
The project was carried out on behalf of the owners of the Wintergarten Varieté in close and continuous coordination with Georg Strecker, Managing Director and Artistic Director, and Rodrigue Funke, Artistic Director. The architectural office Maske + Suhren was responsible for the creative concept as well as the lighting and execution planning.
The implementation was carried out in close collaboration with the installers from Freilicht!, who realised the project independently. “When challenges arose in individual façade areas, direct dialogue with everyone involved always enabled us to quickly find a convincing solution,” reports architect Anna Maske. The collaborative partnership was clearly reflected in the creative and highly detailed implementation.
HISTORIC HERITAGE STYLISHLY STAGED
A key criterion in the lighting design was the selection of a particularly warm colour temperature. At 1900 Kelvin, the light used deliberately echoes the classic filament lamps in the entrance area of the variety theatre.
This colour coordination creates a harmonious overall impression and emphasises the emotional impact of the façade lighting. The lighting atmosphere combines warmth, elegance and theatricality in an impressive way.
TEASER-CLIP
COVERAGE
For this purpose, Barthelme developed a specially adapted version of the AQUALUC series, tailored to the individual requirements of the Wintergarten.
A total of 67 lines of AQUALUC W:AVE Bright at 1900 K with mounting profile, covering a total length of 152 metres, as well as 3 lines of AQUALUC C:URVE Bright with mounting set, covering 6 metres, were installed along the façade structures.
The installation was carried out with particular attention to elegant architectural integration: the luminaires were set into a custom-made “crown frame” — a stylised reference to the historic emblem of the Wintergarten.
“The crown is part of our heritage — and now also a defining element of our new appearance,” explains Georg Strecker with satisfaction.
The custom-made AQUALUC W:AVE Bright luminaires are also installed along the exterior façade elements, effectively framing the historic building.
Special attention was paid to the characteristic window recesses, affectionately known as “sleepy eyes”: here, the AQUALUC C:URVE Bright line was sensitively integrated to subtly emphasise the architectural structure while also staging it to impressive effect.
DURABLE AND WEATHER-RESISTANT
In addition to their design quality, the AQUALUC products used also impress with their technical robustness. Thanks to their IP67 protection rating and high UV resistance through the use of polyurethane, the luminaires are ideally equipped for permanent outdoor use — a decisive criterion for the project team, which places great importance on long-term operational reliability.
Client: Wintergarten Varieté, Berlin
wintergarten-berlin.de
Architects: MASKE + SUHREN Architekten und Designer Gesellschaft von Architekten mbG
maskesuhren.de
Installation: Freilicht! GmbH & Co. KG
freilicht.com