Text: Gaia Damiani / Damiani Communication Pictures: OPIFICIO42.IT

FAST AND EASY - ORIO AL SERIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Orio al Serio is an airport whose name is becoming increasingly well-known to both Italian and inter- national travellers. This airport bet on the “fast and easy” concept adopted by low-cost airlines and defi- nitely won the bet.

Recently the airport got a new look and also a new name – “Il Caravaggio International Airport Orio al Serio” – as a testimony to continuous growth in just a few years’ time has led it to become the fourth largest Italian airport with 7.6 million passengers, the third largest for cargo and the largest overall for courier traffic. Located in the heart of Northern , 5 km from Bergamo and 45 km from , the airport is a rapidly growing facility.

The remarkable increase in passenger numbers led the management company Sacbo to make substantial investments to enhance services to passengers and hosted airlines. Investments made between 2008 and 2010 and others planned for 2012 aim not only at expanding airport facilities and widening its range of service offerings but also at enhancing overall cost- effectiveness.

DYNAMIC ATMOSPHERE AND SMART LIGHT

Initial expansion and renovation operations were carried out between 2008 and 2010. The ground floor was basically refurbished and restyled, and a new area for Extra Schengen flights was added, while the first floor was almost completely renovated. The main terminal was pushed ahead towards the aircraft taxi and parking area and a previously technical and transit area was turned into a modern boarding and shopping area.

Space allocation on the first floor is now clearly identifiable. The entire shopping area is located on the motorway side while the food and beverage and boarding areas are located on the runway side. Both areas feature full-height glass walls which, together with other interior design elements, contribute to the creation of a light and dynamic atmosphere in the terminal.

2 / 2011 • News 9 10 News • 2 / 2011 The relatively limited size of this hub allows for passengers Natural light, perspectives, harmony of materials and to be immersed in an ever-changing environment, colours, all these things coalesce to build up a space whether it is on the motorway side or the runway side. that passengers and airport personnel alike find both Architects and interior designers intended to convey the comfortable and enjoyable. Functional and intelligent image of a “fast” airport, mainly commercial, and for use of artificial light helps to reach the goal of optimised short-range passenger flights. visual comfort and a homogeneously lit environment.

As a “fil rouge”, interior designers decided to use a bar The airport is a public space with lights always on even code reproduced all over the walls in different colours, when there is enough natural light available. This is such as cyan, yellow, and green, to identify the various why it is particularly important to adopt state-of-the-art areas. The bar code speaks a universal language and technologies to optimise the use of natural light, thus represents the business model of low-cost airlines, saving energy, achieving maximum lamp life, and getting which, by adopting online reservations and check-in on the best from the entire lighting system. a large scale, changed the habits of millions of flyers for good. Helvar provided the EL-iDim DALI electronic ballasts to the luminaires for all refurbished areas; the check-in area Technological elements combine with general attention and access corridor with shops, the baggage control towards passenger comfort to create large enough but area and the departure security area. The entrance and not overwhelming spaces and essential but not spread- departure area roofing and the entire first floor are also out facilities, thanks to the wood flooring, the colours equipped with fluorescent light sources. The Lighting of the walls, and the perfect mix of artificial and natural Control System includes several light sensors and Helvar light that provide a feeling of constant motion. Special 910 DIGIDIM Routers to adjust lighting based on the attention was paid to the replacement of lighting fixtures natural light available in the relevant areas. and upgrading of the entire lighting system. The upgrade goal was achieved with Helvar lighting control system The Helvar Router network allows Sacbo engineers to that allows energy saving, centralized control, continuous maintain centralized lighting control from the control monitoring and full scalability for any future needs. room using Helvar’s Designer software. Engineers can supervise the operation of different groups of the system, FUNCTIONAL AND SMART LIGHT effectively plan maintenance rounds, and proactively respond in case of faults. The lighting system can also Orio al Serio is an airport with a view towards the future. be integrated into the third party Building Management The choice of innovation, technology and energy savings Systems. The flexibility of Helvar’s system architecture is a consistent confirmation of such an approach. To the enables just simple re-programming when lighting same extent that the onset of digital era changed the requirements for specific areas change; no re-wiring very concept of travelling, technology deeply changed is needed. As further expansion works are already and enhanced lighting: The building gets smart, and planned, this scalable lighting system allows new areas capable of responding to today’s as well as tomorrow’s to be attached into the existing ones. requirements.

SYSTEM FACTS

9 x 910 DIGIDIM Routers 9 x 942 DIGIDIM Input Units 8 x 312 DIGIDIM Multisensors 6 x 498 DIGIDIM 8-channel Relay Units 16 x 472 DIGIDIM 1-10V / DSI Converter EL-iDim digital DALI ballasts

2 / 2011 • News 11