FIZZZ Magazine For The Gastronomy Scene

"Light is like a good host" 

Prior to about 15 years he discovered the festoon lamps newly, those small light tubes along with a completely normal string of Wolfram, which emit very beautiful, warm light and become along with opposite connections very flexibly usable. He stretched them respectively in between two feathers and hung many, many by them in a frame, which is differently modelled all the time, completed them by way of meaningfully placed halogen emitter and built from it objects or itself winding light bands, which can be fitted individually in the ambience and care for much atmosphere. "Flight" calls Haagen these light bands from aluminium and festoon lamps. He explains 'Flight' is an abbreviated name for a formal principle in matters light, which is for me a Credo: Flexible Light namely. Along with in such a manner a light system can set one marks, frames of mind create and paint even. Just now because the festoon lamps can work freed, inasmuch as they hang in between two connections along with tense feathers, instead of firmly clamped to be, a certain static emerges, which makes possible the fashioner as well as the gastronomer maximum freedoms at the employment of this light. At in such a manner many small lamps wonders the pragmatist under the gastronomer of course at once, how often one must shut off the system, around annealed to change lamps. At electric light bulbs one would do himself more easily. "That deceives", replies Haagen. "During a bulb solely a service life of about 1500 hours has and halogens one by about 4500 hours, can leave one tuned in these festoon lamps about a year long continuously. That corresponds to approximately a service life of 15. 000 operating hours. Them " Flight "-light belt sells off Haagens literally at the meter in different completions. About 180,- - EUR costs a meter. Opposite number other light systems Flight has the advantage, which can any time to be used again and can be adjusted individually at new realities.

Flexible Light Systems and
in shape Highlights

One can wind, completely again arrange it differently, hangs up, to shorten or extend. The festoons are besides in seven different colours available. Haagen installs "Flight" usually in such a way that he inserts additional halogen emitters at strategically important points of the tape, in order to strengthen the action of light here. The very white utilizable light halogen, with which high current flows, works usually very brightly and coolly, why Haagen uses it as directly as possible. It uses thereby excluding emitters of the company BLV, which do not sandblast to the rear and which relatively bundled light cones keep. Haagen uses the festoons for example also in the case of its new "bond Light" technique, which slackly functioned and dead surfaces into arranged light surfaces transforms. From aluminum composite slabs (4 and 5 mm or 15 cm thickly) non-standard samples are punched out. Into the gaps at will power consumer lets itself sources of light and small engines, which can enrich the whole then even with moved objects be begun, i.e. both. That one can understand oneself wonderful as terminator point of a schlauchfoermigen space. One could build an illuminated bar from the disks perhaps even and much other more. Haagen builds from it also plastic, three-dimensional objects, for example as it six square bond Light disks to a cube assembles, it float lets and in motion versetzt. that the light designer also on this new system a patent announced, understands themselves automatically.

Particularly in the catering trade would be more interesting for it a series as self-willed application type conceivable. The catering trade, the restaurant as public space, completely particularly provokes Haagen with its work. Like that scene restaurant "Café Frechdax" is its object "light view" in use, in the restaurant "Dimberger bell" in Dortmund the system "Flight", the object "turn UP" as well as a series of unique objects, in the "Café Alex" its "light wave" or in the "Café black" the "light sword", some wall lamps as well as the object "drop in blue".

The Gastronomy is no
Lamp and Light Trader

More to arrange, Haagen the integration interests than individual lights into the entire conception of an object. Therefore an agency worries in the meantime about marketing and the production of its inventions and creations, so that it can concentrate on the development of its light Design. Co-operation with the innovative Dortmunder architect's office "concept factory" becomes ever more intensive, on whose account already also the complex configuration of the " Louisiana " goes into Dortmund, which they garnished for approximately DM 2 millions changes and arrange with pieces of original worth seeing from the old south. At present they operate together with Thomas Haagen on an architecturally very interesting like complex object, the new center for Turkey studies in meal, which promises exciting new eyecatchers in a monument-protected old building. Particularly the catering trade " Mongo's ", a Mongolian scene restaurant, which is integrated likewise here, challenges Haagen to new ideas. Thus he will install here a light system, which works like a sun symbol around an old column. Unikate, like its torch/flare lights from 6000 of years old moorland oak set further archaic accents.

Light intends the atmosphere of a restaurant for it. " nothing knows guests more abbott urns than falsely used light ", explains it. " not even a bad service. " Most errors, it in the catering trade - light-strategically seen - discovered, concern lights, which dazzle. If one sits at that bar or with the intimate Dinner at a small small table and one looks the whole evening directly into the halogen pin of the source of light inside, then do not use even a dimmer any longer much. Also Haagen often observed that neon advertisements are used, which are gladly taken as free light and simply only into a wall outlet to be put to have. " mostly however ", then he says, " bloomings her the entire atmosphere. At all one wants often much too much, does not set light accents not directed to enough. " Therefore give it in many restaurants simply much too many focuses, which worked very jerkily. " few is sometimes more. Many restaurants are easily overloaded with light. One comes for example into the Dortmunder ' Alex ' believes one at first sight, one is in a light specialized trade. "

Light should be, where one also really needs it, on the cocktail for example, which the Barkeeper the guest puts. That can be done also without much expenditure. Thus e.g. the " Cucaracha " installed old airplane headlights of general Electrics, which is to be found still relatively far common and easy in Dortmund over the bar Downlights. " those are therefore so ingenious ", explain Haagen, " because one from many light curtains correct of them to produce can. Because no other emitter has a so small reflected beam angle. The light cone is extremely small with reflected beam angle of only 7° degree here and hardly extends also if the emitter is attached under a high cover quite above. Thus one can set direct light spots. " One can achieve similar effects also with halogen light. But the smallest reflected beam angle is there with 12° degree and the light is not so strong already.

Sensitive Leading of the Guests:
Interactive Light inside the Gastronomy

The more Thomas Haagen over the light organization in the catering trade thinks, the fewer pleases it him, that is coined/shaped almost everywhere the atmosphere by an employee, that the light -, which switches other one off, which it dimmt, if it believes that it is the correct point in time. " that is much too arbitrarily, too coincidental. I would require myself that the light atmosphere is made much more strongly dependent on the feeling of the guest and the tendency in the restaurant. Away of the fact that an employee worries about it. To a strategic planning of the light effects and a flexible system, which direct the atmosphere in the restaurant like an orchestra. " Its glossary word already 1998: Interactive light. But it co-operates at present even with a computer expert and develops lighting installations with sensors to outside conditions automatically adapts. " then the light becomes somewhat more brightly, as soon as the noise level in the restaurant rises and more absorbed, if it is calm. It becomes more bluish and cool, as soon as it is outside sunny and warm and more reddish and more warmly, if it is outside cool and rainy. " Thus there is a set of conditions, to which one could couple such a sensitives light system - dependent always also on the concept of the restaurant. " in bar with club for example, one could lead the light wavelike toward dancefloor, as soon as the Beat goes off there. " Thomas Haagens ideas are inexhaustible. " Each guest is finally uncertain, if he enters, means for the first time a restaurant ". " It needs someone, which takes and unobstrusively leads it to the hand. The light fulfills thereby a decent duck host role. It unites humans, goes carefully toward it and refers it sensitively in the happening. Light lets the guests radiate. "

Annette König in October 1998

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