Shining seating cubes at Munich Airport

The four main exits of the new Terminal 2 of Franz Josef Strauss Airport in Munich ­feature seating cubes made of Lucem light-transmitting concrete that invite passengers to have a break. These cubes consist of 60 × 60 cm, 2 cm thick backlit light-transmitting concrete panels whose corners are miter-cut and glued together using an epoxy adhesive. This glued structure is self-supporting and features wooden seating boards on top.

Lucem light-transmitting concrete guides the light emitted by a natural or artificial source through thousands of fine light-conducting fibers embedded in the concrete, irrespective of the thickness of the element. Each of the seating cubes installed at Munich Airport includes an energy-efficient LED light source inside.

Lucem light-transmitting concrete is weather- and UV-resistant, resistant to abrasion and non-combustible. This material is thus the perfect choice for applications of this type. At nightfall, the light-transmitting concrete cubes begin to shine from inside. This effect is due to the light-conducting fibers embedded in the concrete. When the light is switched off, the cubes are perceived as solid concrete blocks whose surface resembles that of high-quality, polished natural stone. Lucem light-transmitting concrete blocks not only add aesthetic appeal to the exterior waiting areas of the airport but also act as guiding lights during the night since they are already visible from a distance.