References

Orangery Garden, Melk Abbey

UNESCO World Heritage on the banks of the Donau

The 300-year-old Benedictine Abbey of Melk, roughly 80 kilometres to the west of Vienna, is considered the most emblematic Baroque building in Austria.

Since 2000, this landmark of Wachau’s cultural landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage site, averaging more than 500,000 visitors per year. Visitors reach the picturesque monastery on the banks of the Donau by passing through a representative orangery garden, now illuminated with BEGA light after a full renovation.

The Melk-based architecture firm “land.schafft” was responsible for the lighting design in the orangery garden, while Vienna-based architect Christian Wöhrer designed the barrier-free access. When approaching the main stairway leading down to the garden, visitors encounter BEGA luminaires for the first time. Here, BEGA recessed wall luminaires safely guide the way. Embedded into the side walls, they cast their glare-free light onto the staircase area from a low mounting height with asymmetrical light distribution. BEGA bollards are positioned at the end of the stairs. With their light directed downwards on one side, they provide glare-free emphasis of the cobblestones on the path leading to the entrance gate of the garden, which are arranged in circles. Visually, they are clearly similar to the recessed wall luminaires and ensure a harmonious overall appearance as a result. The entire path is accented by BEGA in-ground luminaires with symmetrical narrow beam light distribution.

After the visitors have stepped through the entrance gate, they are greeted by the impressive orangery garden laid out in precise geometrical shapes. In the centre of the garden, directly in front of the “Melk Abbey Restaurant”, there is a fountain as a special water feature. BEGA underwater floodlights emphasize the constant movement of the water.

The same BEGA recessed wall luminaires that are used in the barrier-free access also guide the way throughout the entire orangery garden. But here they feature a custom design: Instead of walls, the luminaires in the garden are embedded in benches that line the path and alternate with wood-lined plots for ornamental plants and citrus trees.


Lighting design orangery garden: Büro land.schafft ©, Melk (Dr. Alfred Benesch)

Lighting design barrier-free access: Arch. Dipl.-Ing. Christian Wöhrer, Vienna