LED luminaires bathe St. Peter's Square in holy glow

Cooperation with Servizi Tecnici del Governatorato was also fundamental for the success of the important Sistine Chapel project, carried out in 2014. The new lighting system for the Sistine Chapel featured higher lumen output and artwork-conserving LED lighting to protect and enhance Michelangelo's renowned frescoes. It also served as a benchmark with regard to artistic, historical and preservative aspects.

Osram illuminates St Peter's Square in Rome with innovative LED technology

"We have gained recognition worldwide since October 2014 for our state-of-the-art LED lighting of the Sistine Chapel, and we're exceedingly pleased once again to have demonstrated in Rome our strengths as a provider of complex lighting solutions with the illumination of St. Peter's Square," said Olaf Berlien, CEO of OSRAM Licht AG. As with the Sistine Chapel project, the lighting solution for St Peter's Square was planned and put into operation in close cooperation between Osram and the Direzione dei Servizi Tecnici del Governatorato SCV. "In addition to perfect lighting results the task also included visual aspects such as the discreet integration of luminaires into the architectural setting and incorporating a simple, unobtrusive electrical installation. Saving energy and ecological sustainability was also important," stated Eladia Pulido, CEO of the Osram Lighting Solutions (LS) business unit.

Following the photometric masterpiece in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel, Osram now provides a unique lighting experience on St Peter's Square

The Vatican specified an illuminance level of up to 120 lux at night to provide safety for visitors and to even enable reading on the square during events and celebrations. 132 LED floodlights were installed, providing sufficient brightness and homogeneous illumination for the square. The new lighting lends the existing architecture and materials a visual upgrade – the light underlines the impressive columnar architecture and emphasises the innate colour of the marble. Ecological sustainability is simultaneously addressed, and for this reason the lighting concept focused on cutting power consumption and avoiding unwanted light immission. "Thanks to modern LED technology in combination with a DALI light management system we achieve energy savings of around 70%," added Carlo Bogani, Executive Project Director at Osram Italy.

The 132 LED luminaires installed are a customer-specific version of the Floodlight 20 LED with through-wiring and special plug connections that enable simple installation and easy interwiring of the luminaires. The luminaires are equipped with a DALI Professional control system and feature a 4000K light colour (neutral white).

The Vatican searched for an energy-efficient solution that could provide sufficient brightness and also discreetly blends into the existing architecture

St Peter's Square ('Piazza San Pietro' in Italian), located directly in front of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, consists of a trapezoid section and the actual elliptical forecourt with a total area of 48,000 m2, and up to 400,000 people gather on the extensive square for celebrations and special occasions, for example the election of a new Pope or at Easter time. Extensive renovation work of St Peter's Square began in 2011, and at the beginning of the current year Osram together with Direzione dei Servizi Tecnici del Governatorato SCV created a new lighting concept based on modern LED technology that was installed and inaugurated in the evening on October 20, 2016.

All images: Governatorato S.C.V. - Direzione dei Musei