The University of Eastern Piedmont, UPO, is a public university based in Northern Italy. Founded in 1998 and boasting campuses in Alessandria, Novara, and Vercelli, the university is attended by a constantly growing number of Italian and foreign students attracted by its wide choice of curricula.
The Aula Magna at the campus in Novara, which had previously been lit by a rig of outdated discharge and tungsten-halogen downlights, has recently undergone a thorough upgrade.
The need for more energy-efficient fixtures, coupled with the desire to creatively use colours to create a suitable ambience for the many different events held at the venue – from lectures and conferences to shows – has led to the need for a complete re-design of the existing lighting system.
Luci della Ribalta (LDR) and their Milan-based distributor Guido Ammirata Srl were approached to create a solution that could achieve the desired goals whilst minimising the impact of the installation. After months of close cooperation with UPO, the two organisations jointly delivered a lighting system which fully met the university’s expectations.
Luca Frangi, Project Manager at Guido Ammirata, said: “UPO requested us to replace the outdated discharge downlights with new LED fixtures, with a requirement for user-friendly and reliable colour management, whilst using the existing rigging system. Finally, but by no means least, the fixtures were required to be supplied in a special grey colour.”
“Guido Ammirata Srl has a long-standing partnership with Luci Della Ribalta. We are very familiar with their range of quality products and know their flexibility and fast response. So the choice of involving LDR in this challenging project was simply straightforward” he continued.
LDR conducted lighting simulations, recommended the appropriate products to achieve the desired illumination level, and sent samples to Guido Ammirata Srl.
Luca Frangi and his technical team handled site inspections, testing and coordination with the public entity, as well as preparing all the necessary paperwork for the contract and overseeing the installation.
UPO’s technical office reviewed the proposed products carefully, making sure they could deliver the requested luminance levels both over the seating area and the podium.
The chosen fixtures include 100W Cetra F and 180W Samba models.
“On the existing truss mounted below the ceiling, we have installed 22 CETRA F100, 100W, 3200K Fresnel luminaires, equipped with 100W COB LEDs at 3200K for high colour rendering and designed to illuminate the seating area below,” Frangi explained.
“For the vaulted ceiling, a difficult-to-light area due to its uneven surface, we used 12 SAMBA 180W, RGBW asymmetrical floodlights. Apart from delivering a beautifully well-distributed beam, these fixtures allow for great flexibility in creating the correct ambience for each event.”
The podium, which was recently also upgraded with enhanced audio and multimedia equipment, as well as the control booth at the back of the Aula Magna, had previously already been equipped with LDR products. These included six CETRA F100, 100W, 3200K Fresnel luminaires with black finish, and two ARPA 8/22, 150W, 3200K narrow-angle profile spots.
As for the wiring, the original system was retained, with new DMX cables added to connect the LED fixtures, which are all DMX-controlled. This setup allows for greater flexibility in colour management and lighting control when needed.
Feedback from the university has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly after comparative tests demonstrated the difference between the old and the new products.
“We allowed the client to test the new products alongside the older ones, and the improvement was immediately evident and appreciated. Beyond the undeniable quality of LDR’s products, the fact that we are working with an Italian company offering reliable products and fast support has been a significant advantage,” Frangi concluded.
