Between Light Fog and Transparency

When a colorfully illuminated surface can turn into a transparent panel at the touch of a button, a special lighting technology is in play: Lightpanel iso. A core made from ACRYLITE® LED creates this impressive illumination.

Instead of transparent panels, a streetcar stop in Augsburg uses colorfully illuminated panels to protect waiting passengers from the elements. Unlike other streetcar stops, which are often dreary and cold places, this stop is full of color and life thanks to artist Rita Kriege from Nuremberg. When the artwork illuminates in “Curved Lines in Cold and Warm Colors”, it comes to life. Previously invisible lines and curves appear almost three-dimensional as the panels shine in all colors of the rainbow.

The bright display of lights and colors, which enthralled passengers for the first time in December 2010, was also the world premiere of a new lighting technology: Lightpanel iso. The innovative concept from axis GmbH & Co. KG is not only suitable as an impressive surface light for outdoor applications, but can also be used as a transparent room divider which can turn into an illuminated and colorful privacy screen at the touch of a button or through programming.

“The flexibility of applications and the combination of insulating and acrylic glass make the panel unique. It has an even and bright illumination, is both weather- and dust-resistant, and is also scratch-resistant,” says Rüdiger Szak, CEO of axis GmbH & Co. KG. In a joint venture with his brother, Andreas Szak, he markets innovative light solutions under the Designpanel moniker.

Material magic

The secret behind Lightpanel iso is tucked away in the high-quality core of each panel: A sheet of ACRYLITE® LED, located between two sheets of scratch-resistant insulating glass, uses RGB LEDs to create the impressive lighting effects. The LED light is fed into the brand acrylic sheet via the edges. ACRYLITE® LED guarantees even light distribution across the whole surface and the LEDs can be programmed to display different sequences, enabling both color and light intensity, as well as color sequence and transition speed, to be adjusted as desired. “ACRYLITE® LED is ideal for our purpose,” explains Szak. “Its high transparency and the lighting distances of several meters provide a wide range of design options.”

Robust, elegant and very versatile

As can be seen from the application in Augsburg, Lightpanel iso is robust enough for use in outdoor applications, as the panels are able to resist all expected weather effects and environmental influences. However, the innovative surface light can also be used in diverse interior applications, for example as a room divider, which can be turned into a mood light at the touch of a button, while simultaneously acting as a privacy screen. The use of LEDs as light sources means that the screen can be illuminated in white, monochromatic colors, or changing colors, thus providing large illumination areas and windows with another design dimension. Individual colors and randomly changing color variants can be pre-programmed to suit the user’s mood or the time of year or day.

Light solution for shopfitting

Lightpanel iso can add a subtle, effective, and unique touch to any space, whether that be a hotel lobby, a trade fair booth, or a decorative element in a shop featuring corporate colors. “When it comes to design, there are almost no limits to what is possible,” emphasizes Szak.

Letters or graphical designs can also be engraved on the ACRYLITE® LED panel which emits the light. Combined with printing techniques, it is easier than ever to create surprising effects – as is the case for the installation by Rita Kriege in Augsburg. The engraved lines shine particularly brightly, while printed areas appear more radiant or even change color when illuminated. Lightpanel iso is clearly not an “off the rack” product, as Szak indicates, but “basically always a prototype,” with which art and individual light design concepts can be implemented.