Since 2017, the CSSB (Centre for Structural Systems Biology) has anchored the DESY campus in Bahrenfeld as a hub for interdisciplinary research. Housed in a striking building by hammeskrause Architects, approximately 180 researchers from biology, medicine, chemistry, and physics collaborate on understanding infectious diseases and resistance mechanisms. The facility dedicates roughly 30 percent of its space to specialized laboratories, complemented by offices, collaborative areas, and a lecture hall. Here, architecture and lighting work as one—each carefully calibrated to serve both aesthetic and functional purpose. Trilux Architectural's expertise in custom luminaires made it possible to realize these specialized designs through close collaboration with Winter, the lighting design consultancy overseeing the building's technical systems.

Suspended beneath the foyer's glazed ceiling are three monumental light rings—custom-designed for the CSSB—that seem to float effortlessly at 4 and 6 metres in diameter. Far more than sculptural gestures, these luminous forms deliver compliant general lighting across the open gathering and collaboration zones. The 95 circular light panels in four sizes are equally bespoke. Their highly translucent films align seamlessly with gallery soffits and reappear throughout the lecture hall, cafeteria, and entrance areas in varied configurations. Beyond exceptional visual comfort, they establish a cohesive visual language that reinforces the building's identity at every turn.

Throughout the lab spaces, the E-Line LED continuous row—with 1,369 luminaire units featuring wide-beam optics—delivers glare-free task lighting at workbenches while integrating emergency functions. Offices, corridors, and hallways benefit from the highly adaptable Coriflex LED system, which draws on an extensive range of modules and components to suit each area's specific needs. Some 750 Coriflex units were installed across the building, many equipped with integrated emergency lighting. Rounding out the scheme are roughly 150 Inperla Ligra Plus downlights—modest in profile yet powerful in effect. Virtually invisible when recessed, they provide code-compliant illumination while artfully accentuating key architectural moments, such as the sculptural spiral staircase anchoring the foyer.

www.trilux.de

Photography Credits:

Trilux

(Published in CUBE Hamburg 04|22)