Thorn future-proofs the lighting at the OPEL ARENA in Mainz

The challenge

In order to comply with the new camera lighting stipulations of the German Football League (DFL) for the season 2019/2020, 1. FSV Mainz 05 needed to update the floodlight system at its home field, the OPEL ARENA. The club opted for a state-of-the-art solution that would also fulfil the UEFA Level A stadium lighting requirements. Thorn offered to manage the entire project as a turnkey service and was granted the contract, which was signed in June 2019. The challenge involved designing and implementing a lighting solution in time for the start of the new Bundesliga season – one that would serve the club well into the future.

Jens Lohse, Sales Office Manager Frankfurt summed it up as follows: “Of course, we had done a number of other stadium lighting installations, particularly at large venues, but the timeline was pretty tight. You have to figure that every facility basically requires a custom-fit solution. Still, we were confident that we could design a concept that would fulfil the customer’s expectations and complete everything on time.”

The lighting solution

UEFA Level A lighting requirements call for illuminance levels greater than1,500 lux horizontal and greater than 1,250 lux vertical. Lighting guidelines for high cameras specified by the DFL require levels of 1,600 lux and more. To adequately fulfil both, Thorn experts came up with a lighting concept that more than achieved the necessary illuminance requirements. It turned out that even UEFA Elite Level A requirements were reached. 220 high-powered Altis floodlights were used to replace the previous installation. In addition to ensuring flicker-free operation for HDTV broadcasting, the high-quality colour rendering (CRI 86, TLCI > 80) of the 5700K LED modules is ideally suited for camera images, including super slow-motion. To enhance the overall brightness of the stand and to replace the emergency lighting, 163 Aquaforce Pro moisture-proof and dust-resistant luminaires were also installed.

Real-time control functions for the floodlight system are handled by DMX using the stadium network as a backbone, which also enables dynamic lighting effects. Control of the Aquaforce stand lighting system, on the other hand, is based on DALI. It is integrated with the floodlight control system as a sub-control network via DALI gateways and allows control of dimming and switching functions.

What’s more, Thorn managed the entire project – from the concept and planning to the installation, the controls, system programming and commissioning – as a single-source contractor.

“We opted to take advantage of Zumtobel Group’s turnkey service,” according to Stephan Bandholz, 1. FSV Mainz 05 Deputy Director Organization / Head of Security, “and we’re glad that we did. They coordinated everything and made certain that the project was conducted smoothly, efficiently, cost-effectively and on time.”

The result

The new installation is a “top club solution” in many respects. It more than satisfies the DFL illuminance requirements. Thorn finished the entire installation well on time and to the complete satisfaction of the customer.

“Although it was the first project that we undertook together with the Zumtobel Group, the cooperation was very smooth,” as Stephan Bandholz, 1. FSV Mainz 05 Deputy Director Organization / Head of Security, summed it up. “Signed the contract in June and switched on our new light installation in August. We’re very pleased with the result.”

For Thorn, the OPEL ARENA in Mainz provided excellent opportunity to once again demonstrate its stadium lighting experience and capabilities – as it already had at venues like the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, the stadium Estadio Alberto Jacinto Armando – usually called “La Bombonera” in Buenos Aires, Argentina and others. New projects are already planned.

WATCH THE VIDEO