Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro
RIO DE JANEIRO IS A CITY THAT INSPIRES DREAMS ACROSS THE WORLD.
SCHRÉDER HAS CONTRIBUTED TO BRINGING THIS DREAM TO LIFE, AT NIGHT.
RIO DE JANEIRO:
THE NEW CITY OF LIGHT
There are many remarkable sights to be discovered in Rio de Janeiro. Copacabana, Ipanema
and Leblon, not to mention the historic city centre of Rio de Janeiro and all the districts of this
legendary city spread out over 100km along the Atlantic Ocean; they are all at the heart of an
architectural expression. Everywhere, private and public lighting projects are seeing the light
of day... and being beautifully lit at night. The Candelária Church, the legislative assembly of
the State of Rio de Janeiro, the cultural centre of the Banco do Brasil, the Pan American Games
monument... all these edifices have been the subject of an individual study conducted by
Brazilian lighting designers. Each brings his own expertise, approach and emotions.
With a presence in Brazil that only dates back to 2001, Schréder has already left its mark of
know-how, expertise and quality on this country, in city lighting and road lighting alike.
Brasília, São Paulo and of course, Rio de Janeiro boast several prestigious architectural
references, including a number by architect Oscar Niemeyer, elegantly lit by Peter Gasper using
Schréder floodlights.
Built in 1837, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is one of the oldest
libraries of Portuguese architecture outside of Portugal. Schréder lit this
famous building in Rio de Janeiro based on a design by Carlos Florido.
REAL GABINETE PORTUGUÊS
DE LEITURA
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is lit mainly by
Focal floodlights fitted with blue filters.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
The legislative assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro
has been illuminated by the lighting designers
Fabiano Xavier and Alain Maitre (Atelier Lumière),
with Focal and Corus floodlights.
A Citeluz realisation.
CANDELÁRIA
The baroque church Nossa Senhora da Candelária is one of
the most important religious buildings in Rio de Janeiro.
The lighting concept by the designers, Fabiano Xavier and
Alain Maitre, illuminated the Candelária and included nearly
120 Corus floodlights whose wide range of photometries and
extremely slender profile constituted the selection criteria.
A Citeluz realisation.
FIRE STATION
AQUATIC PARK
The large fire station in Rio de Janeiro was lit using a
lighting concept from Atelier Lumière, with Corus
and Focal floodlights.
A Citeluz realisation.
Illuminated by Jose-Luis Galvão for the Pan American Games
which took place in July 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, the water park
is lit using Schréder floodlights fitted with 250 W and 400 W
light sources.
How did you go from set design to lighting design?
I designed sets for theatres, films and above all television until 1984, and in particular for TV Globo,
a large Brazilian commercial television network, before the renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer
entrusted his first lighting projects to me.
What factors do you think about when implementing a lighting design?
First of all, I ask myself who is supposed to be viewing the building or monument at night. I would not
use as much light or energy to light a bridge on the outskirts of the city that is rarely seen at night as
I would use for a building in the heart of the city. Then, I try to surprise, to evoke emotion. Light is a
tool that will create this feeling.
How do you perceive the use of colour in your designs?
PETER GASPER BEGAN
HIS CAREER AS A
SET DESIGNER FOR
TELEVISION,
MOTION PICTURES AND
THEATRE. SINCE 1984,
HE HAS BEEN A
LIGHTING DESIGNER.
HE HAS CREATED THE
LIGHTING FOR OSCAR
NIEMEYER’S MOST
FAMOUS CREATIONS.
The surfaces of the structure are what determines the choice of a light source. The original shape, as
well as the intentions of its creator, must be respected. I personally am not an architect. Formerly, in
Brazil, white buildings were lit with yellow sodium light. I wanted to change this style by using white
light with pale colour filters which would very slightly and softly produce variation in the way the object
is viewed.
What elements are involved in creating this emotion?
There are two ways to light a structure. With the first, light is directed toward it so that it is plunged into
a sea of light, a little like lighting a small-scale model, but this is not my style. With the second, light is
used as it is in the theatre or opera. Lighting discreetly creates the setting. In Prague, for example, one
sees virtually no lighting used on buildings in the city. I always draw my inspiration from the theatre or
television. I still express myself as a set designer but now, in public areas.
The lighting of the memorial statue for Getulio Vargas, who was
twice President of the Republic, is the work of Peter Gasper.
He used Focal floodlights equipped with two different reflectors
(intensive and semi-intensive light distributions).
The monument to celebrate the Pan
American Games which took place in the
summer of 2007 in Rio de Janeiro has
been illuminated by Peter Gasper using
recessed Focal floodlights at the bottom of
the memorial.
FOCAL
A- Focal (intensive) with blue filter,
20m
C
C
D
B
E
visor and 4200K lamp.
E
B
B- Focal (intensive) with daylight filter
D
and 4200K lamp.
11m
C- Focal (semi-intensive) with daylight
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
filter and 4200K lamp.
D- Focal (intensive) with light channel
and 3000K lamp.
E- Focal (semi-intensive) with light
channel and 3000K lamp.
D
C
C
E
D
B
C
B
How do you approach lighting projects?
Firstly, you need to understand the structure or building to be lit. Light must create a balance and a
hierarchy between the architectural surfaces. Light will enable people to understand the structure at
its own rhythm. Good lighting respects the existing structure. It will create a new interpretation of the
surfaces and volumes without redesigning the structure. Light highlights architecture, not the other
way around.
Do architectural or real estate project managers in Brazil
recognise the contribution of lighting designers?
Every time we work on a project, we put all our efforts into involving all of the team (especially the
project managers) to make sure that they really understand the solutions and details that will make it
work. My customers are firmly convinced of the added value of architecturally well thought out lighting
design. It is not the work of a technician.
AS A RECENTLY
GRADUATED ARCHITECT,
MONICA LOBO’S FIRST
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
WAS AS A LIGHTING
CONSULTANT. TODAY, SHE
IS A LIGHTING DESIGNER.
Tell us about the City of Music of Rio de Janeiro on which you are
currently working.
The Cidade da Música, designed by the architect Christian de Portzamparc, will be finalised in 2008.
The lighting was taken into consideration from the beginning of the project. This building, which
will house several concert halls, is characterised by an absence of angles. With regard to lighting,
it represented a unique challenge. It is truly a monumental sculpture to light, due to a multitude of
highly varied perspectives. Each viewing angle presents new surprises, and the lighting must take this
into account. Terra and Focal floodlights must be perfectly integrated into the architecture. They must
create an interaction between the light and the architecture. Given the size of the project, I also plan
to use Hestia luminaires, designed by Elisabeth, the wife of Christian de Portzamparc, to light access
roads and car parks.
The Cidade Da Música, a lighting design by Monica Lobo.
TERRA
HESTIA MINI
CORUS
TERRA
The cultural centre of the Banco do Brasil has been illuminated by Monica Lobo using
MY1, Focal and Corus floodlights fitted with metal halide and fluorescent lamps.
What criteria are involved in your selection of products when
working on a lighting project?
Photometry is the most important element that comes into play. The project manager or lighting
designer will create a design. As for me however, I must obtain results. It is crucial for the site to be
well-lit and for this lighting to satisfy the customer’s wishes.
In Brazil, safety in private residential complexes is a key element. Lighting plays a crucial role here. An
experiment was conducted in which a man carrying an umbrella was photographed in high-pressure
sodium light, and then once again, the same man in the same conditions, but in white light. It is
amazing to see how dangerous this man appeared in orange light, carrying his umbrella that actually
resembled a rifle! Personally, I increasingly use white light, which renders colours beautifully.
How is the perception of urban lighting developing in Brazil?
VICTOR HUGO IS A
LIGHTING CONSULTANT.
HE ALSO TEACHES
LIGHTING AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF
RIO DE JANEIRO.
There is still a great deal of education to be done. And this is part of my mission. But currently, the
situation is improving. When a project is built, lighting is taken into account from the beginning.
Project designers have a clear idea of their desires, which are based primarily on the aspect of
differentiation. They want lighting to play a role in the real estate project they are undertaking.
Do the public authorities have large urban lighting projects?
Around fifteen years ago, Rio de Janeiro launched a number of urbanisation projects in some areas
like Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Architects specified products that were not available on the
Brazilian market. As a consultant, I had to convince manufacturers to invest in order to meet the
demands of architects. This movement initiated the changes that followed. Today, the range offered by
manufacturers, such as Schréder, has considerably widened and deepened.
The first
installation of the
Ambar in Brazil.
Numerous
lighting projects
for residential
complexes have
been carried out in
Rio de Janeiro.
The RIO 2 complex,
managed by
Victor Hugo, has
been mainly lit by
The lighting designer Ricardo Lopes chose the new
Maya luminaires on
Isla luminaire for the Bora-Bora real estate.
Sextant poles.
www.schreder.com
2007 copyright© Schréder SA - Due to the continuous research and development we undertake on our products, we reserve the right to alter the specifications without
notice. The information, descriptions and illustrations above are of only an indicative nature and as these may present different characteristics according to requirements
of individual countries, we invite you to consult us.
the urban light
43199- BR- CAHIERRIO -2007-11-AN