February 28, 2008 -The visually spectacular Zénith de Strasbourg, the largest multipurpose venue in France, opened its doors earlier this year to a great deal of fanfare, and with good reason. Essentially a work of art, this lighter-than-air contemporary sculpture was designed by renowned Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, known for his Twin Towers of Vienna, among other works.

A stated goal of the venue is to establish the Alsace region as a crossroads for the world’s best artists. With seating for ten thousand and outfitted with the most sophisticated technology available, this new generation hall is already attracting major shows and international tours.

Built through a partnership between the Urban Community of Strasbourg, the Administration of Bas-Rhin, the Alsace Region and the State, the Zénith is much more than a building. A unique orange web - a tensioned textile membrane - and decentralized ellipses render it a remarkable architectural and cultural landmark.

Massimiliano worked with lighting designer Pierre Negre on the exterior illumination of the structure. After evaluating several possible solutions, Pierre chose Martin Exterior range color changing luminaires based on the illumination of a square located near the site.

How to throw light on a 12,000 m2 surface however posed a special challenge, so eight masts each 22 meters in height were specially manufactured for the project. Each mast houses five Exterior 600 color changers.

The spectacular illuminated textile wrap of the Zénith

The Zénith’s textile membrane proved the ideal material for the saturation and even dispersion of projected light. The 575 W CMY color changing luminaires create an animation of color on the venue to the delight of visitors and passersby alike.

For additional information on Martin lighting products visit www.martin-architectural.com.

About Martin Architectural:
Martin is a producer and distributor of computer controlled lighting, also called "intelligent lighting", high technology luminaires utilized throughout all sectors of the entertainment industry. Martin also produces a complete line of Jem smoke machines as a complement to intelligent lighting. Other important areas of application include the growing market for indoor and outdoor architectural and promotional lighting. Martin offers both dedicated exterior luminaires and specialized lights for retail settings.