St. Marien-Hospital, Cologne, Germany

Recreation Room
Corridor with VANERA
Corridor with VANERA
Corridor with ViVAA
Patient Room


The geriatric ward at the St. Marien-Hospital is located in the centre of Cologne. The new geriatric centre, led by Prof. Dr. Ralf-Joachim Schulz MD, launched a case study in October 2015 which included 102 beds from the geriatric medicine clinic, 43 beds from the geriatric rehabilitation clinic and 20 beds from the geriatric day-care clinic. This study is based on a concept by the Kaiser-Schweizer architects. Biologically effective light and a special combination of colour and material are the core elements of the new concept for the rooms. They pave the way for investigating new approaches to improving holistic treatment and rehabilitation. The aim is to engage the patient but also to facilitate well-being, safety and orientation. The lighting concept is based on the lighting management system VISUAL TIMING LIGHT (VTL), which has been successfully used by the company Waldmann for more than 10 years to care for the elderly. The colour design of the different areas was developed by design experts from Caparol.

The room lights ViVAA VTL and VANERA VTL provide the corridors and lounge areas with biologically effective light. The cold tone light starts a gentle activation function from as early as 6 AM, reaching its “radiant” zenith by morning. The cold and warm tone lights are dimmed during this time at 100% power.


The result is that patients who are being transported through the corridors or who are in the activity spaces or living areas engage with the natural light. From midday onwards natural illumination levels gradually decrease again and the amount of warm tone light increases so that the elderly patients are gently prepared for the night. There is an emergency switch in all areas which provides full lighting at the press of a button.

The patients’ rooms have also been equipped with biologically effective light. The AMADEA bedside lamp doesn’t just have a timing light, but also includes additional features such as a study light, reading light and night light.

In addition to the AMADEA bedside lamp, two of the patients’ rooms were fitted with LED recessed luminaires in the ceiling above the bed. The aim is to use specific light exposure in the therapeutic domain to achieve a range of effects in patients and to observe whether depression, insomnia and other side effects which are caused by lack of light can be treated more effectively in this kind of environment.


Lighting solution: