Lighting design for the world’s first voloport prototype
During the 26th Intelligent Transport System World Congress 2019 in Singapore in October 2019, the world’s first prototype of a take-off and landing infrastructure for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft taxis, was presented.
It was developed in close collaboration between a German urban air mobility pioneer, a recognized British operator and developer of vertiports, and a Berlin based innovation agency.
Voloports are the only necessary physical infrastructure for the future commissioning of volocopters. Their modular design enables flexible positioning at different locations. They can, for example, be integrated on roofs and parking lots, on open spaces or floating platforms. The prototype in Singapore shows how voloports will enable smooth passenger and operational processes in later operations.
Lighting design creating identity with high recognition value
The voloport convinces with a clear, functional design that invites the visitor to a comfortable flight experience. This is also reflected in the lighting design for the operation and the customer journey.
Visitors are invited to the lounge area at the entrance of the voloport with a lighting accent on the floor, a single spotlight. Here, pleasantly warm and contrasting light ensures a relaxing quality of stay. To achieve this effect, our lighting designers developed an architecture-integrated lighting system. In addition to the ventilation outlets, adjustable pairs of downlights were installed in radially arranged ceiling slots. With two different light distributions, they provide modulated lighting with reduced glare at the same time.
From the lounge area, visitors can always keep an eye on the volocopter. A cooler, dramaturgically used light stages the volocopter like an exhibit and makes the characteristic details visible. A circular backlit ceiling with a diameter of twelve meters is installed above the parking position of the volocopter. This illuminated ceiling provides two lighting components: While the light coupled laterally into the luminous surface creates a diffuse illumination, spotlights accentuate the complex geometry of the volocopter. Both components reduce the shadowing of the rotor rim, which has a span of more than nine meters.
The interior lighting of the voloport is also crucial for external perception. In the dark, the fly taxi stations shine from the inside through the glazed parts of the façade. At the same time, the perforated panels of the exterior façade are backlit, thus contributing to a high recognition value.
