The light control systems designed and implemented by Elettroservice

Palazzo Giureconsulti in Milan, Italy, owned by the Chamber of Commerce of Milan Monza Brianza Lodi, underwent a restyling of the interiors and the lighting of the façade, the design of which was entrusted to the MAR Office group and completed in 2022. The light control systems implementation was managed by Elettroservice of Padua, using Helvar components.

Palazzo Giureconsulti was built from 1562 to 1564 by order of Giovanni Angelo Medici, who entrusted the project to Vincenzo Seregni, architect of the Duomo. In 1911, the Chamber of Commerce purchased the building, moving its offices there in 1914 following a general renovation by the architects Angelo Savoldi and Giovan Battista Borsani and the engineer Piero Bellini to whom it owes the insertion of the current Scalone d’Onore. The last substantial restoration dates back to 1985 by the architects Mezzanotte and Menghi, whose project brought the building to its current state, making an appropriate structure for a destination open to the public for events, conferences, and workspaces.

The lighting project

The lighting project, covering most of the building halls, aimed to adjust the internal lighting, including multimedia supports for the planned events, and the lighting of the external facade on Via Mercanti. The goal was to improve the rooms’ internal lighting, integrating it with the lighting of the facade and requalifying the systems from a regulatory point of view. As far as the interiors are concerned, the light fixtures present in the various rooms have been removed, and the lighting project has been designed according to three main lines:

• lighting with projectors having diversified optics and an installation that allows for the generation of variable scenarios thanks to lighting fixtures installed along the track;
• general lighting created using linear sources that provide the necessary light and, at the same time, contribute to enhancing the new identity of the building;
• technical lighting for the office area.

Concerning the exteriors, the lighting project envisages the lighting of the facade on Via Mercanti del Loggiato and of the Sottoportico. This intervention is the last element of the Palace enhancement after the facade restoration.

The light management system

At Palazzo Giureconsulti, the light control system is managed by Elettroservice S.r.l., Helvar’s partner in Italy. The different areas of the building are controlled by a single centralized system which refers to 1 Router 905 and 5 Router 910 by Helvar managing the lighting fixtures via the DALI bus. Through this system, it was possible not only to adjust each device but also to create different programming for the various areas of use of the building. In general, it has opted to make everything automatic, with the possibility, however, of modifying the system through a touch control panel located in the hall from which it is possible to manage all the rooms through different pages and force general switching on and off, especially during events or moments of extraordinary management.

The lighting of the common areas comes on at 6 in the morning, while it can be switched off manually via module 444 by calling up the ON/OFF scene from a control panel and thus dimming to the desired level or with time programming. Sitting rooms, event rooms and meeting rooms are all equipped with sensors detecting movement and activating self-regulation and, therefore, the proper lighting level to optimize consumption and obtain maximum energy efficiency.

Since the bathrooms have no artificial light, there are sensors that only detect timed presence. The lighting of the facades of the building is managed with a schedule that turns on at sunset, based on the internal astronomical clock of the Helvar 910 module, and turns off the lighting of the entire building at midnight.

Place: Palazzo Giureconsulti – Milan

Client: Chamber of Commerce of Milan Monza Brianza Lodi

Completion of works: 03/05/2022

Architectural Project: MAR OFFICE – Multiple Architecture and Research

Electrical systems project: SINERGO SpA and Ing. Daniela Mannina

Lighting designer: SINERGO SpA and Ing. Daniela Mannina

Installer: Elettroluce di Pezzati Fabio

Lighting equipment supplier: Elettroluce di Pezzati Fabio