Philips and the Hermitage team up again

Spatial design

The design of the exhibition lighting at the world's largest museum, the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg Russia will undergo an energy efficient makeover courtesy of Philips.

By Editor Design.nl / 25-03-2009

Royal Philips Electronics and the State Hermitage signed an agreement under which Philips will provide two major sites of the Hermitage in Saint-Petersburg, Russia with innovative energy-efficient lighting solutions.

The joint project by the Hermitage and Philips aims to show that modern energy-saving technologies can be embedded into a historical site to update its look and reduce energy costs by 55% while providing the opportunity to showcase the exhibits at their best.

The energy-saving lighting solutions will be mounted on two of the Hermitage’s museum sites – the Menshikov Palace and the Carriage Yard. In line with the outcomes of the energy-audit undertaken by the Hermitage, Philips has been mandated to replace the current lamps in the Menshikov Palace with Philips energy-efficient lamps, and will install LED technology in the Carriage Yard. The lighting renovation project on both sites is expected to be finished by the end of 2009. Through freeing up money with energy efficient lighting, the museum will be able to reinvest the savings into maintenance of the collection.

The first cooperation between the Hermitage and Philips dates back to 1898. More than a century ago, Philips supplied 50,000 carbon-filament bulbs that lit up the entire Winter Palace which was the major residence of Russian emperors at that time. That particular contract in Russia marked the first business endeavour for Philips outside of its home market in The Netherlands, helping to launch the company on an international scale. Philips is also one of the two main sponsors of the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam.

Image: Menshikov Palace