BCC Berlin Congress Center
Project Overview
- LocationBerlin, Germany
- PartnerVisionTwo
- InstallerPIK GmbH
Constructed between 1961 and 1964 as part of the iconic House of the Teacher complex, the BCC Berlin Congress Center remains one of the city’s most distinctive event venues.
At the heart of the building sits the domed hall, where hundreds of ceiling-mounted luminaires, perimeter wall fixtures and stage lighting elements combine to create a signature visual identity. Any replacement system would need to faithfully recreate the warm dimming characteristics and dynamic lighting effects that audiences had come to expect.
With a busy events schedule continuing throughout the project, the installation also had to be completed within a strict three-week programme without disrupting venue operations.
Products Used
Drive Hub
Revolutionary, high-capacity centralised drive system configured precisely to this space.
Puppis
1K E27 and 2K Fade-to-Warm variants adopted across the dome and existing wall lights. Unrivalled dimming quality and colour shift.
Sirius
Dynamic, high output colour across the stage area.
Break Out Boxes (BOB)
BOB-E Integrating Drive Hub with the venue’s emergency power infrastructure.
Solutions Provided
BCC Berlin Congress Center
Preserving an iconic lighting experience with a future-ready infrastructure
The domed hall of the BCC Berlin Congress Center is one of the most recognisable event spaces in Berlin. Defined by its distinctive ceiling lighting, illuminated wall features and dynamic lighting sequences, the venue’s lighting has been an integral part of the visitor experience for decades.
Modernising the lighting was about far more than replacing luminaires. Any new solution would need to faithfully recreate the warm glow, smooth dimming and dynamic lighting sequences that have defined the domed hall for decades.
Working with VisionTwo and PIK GmbH, GDS helped develop a solution that respected the building’s architectural heritage while delivering the performance, flexibility and reliability required of a modern event venue.
A bespoke approach
The scale of the project was significant, with almost 650 luminaires replaced throughout the domed hall.
A key consideration was long-term maintenance. Rather than locating drivers within the difficult-to-access ceiling void, GDS implemented a centralised Drive Hub architecture, relocating critical system components to accessible service areas. This approach simplifies maintenance, improves diagnostics, and provides enhanced system monitoring while significantly reducing ongoing operational costs.
The new installation combines GDS Puppis fade-to-warm luminaires within the dome, customised solutions for the existing wall lighting infrastructure and Sirius luminaires within the stage area. Together, the system recreates the warm halogen aesthetic of the original installation while providing the benefits of modern LED technology.
Delivering seamless performance
One of the project’s greatest challenges was ensuring that more than 650 individually controlled luminaires behaved as a single, unified lighting system.
The existing dome light show features everything from subtle fades to complex chase sequences, all of which needed to be reproduced precisely. Through a combination of DMX control, IPM technology and carefully engineered system integration, the upgraded installation delivers smooth, synchronised performance across the entire venue with no visible delays or inconsistencies.
Extensive testing and custom engineering ensured that existing architectural features, diffusers and mounting locations could be retained while preserving the familiar visual appearance of the space.
Future-ready lighting for a historic venue
The completed installation delivers a substantial improvement in efficiency and maintainability while preserving the character that makes the domed hall unique.
Energy consumption has been reduced by up to 80% compared with the previous halogen installation, while illuminance levels have increased and ongoing maintenance requirements have been significantly reduced.
For visitors, the experience remains unchanged. For the venue, the benefits are substantial. Lower energy consumption, simplified maintenance and a lighting infrastructure ready to support the venue for years to come.
