KSCAPE RAIL at the heart of linear lighting design for extensive town hall renovations. In the charming heart of Kempten, one of Germany’s oldest towns, the historic Kornhaus building stands as a testament to Kempten’s rich heritage, with its origins tracing back to around 1700. Once a granary, later a museum and venue, the building recently underwent a significant renovation across six floors to transform it into a modern cultural and event hub for Kempten. At the centre of this ambitious transformation was a design challenge familiar to anyone working with technology in a historic environment: how to integrate modern lighting and sound technology without compromising the building's timeless character. KSCAPE’s RAIL integrated lighting and audio system proved to be an ideal solution.
A project rooted in preservation
In collaboration with stakeholders, including integrators Zeiler Technik and distributors Medialantic and Musik Lenz, ABT Elektroplanung, played a central role in the Kornhaus renovation. As the project evolved, Ulf Klüpfel of ABT Elektroplanung took on the role of consultant, overseeing the design and integration of stage, lighting and audio technologies across the Kornhaus.
“The city of Kempten wanted the Kornhaus to be technically state-of-the-art, whilst remaining visually true to its history,” Klüpfel explains. “We were researching lighting and sound solutions that could work in this context.” With its vaulted ceilings, historic columns and architectural symmetry, the ground floor presented a challenge in terms of defining different zones and integrating AV technology that respected these surroundings. The space is open-plan, but serves multiple functions: a throughway foyer, a bar and catering area and an exhibition or museum zone. Designing for all of these use cases required flexibility, both in lighting behaviour and sound distribution.
One vision, one solution
The turning point came during planning for the ground floor’s lighting design. The architect envisioned a long, linear lighting axis running cleanly through the space, accentuating the geometry of the historic vaults and drawing visitors further into the space from the entrance. But this vision also raised another question: how to evenly distribute high-quality audio without visually disrupting the architecture and interior design. Mounting traditional loudspeakers on the walls was not an option.
“We were familiar with K-array products, as we were already considering their loudspeakers for other spaces in Kornhaus,” says Klüpfel. “We then discovered KSCAPE RAIL, and the concept came together. A combined lighting and audio system, discreet and linear, capable of blending into the architecture and the interior design vision.”
After testing and prototyping, the team committed to integrating KSCAPE RAIL 48V throughout the ground floor. The modular solution, delivering both high-performance linear lighting and directional audio, allowed the team to focus the installation scope, reduce infrastructure complexity and meet both aesthetic and functional goals in a single elegant stroke.
Attention to detail and technical innovation
The final installation includes a total of 138 RAIL modules, half with integrated audio and half with direct-diffuse and indirect RGBW lighting only. Each contributes to continuous, uninterrupted parallel lines of light that run through the space. The RAIL elements with audio provide consistent coverage along the main thoroughfares and event spaces.
Above the bar and in the exhibition zone, RAIL elements with track systems include KSCAPE projector spotlights that can be adjusted to highlight artwork or displays. The rest of the zones employ diffuse direct and indirect lighting, all controlled via a DALI protocol, allowing exhibition curators or staff to easily reconfigure lighting for different uses, via faders linked to specific spotlights on the lighting desk, or with building-wide visualisation thanks to KNX integration. Exhibiting artists can even configure their own exhibition lighting to enhance their artworks. Behind the sleek finish, however, was a backbone of extensive technical innovation and engineering. The original 24V system was insufficient for the 30-metre-long continuous lines of lighting needed in the Kornhaus and the cabling constraints posed by the Kornhaus’s heritage architecture. The team worked closely with KSCAPE to develop the 48V RAIL variant, which could handle the demands without introducing excess cabling.
“To bring the vision to life, lots of careful integration was required, such as bespoke adapter plates, mounting hardware and adjustable suspension systems, developed by Zeiler Technik,” explains Klüpfel. “These extra details helped us to ensure the end result looks clean and contemporary, despite the building’s irregular surfaces.” Matching LED luminaires mounted to pillars were also custom-made using KSCAPE lighting modules to ensure complete consistency and uniform control across all visible lighting.
The attention to detail extended to the sound design, and K-array products were chosen for their discreet appearance and versatile yet high-quality audio performance. Seven K-array Rumble-KU210 subwoofers complement the audio-enabled RAIL modules. On the first floor, the Small Kornhaus Hall features a four-point configuration of K-array Kobra-KK102 loudspeakers, mounted in each corner of the room, and Rumble subwoofers hidden beneath window alcoves. This system is designed to function both as a subtle background sound system utilising all loudspeakers, or as a directionally variable PA system using two loudspeakers, creating an event space equally suited for background music or presentations.
In the large foyer situated between halls, four K-array Kobra-KK52 loudspeakers were installed in the room’s corners, each supported by a KGEAR GC8S in-ceiling subwoofer for low-frequency reinforcement. The northern foyer of the small hall has been equipped with a further two K-array KK52 loudspeakers in combination with two Rumble-KU44 subwoofers.
Crafting atmosphere with functionality
The result is a comprehensive sound and light ecosystem that can shift seamlessly between functions, from cultural exhibitions to receptions and public gatherings. The RAIL system’s indirect RGBW lighting accentuates the vaulted walls, whilst subtle lighting cues and flexible spotlighting work to maximise the atmosphere and define the different use cases of each zone. The audio quality, tuned with support from K-array, surpasses expectations, providing consistent, high-fidelity coverage without visual clutter.
“What we’ve achieved is technically complex, but the experience is simple and intuitive,” confirms Klüpfel. “For everyday use, the staff don’t need a technician to set up lighting or audio for an event. It’s all preconfigured, flexible and reliable.”
The Kempten Kornhaus installation represents a collaborative evolution of a venue-wide solution. The 48V RAIL variant, co-developed with the KSCAPE team, provides the aesthetics and dual functionality that this landmark project demanded. “The set objectives have been realised with outstanding success,” concludes Klüpfel. “The historic ambience is now effectively highlighted through a technically elegant and unobtrusive solution, and the client is very happy with the result.”
