ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING SOLUTION IMPROVES SECURITY AND WELL-BEING FOR PASSENGERS IN
Brussels Metro Station
As part of the city of Brussel’s mobility plan, Aumale metro station in Brussels and its surrounding areas have been renovated to improve the customer experience by increasing accessibility, improving safety and enhancing facilities for all passengers.
Two new lifts providing access to the ground level for passengers with reduced mobility have been installed while a new 100% LED scheme lighting has transformed the entire metro station.
The old lighting system, which had been installed in 1982, was no longer providing the required lighting levels (200 lux), resulting in areas of the station being badly lit with a high feeling of insecurity.
Schréder proposed a high efficiency lighting upgrade with the Astral LED which has increased the lighting levels from 150 to 300 lux while reducing the energy consumption by 50% (from 28kWh to 14kWh per luminaire) and CO2 emissions by nearly 20 tonnes per year.
The luminaires are fitted with a dimming system that reduces the lighting levels to 70 lux when the station is not being used, increasing the energy savings further. The LED lighting scheme has also dramatically cut maintenance costs as the lamps for the old luminaires had to be replaced every 2 years.
The Astral LED also integrates the station’s loudspeaker system and surveillance cameras, offering a more practical solution and aesthetically appealing environment. An added benefit of the improved light quality is that the security cameras are able to pick up better images, reinforcing the perception of safety.
Passengers are delighted as they have a more welcoming and convivial space while waiting for the metro and can move around with great comfort.
As part of this initiative, the areas surrounding the metro station, Vander Bruggen Square and the esplanade of Avenue de l’Eternité, were also refurbished to improve accessibility and create more secure and engaging urban spaces.
The configuration of Vander Bruggen Square has been changed from a 5 point layout which created dangerous situations for both pedestrians and vehicles to provide a continuous pedestrian pathway to the metro entrance.
Trees have been planted and street furniture was installed. Schréder in collaboration with the designer Lucile Soufflet, provided the new chairs which not only provide functional seating but create a unique visual identity for the area with their quirky design.
With this original conception, Lucile Soufflet wanted to create a playful atmosphere which would also make people think about how we meet, how we share, how we are different and yet how we live together. Every seat is identical but distinct at the same time.
A total of 54 chairs with different sizes, some scattered randomly, others attached in a row, brighten up this landscape, offering relaxation for weary travellers and local residents.
At the inauguration on 11th February, the Minister for Mobility, Brigitte Grouwels explained “The objective of these works was to improve mobility for pedestrians and people with reduced mobility. Aumale Station is now accessible for all. The neighbouring square has also become a real urban area dedicated to the local residents.”
Schréder is delighted to have contributed to the success of transforming this metro station, the first in Belgium to be lit completely by LEDs, into a transportation hub with a strong sense of safety and well-being within a very short and challenging time frame.
