Spotlight News
Page: 1
City of Lyon - still a leading light
Posted December 2009
From December 5th to 8th the City of Lyon lived up to its name as the original and premier city of light, with the staging of its Fête des Lumières, or Festival of Lights. This event has built on the region’s reputation over the past ten years and spawned numerous other urban lighting spectacles around the world.
This year the Festival of Lights has maintained its core spirit according to the Senator-Mayor of Lyon and President of Greater Lyon, Gérard Collomb.
“The Festival of Light makes the City of Lyon a great European metropolis, one that is creative, innovative, friendly and attractive.
“This new edition illustrates our ambition to create a beautiful city where everyone enjoys life, a city very much open to the future and to the world,” he said.
A free event, the Festival of Lights, attracted millions of visitors and participating artists from around the world.
For the first time, the main façade of Notre-Dame de Fourvière was transformed by different light paintings that followed the music of the basilica’s exceptional 23-bell carillon, designed by Les Orpailleurs de lumiere, Jean-Luc Hervé.
This scenography, which evoked four periods in the history of painting (neoclassical, cubist, abstract and contemporary), was a unique occasion to appreciate the wealth of this emblematic building.
Notre-Dame de Fourvière was one of more than 70 sites around the city featuring light works from sculptural pieces, to interactive illuminations and facade/building light treatments.
The story to the Festival is closely tied to the religion in Lyon. In 1850, church leaders launched a competition for a statue to be realised as a religious symbol at the top of the Fourvière Hill. One year later Lyonnais sculptor Fabisch won the competition, and on the date of the inauguration of his work, residents of Lyon added light to the facades of their residences with candles.
As the story goes, within a short space of time the city was illuminated and a large part of the populace went into the streets to celebrate, full of joy and moved by the strength and spontaneity of the community feeling.
From that year on, each year on December 8th, the Lyonnais place small candles in their windows and head into the streets to enjoy the atmosphere.
Today, lighting in Lyon is a given: every stroller who walks through the city at night will note how lighting has become an essential architectural component, one that reveals the city’s treasures without denaturing them.
The Lighting Plan and the skills of local experts have made Lyon a major centre of light design and urban lighting, whether temporary or long-term.
With its first Lighting Plan created in 1989, the city has had nearly 20 years to refine its approach especially through a second Plan completed in 2004.
It was also the birthplace of LUCI (Lighting Urban Community International) in 2002. Lyon presides over this worldwide network, which brings together cities like Turin, Glasgow, Liège, Montreal, Shanghai and Jericho.
As a communication forum for municipalities and urban lighting professionals, this association has as its goal to create and promote urban lighting through an exchange of information and experience.
Its credo is that “Light brings to life the history of great cities in the eyes of the world.”
The association has an international approach and contributes to making light a major instrument for city life, architecture and planning.
Today, LUCI counts over sixty members throughout the world and organises events around the globe.
Images
Top: The main facade of Notre-Dame de Fourvière was transformed by different light paintings
Middle: Place Louis-Pradel became a botanical garden with surprising plants made of light and metal
Bottom: Rue de la République dons a festive costume - a multitude of luminous coloured ribbons illuminate the night-time promenade
Professional Lighting Design Convention: Berlin (part two)
Posted December 2009
By Paul Beale*
To read the first part of this report click here
The convention of the Professional Lighting Designers Association, the PLDC, was held in the German capital of Berlin from October 29-31.
The biannual event was organised by VIA publishing the PLDC is part of the Association’s strategy towards gaining legal recognition of the profession at European governmental level.
The PLDC comprised a series of presentations from leading designers and firms from around the world. Themes included the physiological and psychological effects of light, case studies of cutting edge projects, professional practice and a strong series of papers on sustainability and daylighting.
The quality of papers was high as was the ensuing debate and discussion amongst audience members who were especially appreciative of the comprehensive coverage of daylighting and sustainable design.
What follows are some of the highlights of the PLDC program.
Professional practice issues
As part of this conference stream, Stefan Graf (Illuminart, USA) presented new research that reveals the dramatic impact that lighting has on people and how the long-term economic benefits of good lighting designs are an important factor for project owners. He discussed the importance of a well-worded specification which dissuades the ‘off-speccing’ of one product for another.
Graf discussed the use of titles by those within the lighting industry and the potential for confusion both within and outside of the industry. He asked, ‘does anyone that makes lighting design decisions on a project have the right to call themselves a lighting designer?’
Those who offer a ‘design service’ for free as part of a sales effort for lighting projects should not be considered in the same way as independent practicing lighting design consultants, said Graf. To argue the contrary would demonstrate either an ‘old-school’ understanding of what lighting design is (Lux calculations based on code); or is just unethical and misleading.
Also included in this stream was a well-received presentation from Australian lighting designer, Emrah Baki Ulas (Steensen Varming, Australia), about the countdown to singularity; a review of the big picture of the near future of lighting design considering theories which offer opposing projections for the coming few decades. In it, he discussed the survival of artistic creativity in the lighting design profession in the context of rapidly developing lighting technologies.
Lighting application case studies
It can be humbling as a designer to hear your peers talk about their work. It was also inspiring to hear some of the world’s best designers talk about their trade.
Ulrike Brandi (Ulrike Brandi Licht, Germany) talked about the importance of lighting masterplanning; finding the place for a lighting design solution that sits somewhere between aesthetic, ecological and economic considerations.
Brandi presented the masterplan for the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Rotterdam is one of the first European cities not to produce two lighting plans - one “beautiful decorative” scheme for illuminating key buildings and a “technical, economical” scheme for streets; instead the functional and decorative schemes are one and the same. Rotterdam’s new masterplan aims to set a new standard for high colour rendering, low glare lighting in the public realm.
Another of the conference’s stand-out papers was delivered by Jonathan Speirs, Mark Major and Keith Bradshaw (Speirs and Major, UK) in a double-session master class about the lighting of St Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The projects are separated by religious faith, symbolic layout, history and distance but connected through their dignified use of light.
In both projects the interior is lit via a series of layers revealing architecture and internal finishes, all controlled by sophisticated systems which allow for operational flexibility.
The external lighting to the grand mosque was perhaps the most impressive of all. It is lit with a series of metal halide fixtures housed in a series of totems that use gobos and colour filters to project moonlit shadows of silhouetted clouds across the domes. This created a symbolic connection between the building and the sky the light changes colour, subtly shifting each day - bluer and darker as the moon wanes so that at the point of a new moon the building is in its deepest state of blue.
In all, the PLDC comprised more than 70 papers presented in four streams over three days. The conference was well organised and the attendance was high, such that it was difficult to see some of the exhibitors which formed part of the adjoining trade show. The conference showed that lighting design is very much alive and kicking in Europe and there was a genuine atmosphere of excitement throughout the event.
A conference specifically on daylighting has been announced by PLDA/VIA for 2010 and the PLDC returns in 2011.
* Paul Beale is the managing director of Electrolight, a lighting design consultancy with offices in Melbourne and Sydney.
To read the first part of this report click here
Jyväskylä claims first prize in city.people.light awards
Posted December 2009
The city of Jyväskylä in Finland has been awarded the first prize in the 2009 city.people.light awards, the annual competition organised by Philips and the Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI) to reward projects which demonstrate the contribution lighting can make to the well-being of those who live, work or visit a city or town.
At a ceremony in Gwangju, South Korea, Kari Ström and Pauli Partanen, representing Jyväskylä were presented with the 2009 city.people.light first prize, in recognition of the city’s ‘City of Light’ project. This initiative set out to position the city as a forerunner in outdoor lighting, investing in the latest lighting technology to enhance its architecture.
“We appreciated Jyväskylä’s great involvement in using all the potential lighting can offer to stimulate sustainable urban development,” says Iris Dijkstra, an independent lighting designer and president of the multinational city.people.light awards jury.
“The City of Light project aims to build high-quality outdoor lighting in a purposeful fashion to highlight architectural gems, as well as to create optical guidance with light. At the same time Jyväskylä will also be able to reduce the energy consumption of its public lighting.”
The jury commented that Jyvaskyla constitutes an example of what an integrated approach of lighting can be. An approach where lighting is a major component of the city’s urban identity, and where concerns for energy efficiency, reducing light pollution and safety, build a lighting respectful of the quality of life of the city’s inhabitants. In Jyvaskyla, light is used to its full potential and the jury particularly appreciated the subtle use of lighting not only for major urban projects but also for smaller public spaces and parks where light is in direct touch with the people.
“City of Light" is a development project and long-term process which encourages investments to develop the city’s lighting system so that the correct use of light creates security, is scenically valued and takes environmental effects into consideration.
It was derived from a Lighting Master Plan (LMP) for the outdoor lighting of Jyväskylä, completed in June 2000, by Roope Siiroinen and Annukka Larsen from VALOA Oy.
The wider aim is to develop the outdoor lighting culture in Finland. The city's role is to build good lighting but also to control and assist in the implementation of lighting in building projects. The city is guiding inhabitants and professionals to build good lighting. A special architectural lighting event is organised every second autumn, with the next one taking place in 2010.
“City of Light" is a collaboration project between local businesses, building owners and the city – comprising almost 50 installations.
Images: Lutakko Park - Jyväskylä, Finland. Photographer: Mauri Mahlamäki
LightMapping: New York City
Posted December 2009
During November, the LightMapping phenomenon hit New York City. It was part of the Professional Lighting Designer’s Association’s global program which highlights the vital role that lighting designers can play in the life of cities at night.
This was the first LightMapping event to be held in North America and featured a number of high profile designers and artists who escorted tours through key areas of New York City in search of darkness as well as light.
Previous LightMapping events were held in Rome (Italy) and London (UK), both in 2008.
LightMappingNYC provided the New York City lighting design community with a forum to consider the current, past and future conditions of their urban environment at night.
Organised in partnership with Designers Lighting Forum of New York City and Illuminating Engineering Society New York Section and sponsored by iGuzzini North America, it included a tour of a significant new lighting installation, interactive group walks in the city at night, and a group discussion.
Julian Kline led a tour of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District Initiative, featuring an array of architectural lighting installations highlighting new and historic buildings.
A trail was led by Francis Milloy of Terreform from the Hudson River to Times Square. While Wayne Norbeck of Gluckman Mayner Architects took on the challenge of looking for darkness in the chaos of Times Square.
Stephen Horner of Tillett Lighting Design took a night-time walk across the Brooklyn Bridge which provided the opportunity for reflection and discussion on lighting’s contribution to the night-time-city and civic identity.
Another LightWalk Leader, Nathalie Rozot who has her own planning and design consultancy, invited participants to meet at The Bronx, New York City @ "SecondLife.com" for an exploration of the virtual lights of a virtual NYC - natural and artificial. "Second Life.com" is an online 3D virtual world that exists on the web - similar to a shared gaming environment, but it exists for social interaction and exploration.
Leni Schwendinger, Brian McGrath (urban designer) and Ute Besenecker (architectural designer) hosted an event, “Shades of Night”, which explored and documented the light changes in Manhattan around Old St Patrick’s Cathedral throughout the night. The team leaders and a group of students were on site from dusk to dawn.
Lightwalk leader, Leni Schwendinger has also created a short video, NIGHT CITY, inspired by the Professional Lighting Designer Association’s “Lightmapping” events. View the video here
Upcoming LightMapping events are planned for Istanbul (Turkey), Singapore, Sydney (Australia) and further North American cities.
Leni Schwendinger new energy saving luminaire is also currently on display in Bryant Park, New York, until the end of January.
With the Jewel-Light Luminaire, Schwendinger is aiming to transform outdoor lighting. Using energy saving LED technology, from Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSGC), the Jewel-Light Luminaire provides an artistic signature to enhance architecture and infrastructure while reducing costs and offering a brilliant alternative to traditionally utilitarian lighting.
“I wanted to develop a beautiful, practical, forward-thinking and sustainable solution for new and retrofit markets that translates into massive cost savings and beautification for cities,” said Schwendinger. “My design firm was able to do this with critical support from Lighting Science who developed and manufactured the luminaire.”
Exceptionally versatile and unique, the luminaire is robust enough to be used in rugged environments such as bridge lighting, post-top sidewalk lighting and other architectural exterior applications. The Jewel-Light product line is available in cool white diamond, vivid ruby red, royal amethyst purple, deep sapphire blue and lush emerald green. The Jewel-Light contains 24 LEDs that use only 28 watts of energy and has a rated life of 50,000 hours.
“We are proud to be able to offer this lighting solution to the infrastructure and architecture community,” said Zach Gibler, CEO, LSGC. “It combines the aesthetic with the functional and delivers a replacement for antiquated and utilitarian fixtures and opens up a world of new design opportunities. The Jewel-Light is a sustainable solution that provides exceptional energy savings and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”
For more information on the Jewel-Light visit: www.lightprojectsltd.com or www.lsgc.com
Images
Top: The recent LightMappingNYC provided the New York City lighting design community with a forum to consider the current, past and future conditions of their urban environment at night.
Bottom: The new energy saving luminaire Jewel-Light, by Leni Schwendinger and Lighting Science Group Corporation, is currently on display in Bryant Park, New York, until the end of January.
Focus on lighting in commercial buildings
Posted December 2009
As the debate accelerates around climate change and managing energy usage it is imperative that lighting professionals are conversant in sustainable design practices. This is particularly important in the context of lighting and building management systems for commercial buildings.
Two major lighting fairs next year will have special forums addressing developments in lighting, electrical engineering and building automation.
Light+building, being held in Frankfurt from April 11-16th, will be staging a Building Performance Congress alongside the Fair.
The congress is divided into a number of events which focus on different aspects of energy efficiency, including the IEECB Focus – Improving Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings.
LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) is launching the Building Integration Pavilion on the trade show floor, along with a parallel educational track as part of its conference programming, at the May 2010 trade show and conference in Las Vegas. One of four pavilions showcased in the exhibit hall, Building Integration addresses one of the industry’s foremost topics of interest, spotlighting companies with enterprise system technologies used to maximise and form energy-efficient buildings.
The organisers say that building integration is the natural evolution as the industry moves toward more energy-efficient structures and operations.
Additionally, Building Integration will have a presence during the LFI conference with new courses dedicated to educating attendees on energy efficiencies, optimising the overall building performance, analysis and comparisons of improving efficiencies.
To coincide with these two world-class events, Lighting Magazine will produce its first ‘green’ building supplement in the April edition of the magazine. This supplement will feature the latest policy directives and industry trends in relation to high energy efficiency rated buildings in Australia. It will also feature information on the latest technologies and schemes for more efficient use of lighting in base buildings and tenancies.
To see a mock up of the “Lighting Evolution” supplement click here
For more information contact Paula Wallace on tel: 0404 088 501 or email: paulamwallace@bigpond.com
Hospitality case studies in Lighting Magazine: December edition
Posted December 2009
The December edition of Lighting Magazine features a range of case studies of lighting for restaurants, bars and hotels – from Australia and around the world. Here’s an excerpt from the magazine:
Gold Class Cinema Lounge - Australia
Project: Greater Union Gold Class Cinema Lounge
Location: Castle Hill, NSW, Australia
Lighting Design: Point of View (POV), Sydney
Mark Elliott, Amie Schulenburg
Photography: Brent Winstone Photography
* Recipient of and Award of Commendation from the recent NSW Illuminating Engineering Society Awards
Design Note
A large ceiling bulkhead that cuts through the space related to the projection room above was a primary imposition in the space, but was treated as an opportunity rather than an impediment. POV experimented with the core material of cinema, and developed a continuous light box filled with redundant film, back-lit with 2500K LED to create gold, glowing feature, a signature proposed for future “Gold class” lounges.
To read the full story see the December edition of Lighting Magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Tongue & Groove - Australia
Project: Tongue & Groove Restaurant
Location: Civic, ACT, Australia
Lighting Design: Paul Kelly Design
Paul Kelly, Priscilla Williams, Elizabeth Wong, Matthew Fatches
Photography: Tristan Maddigan, The Mark Agency
Design Note
The concept of the space is a centrally located contemporary and vibrant pizza bar, with various areas and facilities for all types of customers, irrespective of the time of day or night.
The area has 3 major features:
. one moving pendant lighting rig with 42 custom pendants on a staging truss that raises and lowers the lights from 5000mm to 2000mm for day and night.
. 60-metre square hand painted post cold war industrial artwork, painted on the rear wall over a period of four weeks.
. Feature custom stainless steel and LED paper pendant extending with 80 individual support frames across the entire length of the space, holding 2,000 A4 sheets of the rear artwork pulling them from the rear wall through the space. Between these are suspended LED tubes to illuminate at night.
To read the full story see the December edition of Lighting Magazine. Click here to subscribe.
Lighting Council Australia Board of Directors
Posted December 2009
A new Board of Directors took office at the conclusion of Lighting Council’s Annual General Meeting on November 18th. Directors for 2009/10 are:
Mr Russell Loane (Chairman)
Eye Lighting Australia
Mr Kim Craig
Allen Fluorescent Lighting
Mr Michael Downie
Philips Lighting
Mr Simon Gerard
Gerard Lighting
Dr Jürgen Koprio
Thorn Lighting/Zumtobel
Mr Ian Robinson
Beacon Lighting
Mr Tony Todaro
Clevertronics
Dr Walter Wendel
OSRAM Australia
