Air Force Building, Rome

All projectsAir Force Building, Rome

On the wings of the eagle

Italy

New light for the Italian Air Force Building in Rome
Griven lights up the headquarters of the Italian Air Force in cooperation with ENEL X, an Enel Group company that provides innovative products and services focused on energy transformation in domestic, urban, and industrial applications with an eye to sustainable development.

After its official establishment in 1923 on behalf of the Air Marshal Italo Balbo, the Regia Aeronautica required dedicated headquarters, whose construction was entrusted to the young architect Roberto Marino. Officially inaugurated on October 28, 1931 the seat of the Royal Air Force was completed in two years and it is considered the first building in Italy completely made of reinforced contrete, otherwise usually reserved only to large-scale constructions.
Waiting for the 100th anniversary of the Air Force, the Ministry of Defense has required a new architectural lighting system that could enlighten the building in the deserved way till the official 2023 celebrations and afterwards. In the past, the Air Force Building had been provided only with temporary installations aimed at highlighting the eagle that stands out on its roof. Also featured on the coat of arms of the Air Force, the eagle of Palazzo Aeronautica majestically unfolds its wings, which gradually merge with those of an airplane in a visual representation of the ultimate essence of the building.
Until the official celebrations that will take place on March 28, 2023, for a whole year a new lighting system will enhance the façade of the building with diversified themed scenarios according to national anniversaries or specific events. In charge of the project and of its implementation, ENEL X has approached the lighting concept in a very professional way, adapting it to this special location, with particular attention to design, background, and general conditions.

Year

2022

Project

Air Force Building, Rome

Location

Rome, Italy

Lighting designer

Enel X Architectural Lighting Team

Pictures

Luca Cioci

Following to an already existing cooperation concerning installations of remarkable historical and cultural relevance, ENEL X has identified Griven's LED products as the most suitable solution for this demanding lighting project. Capital 100, 200 and 300 in RGBW colour configuration have been carefully tested and selected with different optics in order to achieve a perfectly uniform light distribution on the entire façade of the building. They have been installed on custom poles designed to blend in a natural way into the surrounding architectural context. The spot, medium, wide, extra wide, and elliptical wide optics chosen for these luminaires deliver the desired effect owing to a precise aiming, an optimal positioning, and an accurate adjustment of the light emission. Moreover, the different settings of the Capital units allow the creation of multiple lighting scenes in a simple and quick way. It is also possible to highlight portions of the building in different colours (to reproduce the Italian flag for instance) or to enhance the whole façade in a single coloured or white light shade.

To complete the scheme, lighting fixtures of the Jupiter family in RGBW colour configuration equipped with specifically designed filters, enhance the sculptural group of the flying eagle in the colours of the Italian flag. The internal courtyard of the building and its pavement have been highlighted in 3000K white light with the help of some Capital 200, while the central fountain is well illuminated by Capital 100 in colored light. Both models have been positioned on the top of the building aiming at those specific areas so as not to create unpleasant effects in the surrounding spaces. The different lighting fixtures installed have been delivered in a white, grey or anthracite finish according to their placement, so that each product harmoniously blends with the surrounding architecture.

The extreme professionalism of the work carried out by Enel X can be found in the stylistic elegance and in the perfect uniformity of the final result, which delivers the well-deserved prominence to an important historic building located in the very heart of Rome.

Credits:
Lighting design: Enel X Architectural Lighting Team
Project supervision: Ministry of Italian Air Force
Installation: SA.GEST Lavori Generali S.r.l.
Pictures: Luca Cioci

Products installed:
6xAL5014MERNRAS2 Capital 300 medium optics 23° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
4xAL5014WIRNRAS2 Capital 300 wide optics 43° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
2xAL5010WLRNRAS2 Capital 200 elliptical wide optics 22°x39° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
4xAL5010WIRNRAS2 Capital 200 wide optics 43° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
AL5005WLRNRWS2 Capital 100 elliptical wide optics 22°x39° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
3xAL5005SPRNRGS2 Capital 100 8° spot optics RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
2xAL5010MEWWRGS2 Capital 200 medium optics 25° 3000K, custom Class II
1xAL5010ELWWRGS2 Capital 200 elliptical optics 14°x39° 3000K, custom Class II
x AL5340EWRNRWS2 JUPITER RGBW extra wide optics 6° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II
6x CU0567 JUPITER RGBW SPOT 8° RGB+W 4000K, custom Class II + LUMINIT FILTER 90°x35°
1x AL1424 Digital Control System Wall TSC
2x AL4386 4-way IP65 DMX-RDM splitter