Lighting and museum spaces : Iren ’ s Global Technological Service
According to a recent ISTAT survey , there are almost 5,000 museums and similar institutions in Italy . This information alone is enough to understand how important it is in our country to care for and enhance our museum heritage and the structures that house it . An important part of the exhibition concerns the careful use of light , which is an essential tool for making spaces , volumes and surfaces visible , for conveying emotions , allowing an optimal reading of the works on display and giving the visitor the best possible visiting experience . Nothing can be left to chance . The technical and design factors to be considered are many and complex , and should be assessed on the basis of the specific characteristics of each site and of the material on display : from the choice of illuminance levels to that of colour temperature , from the search for the most faithful chromatic rendering of the original colours to the correct positioning of the lighting points within the spaces . Last but not least , the control of natural light in the rooms , in order to achieve a correct balance of luminance values and visual coherence within each room and throughout the exhibition . It is equally necessary to evaluate the overall performance of the lighting systems , also in terms of increased energy savings . Thanks in particular to the careful use of LED technology , it is now possible to achieve significant economic benefits , which the museum administration can use for other projects and initiatives . The management and maintenance of lighting systems in complex structures is one of the services offered by Iren Smart Solutions , a company of the Iren Group active in the energy efficiency sector and in the design , implementation , installation and management in full service of technological systems for companies , large civil structures and the Public Administration . Through a Global Technological Service proposal , it has been managing the operation and integrated maintenance of infrastructure and systems for over 20 years . Among the institutions served are four of Turin ’ s most important museums : Museo Nazionale del Cinema-Mole Antonelliana , Palazzo Madama , Galleria d ’ Arte Moderna ( GAM ) and Museo d ’ Arte Orientale ( MAO ), for which the company is responsible for the lighting of permanent and temporary exhibitions , as part of an integrated service for the management of technological systems . A comprehensive service , thanks to which modernisation work has been carried out in recent years within each museum site , with the replacement of one or more “ system areas ” with new technological components . These interventions have not only ensured aesthetic and functional uniformity , but also significant improvements in performance , a reduction in malfunctions and an important economic return in terms of energy savings . A few figures . In the Civic Museum of Ancient Art in Palazzo Madama , 276 out of a total of approximately 500 luminaires have been replaced between the Ground and First Floors , using LED technology with a single power output of 15 W . A further project is already in the pipeline , involving the replacement of approximately 120 LED luminaires powered at 12 V and of approximately the same power , relating to the lighting of the East Tower and the completion of the First Floor .
Courtesy Fondazione Torino Musei
Museo d ’ Arte Orientale ( MAO ), Torino
Another interesting upgrade is the modernisation of the variously sized ceramic showcases containing pottery and objects belonging to the royal family . Here too , the current lighting system of triphosphor tubes is being gradually replaced with new special LED strips . After evaluating a number of possible solutions , and testing the colour rendering under different conditions , it has been decided to replace the lighting with 3,300 K lights , which have ensured a significantly better perception of colours than the previous system , as well as energy savings and a longer estimated life span .
Courtesy Fondazione Torino Musei
Courtesy Fondazione Torino Musei
Palazzo Madama , Torino
LUCE 337 19