Mårtensson Bil (auto) wanted a creative and cool visual and sonic solution to set apart their new Dodge Pickup showroom at their HQ in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The Peugeot dealer which is independently owned by Johannes Mårtensson contacted locally based AV specialist Fremlab and asked Björn Nilsson to propose some ideas. Sound specialist Björn contacted lighting designer Björn Arnason, also a technical sales specialist from Swedish distribution company Bellalite. The two often work as a team and have toured together in the past. In fact, they are quite a ‘double-act’ as well as making a well-balanced creative and technical team. Together they proposed a solution that embraced the stark industrial aesthetic that Johannes had in mind.
Björn Arnason’s lighting design incorporates 42 x Robe PARFect S1s which he chose because they were “perfect” for the application. They are installed on a series of trusses in the roof.
The shed style showroom – at the back of the main car display area – has a corrugated metal finish and is painted black – mean and lean to encapsulate the famous toughness and spirit of the iconic Dodge Ram pickup truck.
“Apart from setting the tone, to deal with the harsh, black background, I needed a luminaire that would make the cars and trucks literally pop out of their surroundings,” stated Björn A, explaining his PARfect pick.
The PARFect S1’s colour temperature of 6000K is close to daylight and works as a stunning contrast to the moody, shadowy room, creating a real sense of drama of the space. “Entering the showroom is more of a theatrical experience,” explained Björn, an approach that completely appealed to the client.
It is also unique from any other car showroom in the region!
PARFect S1s have also enjoyed a few other automotive successes including the lighting of two car podium spaces for Volvo in the arrivals and departures sections of Landvetter Airport in Goteborg.
Björn made his PARfect decision based on some more broadly imaginative aspects like the quality and effect of the light output, and with such a massive choice of LED lighting available, the proven reliability of Robe was exactly right for the client.
The Mårtensson Bil Dodge showroom is tightly packed with around 10 different vehicles including – at time of writing – a striking yellow Dodge Hellcat, one of only 10 in Sweden, complete with a supercharged 6.2-litre V-8 engine bursting with 707 bhp and a torque of 650 lbs-per-foot … and apparently a big dream-to-drift!
LED lightsources were a prerequisite given the country’s long term commitment to reducing carbon emissions, and the longevity, low maintenance and long warranty offered by Robe were all additional incentives for the client.
The showroom installation was completed with a kick-ass JBL sound system designed by Björn N adding some serious bass as requested by the owner.
The two Björns also specified the trussing and rigging and power distribution and worked together on the actual physical installation.
For the showroom Grand Opening event, lighting was programmed by Björn A on an Avolites Quartz console, with the day-to-day looks and scenes recorded onto a PC-programmed Sunlight stick control which can be accessed remotely by iPhone.
Photos by Louise Stickland
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