#127 Cover Story: Museum of the Future Dipali Shirsat [d]arc awards winners FaÇade Lighting
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LET THERE
ROYAL MYCONIAN, MYKONOS, GREECE 18-20 OCTOBER 2022 www.darcsessions.com
E BE LIGHT
The networking event for specifiers and suppliers of international lighting projects
STEP INTO THE…
The UK’s only dedicated lighting specification exhibition
22 & 23 November 2022 Business Design Centre Islington • London
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#127
Welcome It would be remiss of me if I didn’t open this issue by firstly saying a huge thank you to everyone that came out to Fabric at the end of March for our big [d]arc awards party. It was so great to finally get back to hosting a physical awards party, and amazing to see so many of you in the flesh again. A big shout out also to the design teams behind each of the nine light installations dotted around the venue on the night - these looked incredible and once again helped to make it a special night out. Finally a huge congratulations to all of our awards winners as well. Every year we’re bowled over by the calibre of entries that we receive and this year was obviously no different, so hats off to each and every category winner. You can find out more about each of the winners in an in-depth round-up of the awards later in this issue. It’s disappointing to have to bring up a negative from the night, but I was incredibly saddened to hear of one guest in particular behaving inappropriately towards one of the women in attendance. We at [d]arc media always want our
events to be fun, welcoming, and most importantly, safe spaces for all attendees, so we are obviously appalled by such behaviour. While in recent issues we’ve talked at length about allyship, privilege, equality and inclusion, it is clear that to a select few, the message still isn’t getting through. So we will clearly have to shout louder and do more to call out this unacceptable behaviour when we see it. Moving onto this issue of the magazine: as you’ll see from our beautiful cover, we were granted an inside look at the Museum of the Future - Dubai’s latest architectural spectacle. Opened earlier this year, the museum has been gaining plaudits for its ultra-modern appearance, so it was fascinating to speak to Killa Design and Buro Happold and find out more about how this marvel was brought to life. As the arc team will shortly be heading off to Ras Al Khaimah for the second edition of [d]arc sessions, I’m hopeful that I will have enough time to stop off in Dubai and see the building in person! As a big fan of the NFL, I was also very excited to speak to Lam Partners about their work on the amazing SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, which played host to the Super Bowl this February. You can read all about this in our façade lighting focus, starting on page 58. Enjoy the issue!
Matt Waring Editor
Front cover: Museum of the Future, Dubai, UAE (Image: Dubai Futures Foundation)
#127
Inside this issue Regulars 016
Event Diary
020
Drawing Board
028
In Conversation Isabel Villar and Maha Shalaby talk about the Sustainable Lighting Design podcast.
030
Snapshot DesignPlusLight
032
Designers Mind Kaye Preston explores the relationship between work and health, and how companies can support their staff.
115
Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska Do we need a lighting detox for sustainable cities in the 21st century?
120
GreenLight Alliance With Marc Salvany, Head of Global Professional Services at Signify.
124
David Morgan Review K-Scape Rail System
126
Product Launches
128
Manufacturer Case Studies
138
Bucket List
Eye Openers 018
Features 024
WIL Global Gathering The Women In Lighting Global Gathering returned this March to celebrate International Women’s Day.
026
Casambi Awards This year’s Casambi Awards recognised the best ways in which lighting projects and products have used Casambi technology.
036
Dipali Shirsat The recent Silhouette Awards winner discusses her fascinating research into multi-sensory design.
093
The Centre Jason Bruges Studio
044
Glass House Garden Room Lichtvision
056
Tana Bridge Zenisk
036
[d]arc awards A look back at the 2021 [d]arc awards, celebrating the winners, as well as the highlights from our awards party.
Projects 046
Museum of the Future Killa Design and Buro Happold reveal how Dubai’s iconic new landmark was brought to life.
058
SoFi Stadium arc speaks to Lam Design about the lighting of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, which played home to Super Bowl 56 this February.
066
House of Wisdom Lighting designers at Delta Lighting Design have created a subtle, yet complementary scheme for the Foster + Partners designed House of Wisdom in Sharjah, UAE.
Woven WSP
034
018
072
Falkirk Wheel A unique piece of architecture and engineering, the Falkirk Wheel has been given a dynamic new lighting scheme by Lightalliance.
080
Midtown Mall The Riyadh Midtown Mall features a multifaceted façade and landscape lighting concept created by Nulty.
058
093
Proudly Supporting
Yourl i ght , des i gnf ora ngl ec ont r ol ea s i l y
EDITORIAL Managing Editor Helen Ankers h.ankers@mondiale.co.uk Editor Matt Waring m.waring@mondiale.co.uk
Events Diary
Contributing Editor Sarah Cullen s.cullen@mondiale.co.uk
APRIL
SEPTEMBER
COMMERCIAL
[d]arc sessions MEA
Plasa
25-27 April
4-6 September
Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
London, UK
Managing Director Paul James p.james@mondiale.co.uk
www.darcsessions.com
www.plasashow.com ArchLIGHT Summit
MAY
15-16 September Dallas, USA www.archlightsummit.com
Integrated Systems Europe 10-13 May
IALD Enlighten Americas
Barcelona, Spain
29 September - 1 October
www.iseurope.org
Palm Springs, USA www.iald.org
ROLAN 2022 12-13 May Online go.cibse.org/ROLAN22
OCTOBER
Clerkenwell Design Week
Light + Building
24-26 May
2-6 October
London, UK
Frankfurt, Germany
www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com
www.light-building.messefrankfurt.com [d]arc sessions Europe
JUNE
18-20 October Mykonos, Greece www.darcsessions.com
GILE 9-12 June
Biennale Interieur
Guangzhou, China
20-24 October
www.guangzhou-international-lighting-exhibition.
Kortrijk, Belgium
hk.messefrankfurt.com
www.interieur.be
LightFair
Hong Kong International Lighting Fair
21-23 June
27-30 October
Las Vegas, USA
Hong Kong, China
www.lightfair.com
www.hktdc.com
AUGUST
NOVEMBER
LEDforum 2022
LiGHT 22
18-19 August
22-23 November
São Paulo, Brazil
London, UK
www.ledforum.com.br
www.lightexpo.london
Head of Business Development Jason Pennington j.pennington@mondiale.co.uk Media Sales Manager Andrew Bousfield a.bousfield@mondiale.co.uk Events & Marketing Manager Moses Naeem m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk
DESIGN Design Manager David Bell d.bell@mondiale.co.uk Production Mel Robinson m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk
CORPORATE Chairman Damian Walsh d.walsh@mondiale.co.uk Finance Director Amanda Giles a.giles@mondiale.co.uk Credit Control Lynette Levi l.levi@mondiale.co.uk [d]arc media Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)161 476 8350 www.arc-magazine.com arc@mondiale.co.uk Printed by Buxton Press. To subscribe visit www.arc-magazine.com or call +44 (0)161 476 5580 arc, ISSN 17535875, is published bi-monthly by Mondiale Publishing, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3AZ. Subscription records are maintained at Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 3AZ.
*NOTE: All dates correct at time of publication. Subject to change* 016 / 017
eye opener
Woven Manchester, UK Woven is an ephemeral light art installation at Manchester’s new Havelock development on Great Bridgewater Street. Commissioned by the building owners and conceived by DS Emotion to showcase the office building – which is due to be redeveloped – the installation was designed by WSP. With a design brief that focused on the history of the original Havelock Mill, which was based on the site until the 1970s, WSP took inspiration from the site’s heritage as a cotton and silk mill with an installation that gives the impression of rays of light weaving through the building’s four storeys. Due to the site’s impending redevelopment, the installation was a temporary piece, intended to attract attention to the building prior to its part demolition and re-modelling. Developers are set to revamp the building by stripping it back to its concrete frame, saving 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over a new build. With sustainability carefully considered for the refurbishment, the client also intends to re-use the 540-metres of lighting from the installation throughout the interior of the development.
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Faye Robinson, Head of Architectural Lighting at WSP, explained how the design for Woven evolved: “We based our initial concepts on themes of pixelated weaving card patterns and the movement of a shuttle or object through the elevation of the building, but the strongest idea for the team was the idea of weaving light through the building; creating a light sculpture of threads that seemed to perforate through the floor slabs from floor to floor.” WSP worked closely with Studiotech to develop a solution that would have maximum impact, while being flexible enough to be reused and repurposed in the redeveloped building. The design team completed multiple mock-ups on site to try and create the effect and impact that they wanted for the installation. Robinson explained why on-site testing was the only way to reach the desired outcome: “There were too many unknown variables, including the reflectivity and transmission of the glass and any impact from the nighttime cityscape.” As such, WSP trialled black light, UV rope
and various other reflective materials, but the best and most impactful lit effect was achieved with LED tape. All of the LED strip used within the space will be removed by the install team and reused within joinery elements proposed as part of the fit-out, or used within other spaces owned by the building client. Robinson added: “Woven was such a fantastic opportunity to create a light art installation enhancing the local streetscape, while reacting to the rich history of the site. The design intent to re-use the luminaire components within the remodel of the building simply adds to that history.” www.wsp.com
Drawing Board
Serpentine Pavilion London, UK Designs for the 21st Serpentine Pavilion have been revealed, with Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates creating the monument this year. Entitled Black Chapel, the pavilion has been realised with the architectural support of Adjaye Associates, and will open to the public on Friday 10 June. Drawing inspiration from the significance of the great kilns of Stoke-on-Trent, the Pavilion will pay homage to British craft and manufacturing traditions. While the structure of the Pavilion will predominantly be made of wood, its design alludes to the performative and meditative qualities of a small chapel. An operating bell, originating from the demolished St. Laurence Church on Chicago’s South Side, will be placed next to the entrance of the Pavilion, and will be used to call, signal and announce performances and activations. A single source of light from an oculus will create a sanctuary-like environment for reflection and communion. Conceived as a platform for participation, live performances, with an emphasis on music and public engagement, Black Chapel will continue the artist’s ongoing practice of space-making through urban and architectural interventions. Theaster Gates, said: “The name Black Chapel is important because it reflects the invisible parts of my artistic practice. It acknowledges the role that sacred music and the sacred arts have had on my practice, and the collective quality of these emotional and communal initiatives. “Black Chapel also suggests that in these times there could be a space where one could rest from the pressures of the day and spend time in quietude. I have always wanted to build spaces that consider the power of sound and music as a healing mechanism and emotive force that allows people to enter a space of deep reflection and/or deep participation.” As lighting sponsors, Zumtobel Group will provide luminaires for the Pavilion. Zumtobel’s Vivo II spotlights will illuminate the main pavilion space, while Thorn’s Contrast architectural floodlights will light the exterior pathway; all fixtures will be connected and controlled by Zumtobel’s Litecom Lighting Controls system. Bettina Korek and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Serpentine Galleries respectively, said: “We are honoured to undertake this remarkable project with leading visual artist Theaster Gates. One of the most significant voices working today, Gates’ praxis combines formalism, conceptualism and powerful impact felt through the communities in which he works and beyond. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Black Chapel as a platform for engagement, spirituality and togetherness.” This year’s Pavilion selection was made by Korek and Obrist, alongside Julie Burnell, Director of Construction and Special Projects; Yesomi Umolu, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Public Practice; Natalia Grabowska, Project Curator, and advisors 020 / 021
Sir David Adjaye OBE and David Glover. The Pavilion will be designed to minimise its carbon footprint and environmental impact, in line with Serpentine’s sustainability policy. The predominantly timber structure will be lightweight and fully demountable, with a focus on sustainably-sourced materials and the reusability of the structure as a whole after its time installed at Serpentine. While the Pavilion will begin its life in Kensington Gardens, it will be re-sited to a permanent location in the future. www.serpentinegalleries.org
Images: Serpentine Pavilion 2022, Black Chapel, designed by Theaster Gates. Design render, interior view. © 2022 Theaster Gates Studio
DRAWING BOARD
Transamerica Pyramid San Francisco, USA
Images: Boyero / Foster + Partners (top); dbox / Foster + Partners (bottom)
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Foster + Partners has been appointed by SHVO, the luxury real estate development and investment firm, to revitalise San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid Center. The biggest renovation in the building’s 50-year history, this redevelopment seeks to give a new lease of life to one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. The project will also expand and upgrade the adjacent Three Transamerica (545 Sansome) to a contemporary high-design office building. The Transamerica Pyramid Center encompasses an entire city block in the Financial District. The Transamerica Pyramid, designed by futurist architect William Pereira and completed in 1972, is emblematic of the skyline. The broader site consists of two additional buildings – Two Transamerica (505 Sansome Street) and Three Transamerica (545 Sansome Street), and the central Redwood Park. The new Foster + Partners design seeks to revitalise and restore the historic Redwood Park, while tying all three buildings together through a series of strategic interventions at ground level, creating a vibrant new destination in the heart of San Francisco while respecting and celebrating the unique heritage of the site. With a drive to create high performance office spaces that enhance wellbeing, the office is reimagined as a living space, with an emphasis on comfort, hospitality, and flexibility for tenants and guests. Further incentivising the return to the office, retail is carefully curated and two floors in the middle of the tower are dedicated to wellness, a lounge and conferencing facilities – all with panoramic city views. Additionally, the top floor below the spire culminates these amenities with an enchanting private bar and lounge. Redwood Park – which consists of nearly 50 mature redwood trees transplanted from the Santa Cruz Valley to the site in 1974 and now over 100ft tall – will also be upgraded and additional landscape will activate the site perimeter. Adding seasonal colour to the space, Mark Twain Street – the alleyway from Sansome Street – will be lined with plum blossom trees, leading up to the base of the pyramid featuring curated cafes, shops and restaurants. The project is slated to be completed by the middle of 2023. Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, said: “This is an exceptional opportunity to restore the unique Transamerica Pyramid Tower and its historic Redwood Park, to create a very special destination in the heart of San Francisco. The existing buildings and new additions are tied together by generous landscaping, which will breathe new public and community life at the sidewalk level. The previous office areas are reborn as new living spaces, with an emphasis on wellbeing. Working in collaboration with Michael Shvo and his team, we look forward to reinvigorating this truly iconic building.” www.fosterandpartners.com
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Pacific Gate Condos, San Diego, USA
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Designer: StudioK1 Contractor: HMT Electric Inc.
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox, in collaboration with Chris Dikeakos Architects, and interiors by Hirsch Bedner Associates
Global Gathering The Women In Lighting Global Gathering returned this March, celebrating International Women’s Day and connecting the global WIL network.
Women In Lighting (WIL) brought back the Global Gathering this March to celebrate International Women’s Day, as well as the third anniversary of the Women In Lighting project. The event aimed to further connect the growing WIL network and community together. This year, the event was divided into three parts to ensure that presentations and participation could come from different time zones around the world. Proceedings opened with speakers from Asia and the Pacific, with the second session covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the final session of the day focused on the Americas. The line up for each time zone was split into the following sections: Global Light: Light around the world. Six lighting designers who all live in different lighting conditions shared their ‘local light’ in a short presentation. This section had informative presentations from Anujna Dyaneshwar in India and Pila Rattarangsi in Thailand; a view of the politics of light in Lebanon from Manal Kahale; and intimate and poetic descriptions from Diana Joels in Brazil, Malcolm Innes in Scotland and Claudia Kappl-Joy in the USA. Global Action: This section looked at the different initiatives that the lighting community is doing to make the world of light a better, more balanced and more informed place, with presentations from Hoa Yang in Australia on the effect of urban planning on perceptions of safety for women and girls; a talk on male allyship from Neil Knowles in the UK; and from Leela Shankar in the USA on the circular economy and embodied carbon on design.
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Global Journey: Here the event delved into the unique lighting journey of three varied members of the lighting community. Jett Blyth talked with Light Collective about being a female electrician in Melbourne, Australia; Nish Shah shared her personal journey from junior designer to Design Director at Lighting Design International; and Paul Gregory, President and Founder of Focus Lighting in New York, talked through some of his career highlights and shared some tips for aspiring designers. Global Work: This section allowed WIL to explore how we are all connected by design, by projects, by the tools and techniques we use. Speakers here talked about their work around the globe. In Asia, project presentations came from Aviva Gunzberg in Australia; architect Otto Ng and the Sky NOA team in Hong Kong; and Chanyaporn Bstieler in Thailand. In the Europe/MEA session, Melissa Mak in the UK; Stéphanie Daniel from France’ Paula Rainha from Portugal and Regina Santos from the UAE shared unique projects that they had completed. The final section included Emily Bornt in the USA; Patricia Bernal in Mexico; Priscila Pacheco in Brazil; and Antonia Peón-Veiga in Chile. Projects covered included hospitals, hotels, stage lighting, art projects and museums. This section was finished off with three miniinterviews from WIL’s Katia Kolovea on specific projects. These included Noriko Higashi from Japan sharing the work of The Lighting Detectives; Raquel Rosildete sharing her project – The Colours In-between; and Jane Slade discussing her work to raise awareness of light pollution. All presentations are available to revisit on the WIL website. Each section was concluded with a Global Roulette – a popular feature from virtual WIL events, the hour-long sessions allowed for free-flowing conversation where participants could virtually meet and share backgrounds, inspirations and daily lives in three-minute conversations. The Global Roulette was voted by participants as their favourite opportunity of the event in an online poll, followed closely by the Global Light presentations.
“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” Unknown
Alongside the online event, in-person get togethers were held in the UK, Dubai and France. In total, participants joined from 59 countries, with most visitors joining from the UK, USA, UAE, Australia and Hong Kong. In a poll on the event platform, participants said the most important part of the WIL project has been the sense of community and connection to each other around the world, highlighted by the global participation in this online event. WIL would like to thank its global sponsors for the event – formalighting, Huda Lighting, Fos Lighting, Detail Lighting, Morgado & CA, and Ayrton.
Women In Lighting Awards 2022
During the Global Gathering, Women in Lighting also announced the return of the WIL Awards. Specifically designed to highlight the WIL community and its supporters, the aim of the awards is to seek out and celebrate outstanding women in the industry. Expanding on the format for 2022, this year’s awards will recognise women across the following categories: Light Art, Research and Education, and Engineering. The goal being to make women in these fields more visible and share them with the world. Nominations are open for the 2022 WIL Awards, and organisers have asked people to put forward “women working in these lighting fields who you find unique, inspiring, worthy and believe the community should know about.” Speaking of the returning awards, WIL said: “We could never have foreseen the devastating impact that Covid would have on all of our lives, and when we decided to honour WIL members and supporters who had achieved amazing things during 2020 and the start of 2021, we didn’t imagine that we would still be in a similar global situation in 2022. So while we still applaud everyone in this community who have never stopped dealing with issues caused by the pandemic with regard to our mental health, our work and our private lives and have helped us to
remain connected, we have decided to point the WIL Awards in a different direction this year and honour some women in lighting outside the sphere of lighting design. Let’s get these amazing women some recognition and together, acknowledge their achievements.” The judging panel for this year’s awards is comprised of WIL media partners, including: darc magazine (UK); Warm White (Germany); Designing Lighting (USA); Lightecture (Spain); Ljuskultur (Sweden); Bluprint (Philippines); L+D Magazine (Brazil); Wavelength (Russia); and Surfaces Reporter (India). Nominations for the awards opened on 8 March, and will close on 30 April. More information can be found on the Women in Lighting website. www.womeninlighting.com
supported by
Casambi Awards The winners of this year’s Casambi Awards have been revealed, with the top prizes going to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece, and the CoeLuxHT25 Mini.
Created as a prize for designers and avantgarde ideas, the Casambi Awards looks to celebrate the many innovative ways in which architectural lighting projects and products have deployed Casambi technology to create the wow factor. Two prizes were awarded this year - Best Product and Best Project. For each category, submissions were to honour the competition’s requirements for imagination and passion for the craft, while possessing the hallmarks of great design: functionality, flawless performance, and high customer satisfaction. The award for Best Project this year went to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens for its new wireless lighting system. Ordered by the Hellenic Olympic Committee to protect the sacred building while significantly enhancing the venue’s sustainability claims, it was designed by LightingArt and commissioned by Electron. The installation comprises more than 3,600 LED sources, features Casambi powered DT8 DALI Tunable White with an Electron Elegant Max custom lighting projection system. Luminaire manufacturer, Coelux, won Best Product with CoeLux HT25 Mini, an artificial skylight that introduces chromatic tuneability - reproducing the scenarios, colour, and light intensity of the sky across a clear day, from sunrise to sunset. Through Casambi, it is possible to control the colour temperature and light intensity of CoeLux HT25 Mini, giving end-users the opportunity to recreate an atmosphere to reflect their emotions and providing all the benefits of natural light where it might be lacking.
The Panathenaic Stadium
The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble and has a rich history dating back to 338BC. Most people know it for being the starting point from where the Olympic flame sets off on its journey to the host cities of each Olympic Games. The famous monument has a seating capacity of 50,000 and its sheer scale makes it visible from many points throughout the Greek capital. The Hellenic Olympic Committee considers it their duty to preserve and highlight the legacy of the site and its incomparable beauty. As such, they ordered a new wireless lighting system to replace the previous one, which was energy-hungry and highly light-polluting. They wanted a system based on modern 026 / 027
environmental requirements, which would be able to control luminosity and colour temperature as night falls. “Ancient monuments are not merely architectural projects, they are symbols that have a huge history that they carry throughout the centuries. A monument has the ultimate viewing during the day. But, when night falls and it ceases to be accessible, the monument becomes a modern work of art that carries the history of centuries. There, the light has a catalytic role in highlighting the mythical dimension of the monument, as well as its architecture,” said George Tellos, Lighting Designer at LightingArt. The challenge was to improve the technical characteristics of the lighting system so that there would be a gentle and discreet enhancement of the stadium. Different lenses within each fixture, high CRI, and Tunable White were the main features used to highlight the Pentelic marble. Additionally, a part of the Ardittos Hill was illuminated for the first time - green illuminated trees embrace the Pentelic marble of the stadium, giving a special perspective to the monument. The new lighting system had to utilise the 60 pre-existing points and the pre-existing cabling infrastructure ensuring, in this way, minimum interference with the archaeological site. The new lighting system needed to be capable of controlling the custom-made DT8 Tunable White LED arrays through timebased scenes, remote programming, and control capabilities. Wireless Bluetooth control using the Casambi app provided the solution needed to control 360 custom-made fixtures used for the stands (individual control for each array of six luminaires). The new lighting system significantly enhanced the sustainability claims of the venue. Light pollution has been reduced by more than 70% and energy requirements by half – pleasing Presidents of both the Hellenic and International Olympic Committees: Spyros Capralos, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, said: “It is our duty to continue to highlight the legacy of the Stadium, its role, its importance, and the incomparable beauty it reflects. The renewed lighting offers even more light to our historical monument and to the heart of Athens.” The Casambi judges were unanimous in their praise for this project. “The lighting design of the Panathenaic Stadium is superbly executed, excellently
highlighting the clear geometric shapes of the world heritage site. Casambi wireless control has made it possible to install a state-of-theart controls system without further damaging the cultural site,” said Till Armbrüster, Casambi Award Judge and Head of Product Design at Licht Kunst Licht.
The CoeLux HT25 Mini
The CoeLux HT25 Mini is a surfacemounted compact system that artificially reproduces natural light from the sky and the sun. It includes a LED light source, optical components, and a CoeLux panel, all housed in a metal structure. The product projects a beam of intense light, enhancing the colours and the textures of a room and any objects within it. The spot projection is slightly wider than the window and illuminates the surrounding area diffusely. The product is available in two versions, Classic and Smart Sky. While a brightly lit sky characterises the Classic version, the CoeLux Smart Sky comprises innovative technology that introduces chromatic tuneability in CoeLux products - reproducing the scenarios, colour, and light intensity of the sky across a clear day, from sunrise to sunset and everything in between. Through Casambi, it is possible to control the colour temperature and light intensity of CoeLux HT25 Mini, giving end-users the opportunity to recreate an atmosphere to reflect their emotions and providing all the benefits of natural light. The judges selected this product on account of its unique and unobtrusive design qualities. ‘This miniature version makes it more accessible to different projects. The comfortable diffused light recreates a natural light making it a perfect solution for domestic spaces,” explained Aristide Stucchi, Casambi Award Judge and President of A.A.G. Stucchi. Casambi would like to thank the judges for their participation in this year’s awards, and impart serious kudos to all entrants – their work is testimony to the fact that the lighting industry is ablaze with bold and wonderful innovations. We’ve well and truly entered a period of high artistic and technological developments: The Belle Epoque of Light, where designers and technology developers are the new originators bringing joy to architectural spaces and life as we know it. www.casambi.com
Since its first episode aired in July 2020, the Sustainable Lighting Design podcast has reached more than 2,000 listeners around the world. arc chats with hosts Maha Shalaby and Isabel Villar on the success of the series.
IN CONVERSATION MAHA SHALABY & ISABEL VILLAR
What is the podcast about? We started the Sustainable Lighting Design Podcast in July 2020 as part of a research-inpractice project on sustainability and health and wellbeing in the lighting design process. In each episode we invite a guest to focus on a different aspect of how light and lighting design, through daylight and electric lighting, have an impact on us and our environment, for example by analysing their impact on energy efficiency, wellbeing, light pollution and circularity. We host researchers and practitioners aiming to spread their knowledge to a broader audience, and hope that the conversations help the lighting design community to close the gap between the research and practice worlds. How was the podcast formed? Initially we had the idea of interviewing researchers and people working with some of the aspects mentioned above and then publish these together with the final report of our research. But shortly after we started our project, we realised that it was going to take time to get these interviews published and therefore we needed to find a more rapid and agile way to share them, to ideally challenge the way we work now, and not in a couple of years. That, together with the start of pandemic, made us think that having a podcast would be a good idea. Why did you decide to produce a podcast? We thought that there were not so many podcasts on sustainability in lighting design, and that during the pandemic it would be the perfect format to listen to while working from home, without the need to pay visual attention. We also saw that digital presentations often take a long time for guests to prepare, and follow a very strict flow, while in the podcast one could interact more with the guest and be more spontaneous. All guests have been very positive about their episodes, and we think that part of the success is of course, their high competence in each subject, but also that they were more relaxed and spontaneous along the session. Can you tell us more about the research-inpractice project? We got the idea after working on a project that focused on different issues related to sustainability and wellbeing. We saw the lack of methods and processes that combine the work that a sustainability specialist and a lighting designer do across the design process. There was a lot of discussions about sustainability but very little experience on how, in practice, we should work
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together and how each other’s decision along the design process impacted the end result. After that project was finalised we were hungry for more, especially for finding methods to better integrate our services, and we applied for funding from Bertil & Britt Svenssons Stiftelse in Sweden to further look into this, and we were happy to have been granted the funding. Research-in-practice is rare in our field, but so relevant, especially on two levels, first developing methods and processes to close the big gap between research and practice, and second implementing, testing and evaluating these methods in real projects. What are your main ambitions for this series? Our ambition is to both give a novel platform for researchers to talk about their findings and to learn what practitioners can do to create better lighting for people with the least environmental impact, but also to inspire and spread the knowledge through the lighting design community and outside it. We hope to inspire people and to give them good arguments to tackle these questions in the design process and strengthen the importance of the work we do, lifting up the importance of good lighting and how we can contribute to a more sustainable and better future. What has the response been like? We are over the moon with the podcast’s exposure and the feedback. To be honest we had no expectations, we did this because we believed in it, and we believed in the message that our guests wanted to share. And so far, with only seven episodes, we have more than 2,000 plays, with people listening from all over the world, USA, Sweden, Germany UK, India, Mexico, Brazil, etc. What’s next? After the success of the podcast, which was one part in our research project (SLD), we are now continuing to work with the other parts of the project, as we aim to publish more case studies, in addition to some development studies that we have been working on in the past year. At the moment we don’t have any new episodes planned, but we might interview new guests in a couple of months. We also have the idea of opening the podcast to others who might have a subject of interest that touches on the same themes that we address and would like to interview someone. We are open to suggestions too, and if anyone is willing to collaborate with the podcast they are more than welcome to get in touch with us. www.slightingdesign.com
auralis.lighting
Snapshot DesignPlusLight Since 2008, DesignPlusLight has been designing lighting for a wide range of projects across hospitality, high-end residential, retail and leisure sectors. Here, we look at four recent examples from its extensive portfolio.
Princess Square, The Lexicon Bracknell, UK Princess Square, the central atrium at the Lexicon shopping centre in the heart of Bracknell, was recently refurbished to create a dynamic new shopping experience. The brief was to bring elements of nature into the building and create a place of respite and calm while experiencing all the shopping centre has to offer. A timber framework cascades from the central atrium, flanked by perforated stainless steel panels depicting the flora of the nearby woodland. Carefully concealed colour changing LED striplights were detailed into the timber framework to illuminate the woodland meshwork. White LED striplights uplight each timber slat to give the framework a delicate sculptural quality as it hovers within the space. A perimeter ceiling slot conceals spotlights that provide the general lighting to the space so that no downlights are visible. Gobo projectors are also concealed within the slot and these cast customised leaf patterns of light on the floor below. Colour sequences create a plethora of lighting settings to mark the passage of time. During the day, blue and green shades compliment the natural daylight streaming through the skylights and give the impression of a woodland canopy above with dappled leaf patterns on the floor below – gently guiding you across the space. As the day progresses the colour shifts to a warm amber. At night the atrium is bathed in a sunset glow – further emphasising the passage of time.
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Vitra Showroom London, UK Turkish ceramic manufacturer Vitra opened its flagship showroom in the heart of London’s design neighbourhood – Clerkenwell. Spread across two floors in the Turnmills building, the brand has the luxury of space to exhibit its products. The key factor with retail lighting is to ensure the emphasis is always on the product. Lighting is a powerful tool that can direct the eye to wherever you want it. DesignPlusLight was
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especially careful, in this instance, to always challenge itself and ask “should we do…” to check what was right for the project. Track spotlights were suspended and finished to match the exposed M&E architecture. These provided the general lighting to the space, with an intentional view to use both light and shadow to direct the eye across the space. A bespoke stainless steel perforated canopy floats effortlessly within the central space – delicately looking like an oversized lampshade with diffuse backlighting. The rippled mirrored underside reflecting the seating hub below to create a sculptural moment in the centre of the space. Each product arrangement was carefully composed with a touch of lighting flair. From backlit mirrors and circular openings to lit frames of light and even a backlit working tap stand waterfall – the space oozes elegance and style and proves that retail lighting need not be a harsh and unnecessarily over-lit experience.
Biltmore Hotel London, UK Part of the Hilton LXR Brand, this iconic building, situated in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, boasts everything one might need from a fivestar city hotel: 307 rooms (57 suites), an all-day dining restaurant with a Michelin-starred chef, a tea lounge, separate bar, full size ballroom, gym/spa and external dining terrace. Beautiful and opulent layers of interior design and lighting create a sumptuous impression from the main square and a second, more discrete drop off, from the redesigned rear. Backlit corian panels create an elegant impression and arrival to both the ballroom and reception entrances. The double-height ballroom space offers a flexible lighting and use of space arrangement to cater for virtually any event. Each space and intimate corner is emphasised with considered lighting that helps to transition the customer from one space to the other. The mood changes automatically throughout a 24-hour period as daylight changes from morning to night – offering a subtly changing ambiance that further engages
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the customer with the brand experience. From the outset the restaurant aims to sit separately from the hotel; during the day, the space is filled with natural light and bespoke pendants with glass rods that float like ethereal clouds above the tables. Decorative gold leaves travel up the walls and across the ceiling, delicately backlit with carefully positioned light points, providing a sparkling gold canopy to the entrance lobby. At night the pendants dim to a low level to reveal seating recesses bathed in a candlelight quality. Gold butterflies appear to flutter around the wall lights on softly lit fluted panelling. There’s also an outdoor dining terrace flanked by a lit green wall that creates an Instagrammable moment as well as privacy from the rest of the space.
The Spa at Southbank Place London, UK Deep below the bowels of London’s Waterloo station lies a sparkling jewel: The Spa at Southbank Place. With one of the largest indoor swimming pools in London, beautifully lit with exquisitely detailed layers of light, seamlessly integrated within the fabric of the pool. The perfect balance between light levels, visual comfort and interest was achieved by designing layers of light detailed into the walls and ceilings, purposely reflected in polished surfaces. The scheme recedes into the distance, revealing exquisite vistas punctuated with focal lit elements to create a harmonious visual balance in a space devoid of any natural light. The lighting levels and degree of illumination is carefully considered to enhance the arrival-torelaxation journey, whereby all of your senses are guided to a state of relaxation and then gently released back out to the world above. The whole space glows with an air of sophistication and elegance – a fantastic example of how beautiful lighting can be prescriptive, inviting people to discover and meander through your brand. It enhances client engagement as it creates an emotional response, a connection to the space. This is health and fitness at its finest.
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Founded by Sanjit Bahra in 2008, DesignPlusLight specialises in the hospitality, high-end residential, retail and leisure sectors. “Great lighting design comes from a cooperative approach with architects, interior designers and contractors,” says Bahra, “to bring their ideas to life, using our creative expertise and technical know-how, to bring a touch of theatre to each space.” The team are experts in the latest lighting technology and equipment and are passionate about making each space look and feel it’s very best. In a world where almost anything can be achieved with artificial lighting, the studio’s cornerstone design principal is to first discover the ‘Why’ that underlines each client brief and then, through an iterative and collaborative design process, express the ‘What’ that needs to be achieved. DesignPlusLight believes the “quiet space” created by the absence of light is just as important as the lighting effect itself. www.designpluslight.com
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Wellbeing becoming work’s partner DESIGNERS MIND KAYE PRESTON
Continuing the discussion on employee wellbeing, Designers Mind Founder Kaye Preston explores the relationship between work and health, and how companies can provide more support to their staff. The mental health and wellbeing of employees has never been more important. As we navigate what comes next we have a real opportunity to explore how we can optimise our physical and mental health so we can improve how we’re working. Understanding the relationship between our health and work is paramount, as is creating a culture within organisations where employees feel their mental health and wellbeing are supported.
Wellbeing and our work
We all know our health is important, however too often it gets slotted in around a long workday, family commitments, our partners, even life admin. Work is important, no question about it. It not only provides us with financial security but can also create purpose, connection, collaboration, creativity and confidence. Unfortunately, we often prioritise work over other areas of our lives and many times way above our wellbeing. Who hasn’t grabbed something unhealthy to eat to save time and meet a deadline, or answered emails late into the night forgoing both down time and good quality sleep? These behaviours become the norm, sacrificing our physical and mental health in the long run. But what if I told you that improving your health can improve your work? Let’s sit with that thought for a moment. Be honest, would this be a mindset shift or, as I imagine for many, you know this is true but still don’t make your wellbeing a top priority? Prioritising our health can lead to improved performance, productivity, more energy, better focus, resilience and impacts our overall happiness. We could have more creativity for our projects, be better able to make crucial decisions and have more confidence in ourselves and our abilities. I recently came across this quote that really made me think about the concept of our health and work supporting one another: “Rest is not work’s opposite, rest is work’s partner” – Alex Pang, Author and former Tech Consultant. Could we go one step further with this and say “Wellbeing is work’s partner”? 032 / 033
What about organisations’ role?
I often talk about prioritising our wellbeing as a two-way street. Employees need to take responsibility for their own health and be accountable for their actions. Only they can create healthy habits and make lifestyle changes to support their own health. However, organisations need to create a culture where employee wellbeing is built into its core. The two work together. For organisations, maintaining employee wellbeing while understanding the link between mental and physical health is key to promoting productivity. People work better when they aren’t feeling stressed, overworked, and underappreciated. Educating your employees about healthy food and lifestyle choices, stress reduction, exercise, and ways to increase their energy will not only improve their health and overall happiness but will also allow employees to understand the true benefits that prioritising their health can have on their work and lives in general. Creating a work culture where wellbeing is at its core with proactive and preventative measures rather than reactive solutions when problems arise has also been shown to reduce levels of absenteeism and presenteeism, increase employee morale, enhance workplace culture, attract more talented employees, reduce turnover and improve the overall employee experience. Research from the Mental Health Foundation and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) suggests that employee mental health issues alone cost the UK economy £118bn a year with almost three-quarters of the cost due to lost productivity. A UK Survey Report by the PAM Group shows that 40% of employees see help to sustain a good worklife balance as very important for helping them to stay healthy. This form of preventative support is twice as popular as more curative solutions, with two-thirds of employees saying the wellbeing support makes them less likely to want to work elsewhere. More supported employees were also more productive and less likely to take sick leave.
“Maintaining employee wellbeing while understanding the link between mental and physical health is key to promoting productivity.”
Two-fifths of people also said that working for their employer has undermined their health or caused them to become sick. Meaning employers have to think about how working practices are negatively affecting their employees’ health. Employers should create a culture of health that prioritises and values the mental health and wellbeing of its employees, where it’s integrated into operations and goals, is supported and promoted through programmes, policies, and benefits, and includes engagement from all levels. There are steps that any employer can take to help address wellbeing in the workplace and to help ensure that people feel supported. These could include the following: • Develop Mental Health First Aid trained ambassadors and ensure HR staff (or a nominated person) have at least some basic training to understand mental health issues. • Offer a health benefits plan to all eligible employees that includes both physical and mental health services. • Use the support available through employee assistance programmes (EAP). • Addressing work/life balance issues such as out of hour emails, flexible working schedules, overtime and parental leave. • Identify individual employees’ needs and build a supportive culture around diversity and inclusion. Creating a culture with mental health at its core can improve employee wellbeing and morale while decreasing health-related costs. Employers can educate and support employees to make healthier lifestyle choices to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. They can also educate employees on the benefits of making time for physical health and how this can support their mental health. In return, organisations will see an increase in engagement and productivity, and a decrease in employee stress and absenteeism. Isn’t it time we created work cultures that prioritised our mental health and wellbeing and learnt how this could support our work? www.designers-mind.com
eye opener
Image: Sandra Ciampone
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The Centre Dubai, UAE In a world of touchscreens, the meta verse and augmented reality, Jason Bruges Studio has sought to create an experience for the general public to reconnect with their bodies and with each other. Created for the Museum of the Future in Dubai, The Centre is an inhabitable media artwork that uses water, light, vibration and sound to reawaken the senses. An antidote to an evermore digitally saturated reality, the installation aims to provide an immediate, visceral experience inspired by historic ritual. For millennia, humans have sought unique ways to physically heal and spiritually recentre. Wide-ranging socio-cultural practices - from Victorian spa therapies to Tibetan gong baths - use water and vibration for restorative purposes. Even in modern day city centres, office workers will gather by the water fountain during breaks. Inspired by these traditions, The Centre is a healing environment for future generations. Within the space, an elevated, celestial ‘well’ holds a shallow layer of water. As highly controlled oscillations act upon the liquid, an immersive soundscape envelops the room. Light cast through the central lens projects caustic animations into a vast architectural dome bathing visitors beneath in a delicate, liquid light. Ever evolving, the light and soundscape uses a tightly honed palette of effects inspired by the water cycle: water coalesces to form clouds, falls as rain, flows as meandering streams and rejoins the ocean. Suspended from place and time, The Centre encourages a moment of stillness. It asks if by re-centreing and looking inwards, we can in turn be more open and personally connected to those around us. Jason Bruges, Creative Director and Founder of Jason Bruges Studio, said: “This project offered a rare opportunity to push the realms of the possible. With The Centre, we wanted to create a feeling of selftranscendence. To provide a space that is spiritual and meditative but also grounding. That allows people to feel connected within themselves, with each other, and with physical reality.” www.jasonbruges.com
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“The very basis of appreciating any work of a lighting designer is first through your visual sense, so what happens when that base is challenged?” Dipali Shirsat
arc talks to recent Silhouette Awards winner Dipali Shirsat about her fascinating research into multi-sensory design, and how lighting designers can create more inclusive environments for the visually impaired.
WOMEN IN LIGHTING DIPALI SHIRSAT
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During her studies at KTH, Shirsat experimented with interactive light installations to understand visual perception and the influence of coloured lighting.
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t goes without saying that light is inherently a visual medium and that by harnessing it, designers can create beautiful, inspiring, and moving scenes. But how does lighting fit into a wider, multi-sensory approach to design? What can lighting designers do in their work to create more inclusive spaces, particularly for the visually impaired? This is the core focus for Dubai-based, Indian lighting designer Dipali Shirsat. A recent graduate from KTH in Stockholm, Shirsat’s Master’s thesis was centred on how we experience the public realm, and how through their work, designers can redefine these spaces to make them altogether more inclusive. “The idea of doing a thesis on multisensory design came after listening to the TED Talk – Design with the Blind in Mind, by architect Chris Downey,” Shirsat told arc. “The core idea of the thesis was emphasising how ‘disability’ is a term often misused, and that people are not disabled; the spaces are. The disabled spaces are limiting so many people to get the true experience of a city, and also limiting a majority of them indoors. The research therefore talked about how an ‘image of a city’ is defined by our experience of the spaces around it, and how we as designers can help to redefine it by designing spaces that are inclusive.” The idea of redefining and redesigning spaces has been a constant for Shirsat ever since she first discovered the world of design. She explained: “I
was in the process of choosing which professional career path to go down, between medical and design. My art teacher, Bhiva Punekar was a great artist, and he gifted me a book on the life and work of the architect Laurie Baker. Just as how a small child would be fascinated when discovering something new for the first time, I remember sitting intrigued and stunned at how architecture and light can create a beautiful world. “After reading the book, I could not stop my imagination, and would think about recreating and designing spaces that would leave oneself spellbound. Unknowingly, light had created a huge impact on my mind as an architect, and it was along this architecture journey that I started developing more interest in light and becoming more aware of it.” Shirsat went on to study Architecture at Mumbai University in India, and she explained that during her studies, she was heavily influenced by the organic architecture and deconstructivism style of breaking the picture-perfect ideology and designing experiences that are raw and true to the space. “I never designed spaces or put forward design proposals that depicted strong geometry or right-angles,” she said. Following her graduation, Shirsat got a job as a lighting designer at Indian practice Lighting Dimensions Studio, with a curiosity to learn more about lighting. “In the process of learning and getting to know more about the profession, I came across James Turrell’s work and was completely mesmerised by it. It felt magical and surreal,” she said. “I only had a very brief idea of lighting until then, but when I realised and became aware of how lighting can affect not just spaces, but also how deeply it can affect human psychology and how we feel in a particular space, I knew that I had to continue practicing as a lighting designer. “Designing comes naturally to me, and I always knew that I would be a designer, whether it be architecture, lighting, or something else. I developed myself as a holistic designer over time as I believe the roots of designing are the same, it’s just the medium of expression that is different. “The name Dipali means ‘light’ and is derived from ‘Diwali’, which is the festival of lights in India. So, when people ask me ‘why lighting?’, I say that it is part of my identity – I was destined to be a lighting designer!” After this realisation, like many burgeoning lighting designers Shirsat enrolled in the Architectural Lighting Design Master’s programme at KTH in Stockholm, moving to the Swedish capital in 2018. “Moving to Sweden, I was surprised to see the lack of sufficient daylighting conditions, and how people cope with it,” she said. “Coming from a place with abundant daylight, I never realised the true importance of it until I moved to Sweden. “The different cultural and geographical experiences coupled with the research-oriented studies at KTH made me rethink my design ideologies and was imperative in developing my own research, which is based on universal design thinking.”
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“Inspired by James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson and Daan Roosegaarde, I hoped to bring a small but impactful change in the design field with my research on lighting and disabled spaces.”
Top right: The ‘Blind-fold Experiment’, as Shirsat calls it, allows designers to get firsthand experience and understanding of the limiting factors of a space, and how these can be used to design inclusive spaces. Bottom right: In a self-developed study of light, space and emotions, Shirsat used light and paper art to try and decode human emotions. Here, shadows and coloured lights play an important role in expressing human emotions, where blue light depicts ‘calmness’, and red light and shadow calls to mind ‘anger’.
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It was here that Shirsat delved deeper into the notion of multisensory, inclusive design, and where she began work on her thesis on the subject. In her thesis, Shirsat explained that people with visual impairments were considered as “prototypical city dwellers”, and how by understanding their needs of navigation, designers can develop an approach that looks not just for their safety, but helps them engage in outdoor spaces and enhances their nighttime experiences. “The change in designing and building such inclusive spaces starts with change in the perception and approach of designers, for which the research outlines a very important social experiment,” Shirsat said. “The ‘blind-fold experiment’, as we called it, was so designers could get first-hand experience and understanding of the limiting factors of a space, and how these can be further used to design inclusive spaces.” The research put forward a holistic, four-point design module for designing outdoor spaces to make them more multi-sensory. The module was put forward by Shirsat as a starting point to designing multi-sensory experiences, and how non-visual triggers of a space can be enhanced with lighting to remove the visual bias of a design. “The four-point module gives a step-by-step guide on improving the lighting conditions in the public realm,” Shirsat explained. “The first two points of the module are focused on understanding the user needs, limitations, and doing site analysis based on the ‘human dimensions of the public space’. The third part of the module focuses on carrying social experiments that help in understanding the visual and non-visual triggers of a particular space. “The fourth point of the module is about applying lighting techniques based on the data generated from the first three points, and particularly on enhancing the non-visual triggers through appropriate lighting. The main element to consider while doing this is the relationship between the different aspects of lighting , such as value and luminance, to primarily enhance the tactile contrast in a space, but also to look at how different lighting techniques can be applied to strengthen the nonvisual sensory triggers that activate the dynamism of the space and enhance social interaction.” Since graduating from KTH in 2020, Shirsat has relocated to Dubai, where she works as a lighting designer at neolight global. However, she continues to expand on her thesis, and is looking to continue with her research into the subject of multisensory design. “The thesis is just a starting point to what the actual research can develop into,” she said. “I have planned on taking the research forward and doing the social experiment in different parts of the world, gaining insights into how cultural and geographical diversity affect the design thinking. “Especially after the pandemic, when people are deprived of touch, how are the visually impaired experiencing spaces, when one of their strongest attributes of sensing spaces is taken away? The research has totally changed my design perspective and outlook on many aspects of lighting, which I never considered in designing
before. It’s now always a deliberate attempt to think of the four-point module while developing any concepts for projects.” Shirsat is also hopeful that, with the continuation of her research and the expansion of the fourpoint module, more designers will begin to consider how their work will impact those with visual impairments. She continued: “I believe in general the design industry has overlooked or restricted the aspect of disability and inclusiveness to only talking about the safety of people, which is of course the priority. But what about their experiences of a city, which is much more than offering safety and allowing for social interaction? “The very basis of appreciating any work of a lighting designer is first through your visual sense, so what happens when that base is challenged? I found this topic to be interesting; to re-evaluate and rethink the design ideologies that are not sensory-based. As per statistics, more than a quarter of the world’s population experiences some form of visual impairment, and that number is expected to triple by 2050, which is an alarming issue. If we act now and implement inclusiveness in design practice, the future will be much safer and equally more enjoyable place for all.” Shirsat’s wish to create lighting that makes a difference to the wider public is something that has been with her since she first entered into the world of lighting design. She continued: “The only thing I knew was I have to stay true to my craft and be a responsible designer. “Inspired by James Turrell, Olafur Eliasson and Daan Roosegaarde, I hoped to bring a small but impactful change in the design field. These are big names in the industry, but what they all have in common is they represent ideas and possibilities, something I wish to represent one day as well. I hope to bring about that change with my research on lighting and disabled spaces. “I believe that if you are passionate and have got something to say and contribute to the industry, you will eventually get recognised. I thrive on creativity and collaborating with creative minds. Whether it be social engagement through Women in Lighting, the Lighting Police project, or my own research, I’ve been connected with so many creative minds that have helped me grow and stand out.” On Women in Lighting, Shirsat has been heavily involved in the project, running the R.A.W blog alongside Martina Frattura. But while she has been a keen contributor to the project, she said that she has always felt supported by men and women alike in the industry. “I have been very fortunate to have equal support from the men in this industry – be it my professors from KTH, Federico Favero and Rodrigo Muro; my previous work colleague Gary Thornton, who has been very supportive of my research; to now being mentored by David Gilbey. I feel the men in this industry have really supported me and I have learnt so much from them,” she said. “Women in Lighting has been imperative in my journey also. The R.A.W blogs have been a successful collaboration with Martina, and it’s good
WOMEN IN LIGHTING DIPALI SHIRSAT
WOMEN IN LIGHTING DIPALI SHIRSAT
In another light experiment while at KTH, Shirsat looked at how light can have characteristics of fluidity, and can influence organic movements.
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to know that they have generated discussions in various lighting groups. I have connected with so many talented designers from across the industry through this project, and got more opportunities to collaborate with them properly, be it working with Katia [Kolovea] on The Lighting Police, or now collaborating with David Gilbey through the Silhouette Awards mentorship programme.” The collaboration with Gilbey comes as part of the newly created Silhouette Awards, for which Shirsat was recognised earlier this year. The awards were created to recognise young talent in the lighting industry, and to pair them with experienced mentors who can help to guide them through the beginnings of their careers. Two months on from her recognition at the awards, Shirsat updated us on how the mentorship is going: “The first award is always special, and the Silhouette Awards is much more than just getting recognition, it has given me a mentor for life. It’s a unique concept, and especially for the young designers it’s such a great opportunity to explore their journey under the guidance of esteemed and highly experienced designers from the industry. “Partnering up with David was one of the best things that has happened. I have known David through professional networks and being connected with him through the Lighting Police project. With the kind of industry experience and expertise he has, there is so much to learn from
him not only in terms of design, but also the kind of passion he has is rare. “David is already helping me in gaining good understanding of the business side, helping me with my research, and making sure that I get help from the right people in the industry. This is just the beginning and moving forward, I hope to collaborate with him on many exciting opportunities, be it design or doing conferences together.” With that in mind, Shirsat already has her eyes set on the future, and is hopeful of the new opportunities that both her research, and her new mentorship, will bring. She concluded: “I always go with the flow and allow myself to be open to any interesting opportunity that might come my way. “For now, I am focusing on this exciting journey ahead with David and the Silhouette team, and making the most out of this collaboration. I am hopeful that this journey will take me to something more interesting ahead – that’s the plan!” The R.A.W blog can be found on the Women in Lighting website. www.womeninlighting.com
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eye opener
Glass House Garden Room Seoul, South Korea
Image: Roh Space
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The Hyundai Department Store Mokdong in Seoul features some of the world’s most famous luxury brands across seven floors. Sitting atop the store, the Garden Conservatory or Glass House Garden Room offers an urban oasis for shoppers and visitors; a place of tranquillity for those looking to escape the frenzy of the retail spaces below. The Glass House Garden Room serves as the entrance floor to the surrounding residential towers, and can also play host to events and exhibitions. Casper Mueller Kneer Architects designed
the space alongside Lichtvision Design, envisioning it as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional greenhouse. The studios have already worked together on various areas of other Hyundai stores in Seoul. The calming space is visually broken up by islands of green plants that are embedded in the floor. The surrounding roof terrace on the seventh floor was extended into the interior. Daylight, however, only enters the room through side windows. Although the ceiling is modelled after a greenhouse roof, its panels are artificially backlit. The
actual ceiling above is flat and does not let in any daylight, meaning it was necessary to develop a lighting solution that fosters the healthy development of the plants, while at the same time improving human wellbeing. To highlight the plant islands, plantfriendly LED lights are installed above each island, floating above the plants like swarms of diffuse, luminous clouds. To parallel the space’s architectural style and feel, Lichtvision specified luminaires from Reggiani and Lluria that had an industrial aesthetic, with a raw aluminium finish. Biophilic design principles were incorporated
into the artificial lighting design, as Lichtvision sought to harmonise architecture with nature, while placing people at the centre. To compensate for the small amount of daylight in the space, a colour temperature of 4,000K, with good colour rendering and increased light levels were chosen. This helps to enhance the health of the plants, providing the optimal solution between light quality and quantity. LED chips with reduced red-light components were used to avoid overstimulation, and to avoid creating a
stressful growth environment for the plants. In addition, the illuminance levels were designed to meet the plants’ needs, while avoiding glare to visitors. The project marks Lichtvision’s first foray into biophilic design, approaching natureoriented spaces with the intended focus on occupants’ wellbeing. It is therefore an important milestone for the design studio to evaluate the latest research results in practice, to help steer future developments, and to be able to meet challenges such as sustainability in the future. www.lichtvision.com
Museum of the Future Dubai, UAE
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The latest architectural marvel in Dubai’s expanding skyline, the Museum of the Future opened earlier this year. arc speaks to Buro Happold and architects Killa Design about the iconic new landmark.
PROJECT MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE
n a city that is already renowned for its outlandish, extraordinary architecture, how do you add to the skyline and create something even more eye-opening? Dubai’s newly opened Museum of the Future somehow manages to do just this – a vast oculus at the top of a vibrant green hill, the building is a beacon for the future and the newest landmark for the city. Designed by Dubai-based architects Killa Design, the museum is situated adjacent to the Emirates Tower, alongside Sheikh Zayed Road, the main spine of city. The dynamic, 77ft-tall, seven-storey museum sits atop a man-made green hill, which elevates the building in a calm and unobtrusive way above the nearby metro line, while creating a rare green space within the city. The glimmering, futuristic upper building was envisioned to “represent humankind with all of its strength, artistry and ability to create harmony with its surroundings”, while its elliptical void represents innovation and the “unwritten future into which humanity, and the world can symbolically look towards”. Further adding to its extraordinary design, the windows of the avant-garde façade of the grand oculus take the form of an intricately 3D-mapped poem, written in Arabic calligraphy by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Offering a glimpse into the museum, after dark, His Highness’ words are outlined in light, illuminating the city’s skyline through 14km of LED lighting.
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Inside, the museum tells the narrative of the future through a series of interactive exhibitions, inviting people to experience technologies and trends that will shape the future of humanity. Spanning an area of 30,000sqm, the pillarless structure also represents a novel global intellectual centre; a living laboratory designed to foster a spirit of collaborative innovation to inspire new solutions to tomorrow’s greatest challenges. One of the most complex construction projects ever attempted due to its unconventional design, sustainability goals and awe-inspiring aesthetic, the façade is comprised of stainless steel and glass, consisting of 1,024 separate, unique panels – significant in itself as each panel represents a single byte of digital information. Shaun Killa, Design Partner at Killa Design, explained how the studio first got involved with this landmark project, and how his designs first came together: “I was invited to take part in a design competition alongside 22 competitors from around the world. I submitted two options – one was a more conventional design, and the other was more iconic. When I presented to His Excellency and all the ministers, I was told that the design for the museum won outright. “Looking at the site, I knew that it had to be on Sheikh Zayed Road, which is the heartbeat of Dubai and highly visual for tourists and residences. But due to the size of the site, to get the area requirement for the museum, we would have to go vertically, so to lift the whole building up, we created a hill of greenery that is effectively like the earth swelling up. It ties the site directly to the metro station and knits it into the urban fabric of the city. “The building itself is a vessel that emulates the vision of Sheikh Mohammed and his father, Sheikh Rashid, and the vision for their future generations. I wanted to come up with something that was futuristic, parametrically optimised, with a sense of dynamic movement. “The void in the centre of the building represents the ‘unknown’ and people who seek the unknown, innovate and discover new horizons and ideas that help guide humanity towards a better future. “Then, I wanted to contextualise the building in the region, so I used the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy as the windows to the museum, using Sheikh Mohammed’s own words about the future, regionally and globally.” The illumination of the calligraphy windows was something that Killa sought from the early concept stages, and he explained that lighting is always a core consideration in his work: “From the very first day of the competition, I made a night rendering. I always conceptualise lighting on buildings, and I knew that we would use LED to highlight the calligraphy.” To illuminate this unique building, Killa Design worked with Buro Happold, who provided a broad scope of engineering services across the site. Despite the architects having a clear idea and vision for the lighting of the museum, Chris Coulter, Associate at Buro Happold, explained that the lighting team wasn’t given a specific brief for the
building, but instead sought to create something that would complement the architecture without drawing focus. “The thinking was ‘how do you match the iconic nature of the design, and how do you do it in a way that is not showing off?’” he said. “The building is so iconic that subtlety is a word that is strange to use, because every little move you make in lighting the calligraphy, etc, feels very extravagant, but it was always about the visitor experience, and how you are driving this as a destination and reinforcing the underlying concept of the calligraphy without being too over the top. “We wanted to make sure that it wasn’t too cheesy or glitzy within the context of Dubai; Dubai is not your typical quiet neighbourhood, and while there is not necessarily an expectation that you have this grandeur, much of what is in the region is elevated up to this extra level. So, for the façade, we wanted to do something that was subtle yet iconic, that would match with the design but not turn into too over the top an expression. “I laugh about it being a subtle design, but it is what we were trying to accomplish; it’s more about being integrated with the design concept and reinforcing the architectural expression.” Owing to the atypical form of the building, the calligraphy lighting, which is the fundamental aspect of the façade illumination, required a great deal of attention, including several mock-ups and tests, before the optimal solution was reached. Killa recalled some of the early approaches to the exterior lighting: “I’d initially anticipated that the lights would face flush and run through the glass, and we would use dots that were sandblasted into the glass to create the effect that light was coming through the glass itself. When we made the mock-up, because of the joints some areas were shadowed, so we took the same LED and turned it 90-degrees so that it faced directly out, and then it looked great.” Coulter concurred: “It’s a curved building, and so for any of these windows, when we tried edge lighting, we found that we’d have hot spots at the corners and dead spots as well. We wanted to keep the façade relatively smooth and not having projections off the building, which would potentially harm the view of this ovoid shape, so we instead pointed the light outwards, which would reinforce the shape of the calligraphy. “Some people were hesitant about having this outward facing, neon-type approach, but once we thought about the context of where the building is and what it is, we feel like it fits in – it’s very forward thinking, so we hope that it continues to inspire people.” Buro Happold’s lighting designs also extended into the interiors of the museum, as well as the surrounding landscape, where the clean, subtle approach continued. Coulter explained: “All of the interior lighting, with the exception of the exhibition lighting, was by us. On the exterior, we did the façade lighting, some of the grounds lighting, but we also worked with the landscape architects in a collaborative effort in illuminating the landscape. “We shared the same design goal, because we 050 / 051
PROJECT MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE
wanted the building to be the star, so everything was fairly minimal outside of that, but it still becomes very inviting and as people come up to the building at night, there’s enough welcoming light, but nothing too overpowering.” In both the landscape lighting and inside the building, one of the primary considerations for Coulter was for lighting to act as a wayfinding tool to guide visitors through the space. While the uniform lighting inside at first seems to eschew this idea, Coulter explained that through subtle details at core moments, Buro Happold was able to highlight the features of the space. “The client was very interested in the notion of how lighting helps draw you through a project, but then also trying to be as minimally invasive as possible,” he said. “The notion of minimalism and subtlety as you look at the lobby and all of the calligraphy coves doesn’t
seem to hold true, but it’s about hiding the sources and having a uniformly lit zone, and highlighting where the ticket counter is, the threshold as you go into different portions of the building, the bridge piercing through the calligraphy pieces, having the elevator core lit with very subtle, grazing wall wash, it helps you identify where you are in the building. It was this blending of a subtle approach, lighting surfaces rather than trying to conceal as many of the downlights as possible. “We also worked with Killa Design to identify where in the embellishments of the calligraphy we could locate fixtures, how we could hide the drivers for the façade lighting, or the interior calligraphy lighting within the embellishments. It was a really detailed effort between us, the architect and the engineering team to pull it all together.” Another unique element of the Museum of the
The Museum of the Future sits atop a man-made green hill, elevating the structure further and helping to place it into the wider context of the city. A subtle landscape lighting scheme designed by Buro Happold aids in wayfinding, and guides visitors up into the grand oculus.
PROJECT MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE
Interior lighting has been designed to complement the architecture of the museum, with uniform lighting embedded in calligraphy details, while illumination to features such as the elevator core and staircases helps to make them stand out.
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Future is that, within its clean, sparse interiors there are no structural columns, as the entire building is held together by the exterior “skin”. This helps to make the interiors feel even more vast than they already are – although the museum is just seven storeys in height, each storey is nine metres tall, meaning that it equates to around 20 storeys in a typical building. Such large ceilings and open spaces did offer some difficulties to Buro Happold when it came to creating this uniform feel, but it was a challenge that the team was able to work through. “It was challenging in the belly especially, because in some of those areas there are openings cut in the floors too, to have a grand view up through the spaces,” Coulter said. “The top floor is very shallow at the end as the roof comes down to the edge, but in the middle, it is very tall, so we had to match that lighting environment across the space. There was a ceiling system that we were working with, but in some of the special spaces, the geometry is irregular, so where we could place the lighting was also irregular. “The structure itself wasn’t a great concern though, because it is not interrupting things on the interior like it would normally. There are some areas where the structure is a very fascinating part
of the building, but it’s largely hidden, and aside from the calligraphy windows is not expressed in any manner on the interior. Occasionally you’ll see revealed portions of the structure, which is quite beautiful, it’s a subtle hint of what is supporting the building.” Following its official opening in February of this year, the Museum of the Future has been widely publicised, and is already considered the latest iconic landmark in the already impressive Dubai skyline. Indeed, the high-profile nature of the project meant that there was an underlying expectation from the get-go that this would be another jewel in the already star-studded city. That being said, both Buro Happold and the architect have extensive experience of working on high profile projects in the region. Coulter explained that his work on the Museum of the Future was sandwiched in between the stunning Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020. “There was definitely a lot of pressure on the nature of the project, and it was interesting to have these iconic projects all going on at the same time. The Museum of the Future and Expo are very different though, so it was nice that we had the more upfront, outwardly visible project that is
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PROJECT MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE
Client: Dubai Futures Foundation Lighting Design: Buro Happold, USA Architect: Killa Design, UAE Lighting Suppliers: GVA, Lucifer, Lumenpulse, Osram, USAI Photography: Dubai Futures Foundation
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Museum of the Future versus the Expo – both had their challenges, but they were opposites in the sense of how the designs came together.” As for Killa, he added that, while he appreciated the enormity of the project, it was imperative to ensure that the museum was designed and executed to the highest standards due to the significance of the project for Dubai and its leaders. This also included the building reachinf some of the highest standards in sustainability and conserving, recovering and generating energy. He added: “About 19 years ago, I designed the Bahrain World Trade Centre, which was the first building in the world to integrate large scale wind turbines, which became a catalyst to sustainability in the region. I also designed the Dubai Opera House, which is greatly appreciated as a cultural addition to Dubai. But I did know that the significance of this building would be greater than both of them.” The overwhelmingly positive response that the museum has had since its opening is also reflected in both Coulter and Killa’s feelings on the project post-completion. Coulter in particular feels the
illumination of the façade calligraphy helps to elevate the building to another level. “The lighting successfully reinforces the design, and in particular the poem that Sheikh Mohammed has written. One of the great concepts once the poem was written and the calligraphy started to take shape was to zone the lights on the façade and selectively identify words and phrases from the poem. It’s a very subtle programming that allows the building to live and breathe, and really showcase what it’s about. “There were a lot of challenges and trying to figure out the façade detail involved a lot of work and scratching the head, figuring out how it was going to work. We’d sold everyone, including ourselves, on the need for it to be lit, and making sure that we execute that and that it looks like something we want to be proud of, and at the end of the day, it exceeds all expectations.” Killa concluded: “Over the seven-year journey of the design and construction of the Museum of the Future, one becomes accustomed to creating something through its challenges and constant improvements with the engineers and contractors. Even within a week of its opening, we were still snagging the museum where nothing had prepared us for the literal change of experience that happened after the opening. “But because of this journey, I didn’t prepare myself for walking in there a day after the opening ceremony when it was filled with people taking pictures, looking up and enjoying the spaces, and seeing that it’s moments in people’s lives that they remember, it influences them and educates them. That’s an amazing feeling and I think fulfils an architect’s ultimate sense of creating something significant. “We were the custodians of the design through to where we got to, but it’s great that the museum has now been handed over to its visitors and guests, who will take away their own memories of the space.” www.burohappold.com www.killadesign.com
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Tana Bridge Finnmark, Norway Spanning across the Tana River in Finnmark, Norway, the Tana Bridge has been given a new lighting scheme from Zenisk. Located at the tip of Scandinavia, the bridge is the identity of the arctic town of Tana, and acts as a landmark to signify the junction where roads between three countries – Norway, Finland and Russia – meet. To arrive at the bridge, travellers drive through uninhabited landscape for hours, before the bridge appears before them. Conceptually, the lighting designers sought to communicate the surrounding nature and culture in the new illumination: nature through the idea of the Aurora Borealis; and culture, by presenting the architecture in a narrative expression, such as projecting the colours of the Sámi flag (the indigenous Sámi people encompass large northern parts of Norway) on National Sámi Day. The composition of the new lighting precisely
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illuminates each element of the construction. Cables are “mapped” as a low-resolution screen, and with no glare from any angles, the precise light distribution offers numerous possibilities for colour and form combinations. With narrow optics of just four-degrees illuminating the top of the cables, and beams focused at a distance of 100-metres, crucial precision was needed. A special tool was therefore constructed to perform precise focusing; technical planning was executed with optics not yet available on the market, and as such, the lighting designers challenged the industry to develop such technology. In the wide landscape surrounding the town, the Tana Bridge is a monumental sculpture, and after dark, with its new lighting, the illuminated bridge is readable from afar. To create the seamless effect, lighting designers at Zenisk worked with steel construction engineers to integrate
lighting into the custom-designed railing. All luminaires and connections have been kept accessible, allowing for effortless maintenance. Controlled and programmed with DMX on advanced software, the bridge is treated as a canvas and a sculpture. Through the implementation of highly focused, precise lighting, a high aesthetic level of expression is ensured; spectacular at certain moments, soft and magical at others, quiet and subdued between dynamic intervals. Various dynamic effects appear every hour after dark for 10 minutes, while between effects, the bridge is lit with a static white illumination. Through this vibrant new illumination, the bridge gives the town of Tana a new identity, stimuli and source of pride. www.zenisk.no
Image: Skjalg Vian
SoFi Stadium Inglewood, USA
As millions around the world tuned in to watch Super Bowl 56 this February, they will have seen the incredible SoFi Stadium. Lam Partners tell arc about the lighting for this dynamic new stadium. 058 / 059
FAÇADE LIGHTING
he showpiece of the NFL season, the Super Bowl is viewed by millions of sports fans around the world every year. This February, the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals competed for the sport’s top prize at the awe-inspiring SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California – home to both the Rams and local rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers. Originally opened in time for the 2020 season – in which games were played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic – the 2022 Super Bowl was, for many, one of the first opportunities to see the new stadium in all its glory. Designed by Dallas-based HKS Architects, the 70,000-seat stadium, with larger Super Bowl capacity, is the largest NFL venue to date, encompassing 3.1 million square feet of outdoorindoor space. Dominated by a vast roof canopy, the site also includes a 2.5-acre covered plaza and 6,000-seat performance venue, providing a unique fan and entertainment experience. Lighting for the monumental site was designed by Lam Partners, who was invited to interview for the project, to be on the team with HKS Architects. Jamie Perry, Principal at Lam Partners, told arc about the early design stages for this project: “We were one of four lighting design firms that interviewed with HKS for the project, so we were thrilled to win the commission for the public-facing areas and to be involved in such an exciting project.
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Our parametric modelling design process and our lighting visualisation capabilities, along with our integrated design approach helped convince the client that we were the right lighting partner for the stadium architecture and the surrounding site. “Our scope involved all public areas of the stadium, including the concourses, concessions, building façade and roof canopy LED media display, along with the entire 60-acre site and surrounding landscape. Another lighting design firm, KGM Lighting, was part of the design team, and they handled all of the hospitality and interior VIP spaces.” Working closely with the architects throughout the project to help bring their architectural vision to life, Perry explained that, rather than being provided with a specific brief for the lighting design, Lam Partners instead “responded to the architect’s vision”. “It was an integral process; as the architecture developed, we worked in tandem to determine ‘what we wanted to see’, and how integrated lighting can accentuate the architectural materials, while enhancing visual comfort and creating a memorable, luminous environment. Through extensive design sessions with the architect, we worked in parallel to weave the lighting hardware into the fabric of the stadium, rather than applying lighting to a finished architectural project. “It was very clear that the client wanted this stadium to be unlike any NFL stadium ever built, so the lighting needed to reinforce the unique architecture to help achieve that vision.” The huge roof canopy that covers the site radiates a lighting energy from within, organically coming to life with ever-changing, dynamic lighting effects that transform the perforated metal panel façade into a theatrical, scrim-like curtain that veils the activity inside the stadium. RGBW fixtures concealed within the structure work alongside exterior ground-mounted LED floodlights to accentuate the curvature of the canopy, creating a transparency that varies from day to night and from one elevation to the other. “The architect wanted the perforated metal shell of the roof canopy to have a ‘lantern-like’ effect, with a dynamic and organic quality, and the architectural lighting was developed to support that notion,” Perry added. More than 1,000 fixtures are integrated into the perforated metal shell of the roof canopy, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue within the luminous façade as it rises up, revealing the stadium within. These colour-changing fixtures light the space frame structure that supports the canopy and from the exterior, visitors see the lighting on the internal structural elements through perforations in the façade. The density in these perforations changes around the canopy shell, which creates a variation in the effect as you move around the site. With the stadium situated just four miles from LAX airport, incoming planes have prime views of SoFi and its lantern-like canopy. With this in mind, a custom, 30,000-pixel LED media mesh turns the entire roof into a video screen, transforming the
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“There are two examples of how this impacted the lighting design and fixture placement: Originally, the large columns that support the roof canopy were going to be lit from the top down, but the structural needs in how the roof would move on isolators at the top of the columns meant that our fixtures would have been crushed at those locations based on how much movement was designed into the structure. This resulted in a revised lighting concept to uplight the large structural columns from ground-recessed fixtures, but we got the added benefit of this uplight also washing the underside of the roof canopy, bouncing light back down to the concourse below. “There is also significant seismic bracing that runs underground in all directions from each of the large roof canopy columns; not something that usually impacts the lighting design, however there were so many fixtures intended to light the landscape and the roof canopy soffit that were designed to be recessed into the ground to conceal them from typical pedestrian view that extensive coordination was required between the lighting team, the landscape architects and the structural consultant in order to achieve the desired effects with ground recessed real estate being so tightly constrained – not something that comes into play in most of our projects.” Despite this, Perry added that the largest challenges that Lam Partners faced on the project came a lot earlier on in the design journey. “The condensed design schedule for a project of this size, along with the architectural complexity, were both extreme challenges on our design process and lighting visualisation during the design phases,” he said. “The fluidity in the design process of the roof canopy and structure meant we had to model and render our lighting concepts and design at incredible speed. Ultimately, we exceeded our computer model rendering capability at the time. This resulted in our computational analysis and parametric modelling team constructing a few different, internal GPU render servers that allowed us to model all this complex geometry and lighting with actual photometrics in real time. This project helped push our internal processes, technologies, and capabilities to a new level.” Although the scale of the project and accelerated design schedule meant that Lam’s design team was much larger than on typical projects, Perry explained that the overall approach was still the same: “We had to help the client’s vision and the architecture shine in a way that every project deserves to.” That being said, he added that there was an added pressure, given the high-profile nature of the project: “Knowing very early on that this project was going to get plenty of TV coverage for Sunday Night Football games, the Super Bowl, and ultimately as part of the Olympics in the future, it would be dishonest if I said that there wasn’t an added level of stress and pressure applied to this project that I hadn’t personally experienced on a project before. “We want every project to be seen as a success
FAÇADE LIGHTING SOFI STADIUM
fifth elevation into a media display that is invisible to the building’s visitors below. “We believe this to be the first of its kind,” Perry said. “It was an amazing technical challenge and creates a video board display visible to all planes flying overhead at night, so it’s unlike any other roof lighting that we can think of. However, it was very important to the architect that this roof lighting/video board not be visible to the patrons within the stadium bowl. “This meant the LED media mesh needed to be applied to the outer surface of the clear ETFE roof canopy so that the lighting for the airplane passengers flying overhead didn’t alter the purity of the architecture or the lighting effects within the stadium bowl. Creating a video board on a translucent material was a challenge, but it achieves some magic and mystery as from within the stadium, you would never know the entire roof is a video display. Ultimately, the roof lighting was completely separate from the lighting approach for the rest of the stadium.” While the stadium’s proximity to LAX meant that there was more scope for unique opportunities on the building roof, it also affected the wider architectural approach of the stadium. “The stadium’s proximity to LAX and the FAA height restrictions on buildings within the flight path meant that the playing field was recessed 100ft below grade level of the surrounding site and the stadium bowl rises up from there. This created unique opportunities for the site to flow into the stadium and underneath the roof canopy, allowing for the project to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. This meant that some of the site lighting and landscape design became an integral part of the stadium experience.” With this in mind, the project features a blend of dynamic, theatrical lighting effects, combined with more traditional architectural lighting components, with manufacturers involved across all aspects of the site including Lumenpulse, Erco, Gotham Lighting, HK Lighting, Selux, Musco Sports Lighting and SACO Technologies. Perry explained how the lighting designers balanced the various lighting effects into one coherent scheme: “There are moments where the architectural lighting really recedes into the background, and other times where the dynamic quality of the architectural lighting is as much about the overall visual experience of the stadium as the field-specific theatrics are. “Again, this required close collaboration with the architect, electrical engineer, and all other disciplines to achieve this in a fluid manner. Significant time was spent later in the design process to review ‘Modes of Operation’ with the ownership group, and then working with the electrical engineer to assure that this desired functionality was incorporated into the logic of the control system.” The stadium’s position 100ft below grade level, and its location in California, also meant that seismic activity was a serious consideration for Lam Partners – a consideration that brought with it some significant structural challenges unlike any project Perry had ever worked on before.
FAÇADE LIGHTING SOFI STADIUM
Client: StadCo LA Lighting Design: Lam Partners, USA Architect: HKS Architects, USA Lighting Suppliers: Delray, Erco, ETC Lighting Controls, Gotham Lighting, HK Lighting, Lumenpulse, Musco Sports Lighting, SACO Technologies, Selux Photography: Bruce Damonte, Nic Lehoux
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in our clients’ eyes, but it is not often that we understand during the design process how many people from around the world were going to experience this stadium in person and see it on TV. I may have aged a few additional years during this project.” He continued that, while Lam Partners has worked on many large projects, SoFi Stadium is one of the most visible. “It was certainly one of the largest projects that we had worked on at the time and without question a much more visible project than others we had done. We work closely with our clients to craft beautiful luminous environments for people to live, work and play in, and I think that’s what motivates our designers on each and every project. But seeing your project host a Super Bowl and get prominent TV exposure is certainly rewarding and adds some depth to how proud I am of our entire team that helped make this project a success.” Although the stadium hosted games in 2020, fans were able to visit for the first time during the 2021 season, which culminated in the Super Bowl this February. Because of this delayed opening to the public, Perry feels that only now is the stadium getting the attention and recognition that it deserves. “The first time we watched the stadium on Sunday Night Football in 2020, there was a huge sense of accomplishment, but it did feel like it wasn’t fully finished yet,” he said. “Seeing the stadium full of
fans on a game day during this past season, and obviously hosting the Super Bowl; it finally felt like the seven years of hard work had paid off, knowing how many people will get to experience this great venue.” Now that the stadium is finally open to the world, Perry can look back on what was ultimately a very successful project. He concluded: “It’s amazing to look back at our computer model renderings and design studies and see how closely they resemble the finished built stadium. You can’t have good lighting without good architecture, and HKS awarded us the opportunity to be part of this monumental project. “I feel like the lighting helps bring the stadium to life and transforms the project at night from a great architectural achievement to a wonderful visual experience that you won’t soon forget. The lighting reinforces the curvature and sweeping forms of the building, the transparency of the façade and the overall stadium experience. “Our job is not to create memorable lighting, but to help our clients create amazing places that people enjoy being in and want to come back to, and I think in working with HKS, we’ve done that at SoFi. The scale of the project and the visual experience cannot be comprehended until you visit the stadium in person, so I encourage everyone to find an event that they want to attend at SoFi and go to see it first-hand.” www.lampartners.com
House of Wisdom Sharjah, UAE
Lighting designers at Delta Lighting Design have created a subtle, yet complementary lighting scheme for the new House of Wisdom in Sharjah, UAE that accentuates the beautiful architecture of Foster + Partners, while giving the building a glowing impression. 066 / 067
FAÇADE LIGHTING
FAÇADE LIGHTING HOUSE OF WISDOM
esigned by Foster + Partners, the House of Wisdom in Sharjah, UAE, was created with the bold ambition of reimagining the role of libraries in the communities of the future. Seen by many as archaic, old-fashioned institutions, the goal for the House of Wisdom was to revitalise the concept of the library, creating a high-tech cultural centre that would become a social hub alongside its role as a repository for books and periodicals, where guests could come in search of knowledge and exchange of ideas. Situated adjacent to Sharjah airport, ten kilometres from the city centre, the two-storey building was designed to “embody a sense of clarity and lightness”, with a huge, floating roof cantilevering on all sides of a transparent, rectilinear volume. The 15-metre-wide overhang shades the façades throughout the day, and further accentuates the building’s glowing form after dark. To help enhance this effect, Foster + Partners worked with Delta Lighting Design to develop an innovative lighting concept for the building. Intended to support the fundamental layer of transparency, the aim was that this would help to inspire future generations. Ziad Fattouh, Director of Delta Lighting Design, explained further the lighting concept for the building: “The initial brief from Foster + Partners provided a vision for the project, and in this case the inspiration was taken from the design of some of the Apple stores that they had done, which also consisted of large, clear, glass façades. “Naturally due to the façades being made of
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glass, we planned on illuminating key internal architectural elements that would in turn form a big part of the external scheme. Aesthetically, we wanted the building’s iconic architecture to be well captured, and wanted it to be as beautiful during the night as it was in the day. “Our concept aimed to balance the interior lighting against the exterior illumination. The exterior shell would feel solid during the day and early hours of the evening, with the external lighting dominating the scene. The building would then transform and become much more transparent at night.” Artificial lighting has been designed to bring out the depth of the architectural composition of the building, revealing its core and its timeless nature. This is done very subtly, in harmony with the transitioning daylight. To create this “chameleonic impression”, Fattouh explained that Delta Lighting Design used four core lighting effects that “form the primary lighting for the building”. “These include the lighting of the book stacks, core walls, the downlighting – which is the main source of ambient lighting – and finally an exterior light source, that washes the canopy,” he said. “These four sources run on a scene set with the interior lighting being strongly dimmed during the day, and gradually increasing in intensity during night time operating hours, and then dimming down again to about 5% during the later hours of the night. This serves to reduce energy consumption, as well as creating the changing impressions of the building. “During the day and early hours of the evening,
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Another key component of the glowing appearance was the careful, seamless integration of fixtures within the fabric of the building. Medani further explained how this approach was achieved, both internally as well as externally: “Seamless integration within architecture was an important element in the design approach – this is reflected in the lighting approach in general and specifically in the helical stairs where the lighting was provided with flexible LED strips concealed at the edges of the stairwell; the integration of downlights within the services channels in the ceiling to provide general lighting; the integration of LED profiles within the bookshelves, which was coordinated with the shelf design at an early stage of the project; and also the integration of grazing LED profiles around the four core walls. This approach successfully provided a cohesive lighting integration within the architecture.” Throughout the course of the project, Fattouh explained that Foster + Partners remained very hands-on, working with all consultants to get the best results for the project. He said: “Foster + Partners were involved in all aspects of the design, and of course had their vision. We were heavily involved with Senior Partner John Blythe on the design stages, and then with their partner in Dubai, Dara Towhidi on the later stages of design and supervision. They are meticulous and will look at every single lighting design detail. “Having said that, they get the best specialists on board and expect to get strong, creative, out of the box thinking from their subconsultants. This collaborative approach to design works best, and is one of the reasons that Foster + Partners are so successful.” Looking back on the project, both Fattouh and Medani are incredibly satisfied with the finished work, happy that the actualised lighting design is as intended. Medani said: “We believe the design delivers the main intent and key vision of the building, which is light from within. “The building appears like a lantern from an exterior point of view, which attracts observers to visit and explore. The lighting approach was successful in creating a welcoming and comfortable experience for building users to enjoy the different spaces of the building.” Fattouh added that the opportunity to work on such a striking piece of architecture, with as renowned an architecture firm as Foster + Partners, made Delta Lighting Design’s task easier. “Working on the lighting design of striking buildings makes our work easier, because you don’t need to come out with magical light effects to make the building more interesting. Simple lighting effects that are well executed and balanced help enhance and show the building for what it is.” He concluded: “Working with firms such as Foster + Partners is challenging, yet rewarding. I really enjoy the design process when you are working with other designers that really know what they are doing. They will challenge the design at every turn, which in the end is what is needed to create something special.” www.deltalightingdesign.com
FAÇADE LIGHTING HOUSE OF WISDOM
onlookers don’t see any of the building’s interiors and instead see a very dominant solid exterior. This slowly transforms and the interior lighting begins to increase in intensity and the interior starts to reveal itself. As the night sky becomes darker and the interior lighting goes to full intensity, the building becomes very light and transparent, and its inner core is revealed. Finally, as the last scene of the night happens, the interiors become dimmed again, reducing transparency and bringing attention to the exterior façade.” A uniform wash of light to the four core pillars links the vast roof to the floor, the sky to the ground. Externally, a carefully selected narrow beam, inground mounted linear light runs beneath the cantilevered roof and provides a soft, uniform illumination to the 13-metre-wide canopy, while subtly grazing the metallic gold screen surrounding the façade. The glass façade – the physical boundary between inside and outside – melts under the power of light, and disappears from visual perception, revealing the core structure of the building. These lighting effects are organised in layers and, through carefully balanced light scenes, create a sense of depth, contrast, drama and orientation for the visitors of the library. When the light levels to the underside of the roof are kept intentionally lower than the internal lighting, it provides the building with a strong horizontal cap, without drawing attention from the core of the building. Instead, as Fattouh explained, it serves to pull visitors inside. “We didn’t want the canopy to dominate how we perceived the building from the outside,” he said. “We wanted it to be understood, but the intent was to keep the lighting subdued in order to draw the onlookers’ focus into the building and create interest. When you look at the core walls, as well as lighting on the book stacks, which run along the entire elevations, you become intrigued and interested to understand what this building holds inside.” When illuminated, the vast volume glows from within; lifted from the ground, it appears to float weightless, drawing its grace and harmony from the very tension of the architecture. “Our design team in London, headed by Director Mohamed Medani, ran calculations on Dialux Evo, and were sure that the lighting would be very uniform and that you wouldn’t be able to distinguish from each fitting,” Fattouh explained. “They also designed the light on the canopy to be stronger towards the first 50% of the canopy, and to fade away quickly the further you got from the building. This created the impression that the internal lighting was spilling out onto the canopy.” Medani continued: “A delicate balance was crafted out of the building composition with an aim of pronouncing the architectural anatomy of the structure, and also to achieve the main design intent, which is the glow from within. The factors dictated a strong lighting effect on the cores to serve the purpose of pronouncing the architecture and subtle soft treatment to the canopy, as this is the area where the inner glow should start to fade out to blend with the exterior environment.”
Client: Shurooq Lighting Design: Delta Lighting Design, UK Architect: Foster + Partners, UK Lighting Suppliers: Bega, Cooledge, Erco, Flos, iGuzzini, Koncept, L&L Luce&Light, LiniLed, Louis Poulsen, Lumina, Osram, Targetti, Vexica, Vice Photography: Shoayb Khattab
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FAÇADE LIGHTING
Falkirk Wheel Experience Falkirk, UK
One of the most iconic pieces of engineering and architecture in Scotland, the Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift in the world. To celebrate this remarkable piece of infrastructure, Lightalliance has created a dynamic, vibrant lighting scheme for the Falkirk Wheel Experience.
onnecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in central Scotland, the Falkirk Wheel is an engineering marvel unlike any other. Originally opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project, the rotating boat lift is the only one of its kind in the world, and reconnects the two waterways for the first time since the 1930s, raising boats by 79ft in one fluid motion. The design of the wheel was a co-operative effort between the British Waterways Board, Arup, Butterley Engineering, and RMJM architects. Inspirations for the design included a double-headed Celtic axe, the propellor of a ship, and the ribcage of a whale. Since its opening, the Falkirk Wheel has become one of the defining monuments of Scotland, appearing on a series of £50 notes issued by the Bank of Scotland; the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland has also described it as “a form of contemporary sculpture”. To celebrate this unique structure, Scottish Canals wanted to upgrade the Wheel and surrounding site, to improve their asset, providing enhanced functionalities, and promoting increased visitor interactions. Edinburgh-based Lightalliance was called upon to design a scheme that would accentuate the engineering and design, celebrate the unique forms of the structure and enhance its presence within the landscape.
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Kevin Grant, Founder and Director of Lightalliance, explained how the studio first got involved in the project: “We were asked if we would be interested in lighting the wheel, and informed that the opportunity would be listed on a Public Contracts portal. When we saw the brief, their targeted aspirations, timescales, and budgets all seemed very challenging – especially given how busy we were at the time. However, it’s such an iconic structure, and we saw the potential to have some fun with the site and add value, so were keen to get involved. “We submitted a proposal with our own proposed strategy, highlighting our observations, anticipated risks and identifying some exciting opportunities, and were lucky enough to win the commission.” Grant continued that the brief was “quite detailed and demanding”, with the client team providing several performance indicators to measure the success of the project. From here, he said that it was clear that the client wanted the project to “create a big impact, improve the value of this unique asset and also improve the visitor experience”. He continued: “The lighting was to be discrete and sympathetic to the structure, environmentally conscious, with reduced energy, reduced light spill, and was to be delivered for a specific budget within very short timescales. There was also a desire to provide a future-proofed design, good controllability, to promote increased visitor numbers and more exposure (both physically and online). “We are used to working on some very large and complex sites, and so we planned out these works using a similar approach, to ensure that we could deliver all of the brief requirements. We were keen to deliver enhanced value by addressing the brief, but also exploring more dynamic and immersive opportunities and potential offshoots that could be incorporated now, or introduced later to add real value to the site.” Using the unique design of the wheel as a starting point, Lightalliance developed a lighting concept that transformed the structure into a beacon that would “enhance the sense of arrival and help extend the use of the site during the winter months and after dark, whilst maintaining the overall impact and composition”. “Our aim was to improve the experience for the users and visitors,” Grant explained. “We explored opportunities to celebrate the organic flowing forms of the structure, by being able to visually separate each of the component parts – the wheel face, spindle, gondolas, aqueduct supports, hoops and also the tunnel – in ways that could relate to each other and also overlay different textures, patterns, effects, and sequences.” It was also important, that the designs would provide flexibility, but also be very intuitive and easy to operate. Lightalliance worked with Adlib to develop a bespoke and tailored control system. Their focus was on providing a fully automatic and autonomous asset, with opportunities to extend the use of the site past operational hours, enhancing the seasonal events programme, and
FAÇADE LIGHTING FALKIRK WHEEL EXPERIENCE
One of the design goals was to transform the Wheel into a beacon that would enhance the sense of arrival and improve the overall experience for the client, users and visitors. To do this, the lighting celebrates the organic, flowing forms of the structure and its component parts, such as the aqueduct supports and hoops.
FAÇADE LIGHTING FALKIRK WHEEL EXPERIENCE
providing ability to interact with and support local/international light-up events, or branded commercialisation opportunities. “Projection mapping products aren’t always affordable for smaller facilities, and a permanent video projection installation would have been prohibitively expensive,” Grant continued. “Therefore, a compromise of individually controllable DMX luminaires and image projectors were used to create opportunities for big visual impact within the budget available. We used a combination of RGBAW LED DMX controlled products, provided by Studio Due, and two Exterior 1000 image projectors from Martin Professional, and all components were installed by Adlib. “Effective and reliable control was essential, so we could synchronise the fixtures to deliver dynamic effects and complex sequences. The bespoke front-end lighting controls interface developed by Adlib was based around the ETC EOS system to provide a great balance of flexibility, portability, and automation. Each light or projector, and each of the Wheel’s structural components, can be controlled in isolation, creating a dynamic canvas for different colour combinations, effects, or show sequences.” The lighting designs take inspiration from the 076 / 077
architectural forms and surrounding environment, using a combination of static and dynamic scenes, with rotating overlays to convey the movement of the wheel. Lightalliance modelled all of the lighting layers, providing test calculations and simulation renders to review the lit appearance and intensity of each individual element. This allowed the team to review, refine, and optimise the lighting and layouts before any equipment was installed. “This process helped to refine the specification details, which were then trialled on site before ordering, to ensure that all equipment was ordered correctly and no time was wasted, given the restricted timescales available for on-site works,” Grant added. It was important for the lighting components to be as small and discrete as possible, to minimise the daytime appearance, but powerful enough to deliver useful light, and a rich palette of colours. All luminaires needed to be robust and suited to use in an exposed canal-side environment, especially those on the elevated aqueduct areas that can be exposed to some very extreme weather conditions. The luminaires were all provided with marine-grade corrosion resistant treatments, and a range of accessories to ensure good optical control. Sensors were introduced further along the canal to provide added automation: “We wanted to introduce enhanced capabilities and new immersive experiences for the visitors to the site during the day and after dark,” Grant explained. “The 180-metre long Roughcastle Tunnel links the Union Canal onto the aqueduct, providing a dramatic moment along the canal network. Naturally a dark space, the tunnel provides a truly immersive experience with dynamic and responsive lighting. “The default ‘resting’ scene is deliberately subdued, with every second luminaire on the towpath side dimmed to around 20% and only white light; when a person approaches (by boat, foot or cycle), a vibrant wash of colour ripples across the full length of the tunnel in a rhythm that connects visually with the ribcage structure of the hoops further along the aqueduct.” Tailored content has been curated and light/ projection content is regenerative, within given parameters, to create unique images throughout the year. The design allows Lightalliance to frame and isolate each of the components to showcase this magnificent structure. “A nightly 30-minute show sequence animation, evolves and adapts to suit the time of year, theme, or occasion. Tailored content and show sequences can also be generated for specific events, increasing potential revenue streams and commercialisation opportunities. The control system allows for easy selection of any colour or combination of colours, onto any fixture, or surface.” A key goal for the new lighting scheme was to minimise the impact on the local wildlife by reducing light spill to the surrounding environment. While reducing light spill was one particular area of focus for the design team, there was an overriding desire to be as environmentally
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FAÇADE LIGHTING FALKIRK WHEEL EXPERIENCE
Further along the canal, dramatic elements were introduced to further enhance the visitor experience and create a sense of arrival. This is evident in the Roughcastle Tunnel, where a vibrant wash of colour ripples along the length of the tunnel in a rhythm that connects visually with the hoops at the aqueduct. This light show is activated when a person approaches by boat, foot or cycle.
Client: Scottish Canals Lighting Design: Lightalliance, UK Lighting Suppliers: ETC, Martin Professional, Studio Due Photography: Madeleine Gallacher Photography
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minded and sustainable as possible. Grant explained further the measures taken to reduce the environmental impact of the lighting: “We wanted to create a more dynamic experience, but in more sustainable ways. This meant ensuring that the design minimised any negative impact on the surrounding areas, the neighbours and to wildlife, and helped to reduce the carbon footprint as much as was possible. “Several of the luminaire types and projectors and are provided with glare shields, sculpture lenses and physical framing masks to reduce and minimise light spill. Some of the fixtures are also pre-set with top-set output values to reduce the light output and associated energy consumption. The new lighting scenes and sequences all use much less energy than the previous strategy of creating colours using gels and filters – the total wattage to illuminate the Wheel Experience is only 4.6kW, versus the original 13.6kW target, and was designed in compliance with BREEAM ENE 03 External Lighting Energy Efficient Luminaires.” Despite the added challenges of the global pandemic, lockdown restrictions, new Brexit legislations and difficult weather conditions, the Falkirk Wheel Experience was designed and installed on budget within a very short timescale over the winter months. Since completion, the project has received a great deal of positive
feedback from both the client and visitors – something that Grant is incredibly pleased about. “It’s been amazing to see, and hear, the reactions of the visitors when the tunnel lighting appears, or when animated effects happen as they approach,” he said. “The design exceeds all the performance indicators proposed in the original briefing pack. The client team is very happy with the new Falkirk Wheel Experience, and when our clients are happy, that makes us happy. The project has received some great feedback from visitors to the site, with lots of coverage online, on social media and TV. It’s been fantastic to see it get so much positive exposure and receive recognition among so many other great projects and design initiatives. “We really enjoyed working on the project and are excited about the possibilities to evolve and enhance the events programme further during the darker winter months. Hopefully the Falkirk Wheel is now back where it belongs as a global icon, by day and by night.” www.lightalliance.com
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FAÇADE LIGHTING
Midtown Mall Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The new Midtown Mall, in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, features a dynamic, multifaceted faÇade and landscape lighting concept, created by Nulty.
FAÇADE LIGHTING MIDTOWN MALL
ocated on one Riyadh’s busiest thoroughfares, the Midtown Mall development was designed by global architecture firm Benoy, and comprises a series of interconnected retail and restaurant units. With a sweeping restaurant frontage forming an integral part of the design, demarking the area as a vibrant destination that comes to life, lighting designers at Nulty worked closely with the architects to create a façade and landscape lighting concept for the commercial hub. The goal for Nulty was to integrate the lighting design within the overall architectural vision for the project; light has been designed to work on both an emotional and aesthetic level, creating an immersive experience while bringing contrast and drama to the façade and landscape as a whole. Nulty used three different lighting techniques across the façade to establish a clear visual hierarchy: each of the ceilings on the triple-floor frontage features an illuminated panel with a distinctive perforated finish. Here, the team used a cool colour temperature to provide high-level illumination, which frames each level of the exterior and reveals the textural detail of the perforated surface. Across the middle of each façade, a continuous line of cove lighting washes the lower walls with warm light and creates the illusion of a sweeping band of gold, which connects all of the individual restaurants.
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Client: Benoy Lighting Design: Nulty, UAE Architect: Benoy, UK Photography: Pierre Zabbal
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The architectural form of the exterior was then given a third layer of contrast through a series of illuminated timber fins that travel across the entire expanse of the restaurant area. Inspired by Riyadh’s sandstone desert landscape, this flowing wave of light features concealed luminaires that emit light upwards and downwards to enhance the contours and tones of the structure. The overall effect is organic in its feel and creates a sense of movement throughout the space. At a lower level, landscape illumination works throughout the mall district to mark out key features and assist with wayfinding. Uplights in planting and integrated lighting within decorative water features add a touch of theatricality, while linear lines of light serve to illuminate steps and highlight seating areas in planters. Ahmed Saliem, Projects Director at Nulty, said of the project: “The lighting scheme for Mid Town Mall demonstrates how when the lighting design works cohesively with the architecture, we can enhance the way people perceive and experience an urban environment. Our lighting concept uses contrasting light levels to enrich the visual composition of the façade and add pattern, playfulness and character to the scheme.” www.nultylighting.co.uk
FAÇADE LIGHTING
case study
The Sways Paris, France Designed by Yann Kersalé and BOA Light Studio, The Sways is a beacon for its new tenants, Canal+. The design team called on fixtures from FlexLedLight and controls from Pharos to bring their vision to life.
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Located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, a southwestern suburb of Paris, the Sways building has recently undergone a redevelopment, in time for the arrival of French TV group Canal+, who will occupy the building’s 41,000sqm office space. Completed in November 2021, the renovation project includes a two-storey extension to transform the original building, which dates back to the 1990s as well as the revamp to the commercial space. French lighting designer Yann Kersalé led the design project, in collaboration with BOA Light Studio. Together, they sought to bring the building to life through light. As part of the ‘One Building, One Work of Art’ initiative set up in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture to bring colour and creativity into the public sphere, lighting of the exterior façade was a central feature of the renovation. From the initial design brief, Kersalé’s intention was to create a building that showcases light throughout the seasons, ensuring the Sways complements its surroundings year-round, while enriching the city’s architectural landscape. More than 2,000 metres of bespoke RGBW DMX LED profiles have been installed on the façades, made by FlexLedLight, with a pitch of 12 LEDs per 10cm, which translates into 240,000 units, controlled one by one in hues, colours and rhythms. Alongside this, 75sqm of transparent LED screens display videos on top of the main entrance, like two sets of two-sided lanterns. These screens and the façade lighting are synchronised so that they show the same colours, schemes and rhythms. The scale of the project, and the combination of lights and
displays, makes this a beacon for Canal+, as well as for the city as a whole. Alongside this, Kersalé and BOA Light Studio worked with lighting management specialist Lumières Utiles to create an effective lighting control system that allows for changes to be conducted remotely at different times of the day. A fundamental element of the Lumières Utiles control system is the OLYMPE cloud, specifically designed to work with Pharos Architectural Controls products in delivering a unified remote management solution. The Pharos VLC 100 (Video Lighting Controller 100) was chosen for the building’s façade. In addition to this, eleven Pharos Ethernet Data Nodes (EDN) were specified to provide cost-effective Ethernetdistributed DMX ports around the building, and a Pharos TPS (Touch Panel Station) was used as the solution’s user interface. Arkaos software is incorporated into the broader control system to deliver two different streams of video content. Further completing the system is a Pharos LPC (Lighting Playback Controller) which receives triggers from a host webpage to drive different timelines for both the VLC and the Arkaos application. The VLC controls the 100 universes of LED pixelmapped main lines of the building façade, while Arkaos simultaneously delivers the two different streams for both screens at the top of the building. www.flexledlight.fr www.pharoscontrols.com
FAÇADE LIGHTING
case study
Image: Milijenko Hegedić
The Monument to the Homeland Zagreb, Croatia Lighting fixtures from L&L Luce&Light bring a respectful serenity to the Monument to the Homeland, situated outside Zagreb’s Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall.
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The Monument to the Homeland in Zagreb, Croatia, is a striking symbol of Croatian history, an emblem of identity, belonging and awareness, and a place that expresses a deep sense of suffering and memories. Recently built on a large grassy area in front of the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, right in the centre of the city, the monument is the work of Croatian architectural practice Nenad Fabijanić. Its commission was to create a new urban space for gatherings and official ceremonies, a meeting place where all those who contributed to the creation of Croatia are honoured. The Monument is composed of three elements of great symbolic value for the Croatian people, known as the Portal, the Wall of Pain and the Altar. The first of these, the Portal, is an architectural reference to city gates and triumphal arches, with simplified forms that nevertheless retain a monumental character. The second element, the Wall of Pain, is inspired by a previous monument built of bricks that was dedicated to the Croats who gave their lives for their country. It has been given a modern twist through the use of glass and transformed into a light, ethereal structure resting on a pool of water, an iridescent work that reflects
the weather from moment to moment. The third element, the Altar, stands in the space between the other two – a stone monument that holds the eternal flame, completing the national symbolism. To illuminate the entire construction, lighting design studios Ortoforma and Telektra chose L&L Luce&Light fixtures, which proved to be the lighting solutions best able to meet the design expectations. A gentle but highly evocative light delicately caresses the rigid shapes of the imposing Portal, thanks to a series of Neva 1.2 linear profiles, that are installed in the structure’s horizontal section and also cast a uniform light on the paving below. The scenic effect of the Wall of Pain – which seems to emerge from out of the clouds – is created by the light coming from Bright 1.6 316L underwater recessed fixtures, positioned at the base of the glass wall. Their light mixes with the water spray and gives it substance, producing the effect of an other-worldly wall of light. All around, a series of Rondò 3.2 step lights mark out the entire perimeter of the monument complex with a radial double beam, defining the space. www.lucelight.it
MACHINED & PAINTED FINISHES THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAIL. After 42 years of supplying lighting projects, we have developed a range of high-quality finishes suitable for both interior and exterior environments. Our collection of unique machined metal and painted finishes are produced in-house by our team, allowing us to closely control quality and accommodate any RAL colour request. We have meticulously created our own wet spray and powder coated paints to match metals across all product applications, making it possible to achieve complete design consistency throughout a project. A guide detailing our finishes is now available on our website. www.lightgraphix.co.uk
FAÇADE LIGHTING
case study
London Jewelers New York, USA The faÇade of the flagship London Jewelers store in New York has been given a vibrant facelift thanks to Applelec Lighting’s backlighting solutions.
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Auragami from Applelec Lighting was selected to deliver an impactful and unique shop frontage for the luxury retailers, London Jewelers, for its destination store located in Manhasset, New York. A fourth-generation boutique with a global reputation, the store has become London Jewelers’ flagship operation and features fine jewellery of Cartier, Chanel, David Yurman and Van Cleef & Arpels. Helping to reflect London Jewelers’ exclusive reputation, the store recently underwent an extensive refurbishment, fusing together luxurious residential detailing with modern elements. Breathing new life into the store, architect and design firm Nelson Worldwide reimagined the space to deliver a vibrant destination that balances sophisticated interior design with boutique elegance. In achieving this, lighting was a key element within the retail design and was integrated to create a brighter, more welcoming environment. The vibrant décor was continued to the exterior of the luxury store, which features a vast, illuminated façade to the entrance way. Delivering powerful backlighting, Auragami from Applelec Lighting was integrated behind the high-level fascia, providing a commanding focal point among the parade of retailers.
Shrouding the large fascia in seamless illumination, multiple Auragami light tiles were joined together to scale up the backlighting solution and enable the full height and width of the façade to be covered in light. Creating a unique and modern display, the lighting solution was selected in cool, 6500K LED option, where crisp white illumination carries through the bright and airy aesthetics of the London Jewelers store, helping to connect the external and internal spaces. Sandi Moolman architectural specification manager at Applelec Lighting said: “As the project required full coverage of illumination across the entire store façade, Auragami from Applelec Lighting was the ideal backlighting solution. Due to the convenient connection block features on the LED solution, this enabled a series of light tiles to be fitted together to increase the lighting solutions oversize, whilst still maintaining a premium finish.” www.applelec.co.uk
proled.com FLEX STRIPS & ALUMINIUM PROFILES photo: frieder blickle
case study
Image: 770 Studio
Lahan Select Gyeongju, Republic of Korea Clear Lighting and Edison-Opto fixtures have been used to illuminate the curving facade of Lahan Select Gyeongju.
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Lahan Select Gyeongju is a huge hotel located at the waterfront with a significant lake view. The walking trails and historical landmarks around the building overlook Bomun Lake and the surrounding natural environment. It forms a large complex away from the city centre, and provides a comfortable and calm feeling for its guests. The marriage between architecture and lighting makes this building not only elegant and harmonious, but moderate and comfortable. The architectural design for the hotel was created by Gansam, while lighting design came from EON SLD. At the gate and side pavement, Danpalon canopy and Neon light strips are used for lighting design; various elements of light are provided to the guests. Danpalon, a special PC material with honeycomb shapes and thick multiple layers, provides a unique light diffusion effect and has excellent impact resistance. The Neon strips series were delivered by Clear Lighting, Edison, and J&D; with a high stylish appearance, no light spots and uniform light emission, the strips are easy to be shaped into different shapes, making them great for architectural features and sculptures.
The designers at EON SLD used a U-shaped, flexible Danpalon canopy to emphasise the curved shape of the traditional Korean pagoda. Also, Clear Lighting’s Neon strip is in line with the flexible curve of the ceiling, which has a uniform and soft light colour without spots, and the stretchy light body is a perfect fit for the wavy design. The lighting design reveals the shape through light and creates a water wave aesthetic that matches the design of a wave-shaped building. The overall plan was for a low colour temperature of 2700K. The color temperature of 2700K from the Neon strips through the white-colored Danpalon canopy looks even more attractive, with the classy light matching the surrounding night scene. Using a warm colour temperature of 2700K, the lighting illuminates the historic site and landscape, telling a long history as if to highlight the past with soft light, reinterpreting the space from the daytime and accentuating historical elements. Moreover, the new lighting allows the guests to rest comfortably even at night. www.edison-opto.com.tw www.clearlighting.com
case study
FAÇADE LIGHTING
Meridian Water London, UK Part of a £6bn regeneration project, a new railway station at Meridian Water has recently opened, with exterior illumination provided by DW Windsor.
Led by Enfield Council, Meridian Water is a largescale £6bn regeneration project. Spanning 25 years, the programme will bring 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs to the Enfield area of North London – all within close proximity to the attractive Lee Valley Regional Park. As well as homes, new public spaces and community facilities, the development now boasts its own railway station. With a sleek, modern design, the station perfectly combines aesthetics and functionality. It features three platforms, lift access, a footbridge and retail space, offering improved connectivity in and out of the area for commuters, residents and visitors. Engineering consultants Arup and building contractor VolkerFitzpatrick were integral to the project team, with Arup appointed as lead designer and VolkerFitzpatrick overseeing construction. In addition, Arup led the design coordination, managing a multidisciplinary team plus architectural subconsultant Acanthus (later acquired by Scott Brownrigg), headed by Michael Watkins. To deliver key elements of the lighting design, DW Windsor was appointed to the project. The brief was to achieve high lighting levels on the station’s stairs and landing areas. The solution needed to ensure the safety of passengers travelling after dark, while also complementing the aesthetics of the station. Garda illuminated handrails with Garda Pro LED Modules were selected from DW Windsor’s extensive handrail lighting portfolio. Garda Pro is a performance LED solution with asymmetrical
distribution. Designed specifically for schemes that require high lighting levels, up to 150 lux, and good uniformity, Garda Pro optimises lighting, performance and cost. Available in a range of finishes, including brushed stainless steel and powder coated RAL colours, Garda handrail solutions ensure a design that can blend in or contrast with any setting. Meridian Water Station utilises Garda handrails in two distinctly different greys using warm-to-touch paint, ensuring the project adhered to BS8300 to meet the needs of disabled people. Andrew Bale from VolkerFitzpatrick said: “Meridian Water Station is a prime example of regeneration at its best, offering great rail links in a welcoming environment. “The project team worked collaboratively to deliver every aspect of the brief, and the results are clear to see.” David Anstee, Garda Technical Manager at DW Windsor, said: “The project presented an interesting challenge as we had to carry out the installation in multiple phases, as sections of the station were opened across different times. “Our project management skills were put to good use, ensuring we met all of the deliverables on time and within budget, something we pride ourselves on providing for our clients.” The station has replaced the outdated Angel Road station in Edmonton. The Meridian Water station has undoubtedly improved the experience of rail passengers, offering an inviting space, ease of use and better amenities. www.dwwindsor.com
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Because lighting is an art
Valkhof Museum Nijmegen, Netherlands
The Revo represents all core values of CLS. Innovative, high quality, configurable and sustainable. This also means that the fixture is easily upgradable and repairable, with as little waste as possible. Controllable via (Wireless) DMX, Casambi or CLS Magno dim. Machined from a solid block of aluminium and built with the best components available. The Revo lasts a lifetime. cls-led.com
opmaak Adv Kasteel wijchen.indd 1
Project by LightTwist
Revo
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31 MARCH 2022
www.darcawards.com
BEST EXTERIOR LIGHTING SCHEME
STRUCTURES LOW BUDGET
WINNER
Borås Pavilion, Sweden SECOND PLACE:
The Camel’s Fort, Spain by DCI Lighting Design, Spain
THIRD PLACE:
Dar Zefta, Lebanon by Alta Light, Lebanon
Project: Borås Pavilion Location: Borås, Sweden Lighting Design: Okidoki - Lighting Studio, Sweden Architect: Okidoki Arkitekter, Sweden Client: Borås Art Museum Main Lighting Suppliers: Rebel Light, Traxon, Vexica Image: Lasse Olsson
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2021 marked the 400th anniversary of the Swedish city of Borås. To commemorate this landmark occasion, while coinciding with the Borås Art Biennial, the Borås Art Museum launched a competition for a new pavilion to be constructed on the city’s river. Designed in response to the theme of Borås Art Biennial, “Deep Listening”, the pavilion is a “third space”, aimed at encouraging social relations through access to culture. The structure is a braided wooden megaphone facing the sky – a symbol of sound and communication. Inside, an open circular space invites visitors to sit equally. This floating meeting place is the braided heart of Borås, that pulsates rhythmically through sound waves and light. Lighting adds another layer of communicating the values and purpose of the pavilion, while creating an engaging environment and vibrant atmosphere for visitors. Lighting not only helps visitors to enjoy the spectacle from the exterior, but also invites people to walk on the water to step inside. A sensor at the entrance of the pavilion triggers a special scenario that both signals the presence of people and creates a different environment; the dots pulse and change colours in vertical waves, simulating an electrocardiography.
Alongside this “heartbeat” triggered by visitors, three main scenes were created: an amber/white setting, with a very slow dynamic, enhancing the natural colours of the pavilion; two sets of very dynamic colour changing happening at half past the hour – one from orange to red to amber, mimicking waves in a bid to exaggerate the warmth of the wood, and another with purple tones and a more random movement; the final scene is the “Borås Lights” – only visible for 10 minutes in late evenings, this scene is aimed at engaging late night workers and younger members of the public with blue to green colours. Additionally, the event scenario includes an interpretation of festive lighting for winter holidays. The scenes are naturally influenced by daylight, with dimming settings varying and decreasing lightly after dark. Light fixtures were integrated into the pavilion, creating a sharp reflection of the structure on the water. 320 RBGW individually controllable dots were used across the pavilion, accompanied by a flexible strip light underneath the bench, adding a lower scale, diffuse light. Since completion, the pavilion has been positively received and well attended by the public: the pavilion not only became an attraction of this edition of the Biennial, but also offered a living experience to meet or take the time to contemplate.
BEST EXTERIOR LIGHTING SCHEME
STRUCTURES HIGH BUDGET
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER
UK Pavilion - Expo 2020, UAE SECOND PLACE:
BIO-4, Denmark by Speirs Major, UK
THIRD PLACE:
Cinquantenaire, Belgium by ACTLD, Belgium
Project: UK Pavilion - Expo 2020 Location: Dubai, UAE Lighting Design: Atelier Ten, UK Architect: Veretec, UK Client: Expo 2020 Dubai Main Lighting Suppliers: Tryka Image: Alin Constantin, courtesy of Es Devlin
The UK’s contribution to Expo 2020 is the brainchild of artist and designer Es Devlin, conceived to be an ‘expression of the ideal of a culturally diverse Britain’. The design is a conical, cross-laminated timber pavilion, with a visually striking display of AI-generated poems. The pavilion was developed by Devlin in partnership with structural engineers Atelier One, environmental design consultants Atelier Ten, executive architects Veretec and creative agency Avantgarde. Each of the millions of visitors to the Expo over its six-month tenure were invited to donate a word at the pavilion’s ‘mouthpiece’. These donated words were selected to be collectively illuminated in Arabic and English, with a new poem generated every minute by a machine-learning algorithm called GPT-2. There is no exhibit inside in the pavilion, allowing the focus to remain on the structure of the building and the meaning of the poetry. Instead, visitors will encounter a curved void with LED-tile covered walls that also display the donated words. This is harmonised with a soundscape, recorded by multicultural choirs from across the UK. To illuminate the pavilion, an array of solutions from Tryka were utilised. These include thousands of metres of Tryka’s linear Continuity T and Continuity S, in varying colour temperatures and
watts per metre. Other Tryka solutions found in the UK pavilion include the Comfy fixed circular spotlight, with a black-coated reflector and trim, in 3000K and a high CRI95. There are several design elements that aim to make the temporary structure as sustainable as possible. These include the use of the crosslaminated timber rather than concrete or steel to lessen its environmental impact. The use of LED lighting also reduces the structure’s carbon emissions, so Expo 2020 has been designed with the environment and a sustainable agenda in mind. At Expo 2020, international exhibitions showcased architecture and innovation by countries from all over the world. The UK contribution is a conical illuminated structure transmitting a message of multicultural harmony that will not be forgotten.
BEST INTERIOR LIGHTING SCHEME
PLACES LOW BUDGET
WINNER
Pantera Mambo, Spain SECOND PLACE:
The Camel’s Fort, Spain by DCI Lighting Design, Spain
THIRD PLACE:
Dar Zefta, Lebanon by Alta Light, Lebanon
Project: Pantera Mambo Location: Barcelona, Spain Lighting Design: Anoche, Spain Interior Design: INSAYN Design Society, Spain Client: Pantera Mambo Main Lighting Suppliers: Tridonic, Gopiled Image: Marc Nogue
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“A cocktail bar made of unique experiences, emotions, simplicity and, above all, madness.” These are some of the inputs that the clients gave lighting designers at Anoche when they started collaborating to bring light to Pantera Mambo. The truth is that they were very clear that light would be the main axis of the project, so the design decisions were directly related to how light would behave in the space. Taking into account that the name refers to the salsa song, Pantera Mambo, it was clear to the design team that light would be the transforming element of the space to invite to dance, to play and to have fun. At the moment “Pantera Mambo” played, a wave of light would flood the space in colour. The choice of materials, as well as the delicate study of the most technical part of the lighting, made it possible for Anoche to create an atmosphere of dynamism and madness. The use of reflections, contrasts and transparencies, lead the user to live a different and unique experience.
BEST INTERIOR LIGHTING SCHEME
PLACES HIGH BUDGET
BEST OF THE BEST [D]ARC AWARD
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER Bath Abbey, UK SECOND PLACE: Yotel Vega, UK by Artin Light, UK THIRD PLACE: Apple Marina Bay Sands, Singapore by Foster + Partners, UK
Project: Bath Abbey Location: Bath, UK Lighting Design: Michael Grubb Studio, UK Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, UK Client: Bath Abbey Main Lighting Suppliers: Stoane Lighting, Lucent, Reggiani, Zumtobel, Architainment, Optelma, iGuzzini
The Bath Abbey Footprint project is a £19.3m transformation programme of restoration work that will provide contemporary and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of the Abbey. The initial phase of the project was completed in the Spring of 2021. The new lighting system from Michael Grubb Studio plays a major role in revealing and celebrating the Abbey’s unique architectural features, while providing flexible scenes for various services and events. The choice of warm, white light evokes an inviting and intimate ambience that acknowledges the Abbey’s status as a place of worship. Simultaneously, the lighting has the capability to create impact via a variety of impressive, dramatically lit scenes for events. High level lighting located below the clerestory windows pick out the crowns and delicate profiles of the fan vaulting, which the Abbey is famous for. Mid level lights reveal the fine Bath Stone forms of the perpendicular gothic window tracery and vaults of the side aisles. The numerous Georgian wall memorials are illuminated by further luminaires located in the side aisles and transepts, which also highlight the fine tombs of Lady Jane Waller and the Bishop James Montague. The cast iron Victorian chandeliers have also been adapted to incorporate new low energy LED luminaires.
The entire lighting system has been upgraded and operates via a new DMX lighting control system, which allows each LED lamp to be individually controlled, providing flexibility and the opportunity to animate lighting during services or for special events. The lighting design was developed to enhance and reveal each architectural aspect within the Abbey. The optical distribution of the light source, along with its characteristics, was selected following tests on site against the various finishes. The new lighting is also 50% more efficient than the previous lighting scheme within the Abbey. The completion of this phase of work is a major step towards completion of the Footprint Project. The project enhances the significance of the Abbey, while also creating a more flexible building with better facilities. This allows the Abbey to better serve the congregation, the city of Bath and the many visitors to the UNESCO World Heritage site.
BEST LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SCHEME
SPACES LOW BUDGET
WINNER
Atlas Passage, Turkey SECOND PLACE: Linear Light Realm, Taiwan by Atelier S.U.P.E.R.B. + Yen Partnership Architects, Taiwan THIRD PLACE: Private Residence, Greece by Lianka Papakammenou, Greece
Project: Atlas Passage Location: Istanbul, Turkey Lighting Design: LAB.1 Lighting Design & Daylighting, Turkey Client: SOLD Lighting Design & Engineering Main Lighting Suppliers: Avolux Lighting Image: Faruk Uyan
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The building was built in 1870 as the winter mansion of Agop Köçeyan, one of the leading figures of the Istanbul Catholic Armenian community of the time. Opening to ‘Istiklal’, the most famous street of Istanbul, the passage has been an important place in the memories of citizens. LAB.1 Lighting Design & Daylighting was invited to work on the lighting design for the entrance, circulation areas, and the special staircase hall leading to the cinema museum. With the excitement of taking part in the restoration project of the Atlas Cinema and Passage, the designers decided to produce a simple, inviting, and elegant lighting design. One of the important issues for the team was to touch the historical building physically and philosophically as little as possible. As such, the team aimed to design lighting that would not steal the role of the building and even support its architectural design. For this, they analysed the building and its surrounding environment, and tried to “hear what the building wanted from us”. The passage takes people from Istiklal street, which is always very crowded and helps them reach four different places; Cinema hall, Museum of Turkish Cinema, a closed market and finally the street on the other side of the building. The lighting design was designed in a linear
concept, following the architectural plan of the passage, to emphasise this circulation line. Lighting designers positioned a track system in a detail that they discovered in the original state of the building. The spotlights mounted to this track system create illumination on the floor, while the indirect hidden light shows the specially-restored vaulted ceiling. Thus, this linear axis extending from Istiklal Street to the other parts of the passage; was emphasised with simple and pleasant lighting merged with the building architecture.
BEST LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SCHEME
SPACES HIGH BUDGET
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER
Zerostrasse, Croatia SECOND PLACE: Delta, Norway by Void, Norway THIRD PLACE: Starry Town of Fuxian Lake, China by J+B Studios Architectural Lighting, China
Project: Zerostrasse Location: Pula, Croatia Lighting Design: Skira Architectural Lighting, Croatia Architect: Breda Bizkak, BB Arhitekti with collaborators Marta Bognar and Goran Racan, Croatia Client: City of Pula Main Lighting Suppliers: Daisalux, Idealux, iGuzzini, Lutron Image: Jana Jocif
The underground network of tunnels, built in Pula’s city centre during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is now fully renovated and acts as a pedestrian metro, with a central gallery and a vertical connection with the Museum on the top of the hill. The lighting design solution from Skira Architectural Lighting provides comfortable linear lighting along the 2,700sqm hallways. The reconstruction of the tunnels created new opportunities for movement in a three-dimensional way through the hill. It is the isolation from external influences and especially daylight, that influenced the lighting design concept. The tunnels represent an exceptional space where one can find oneself by chance or on purpose when escaping from heat, rain, summer crowds, using it as communication with a fortress, visiting the central gallery, or simply as a shortcut to another part of the city. During the restoration, the attention was to preserve the rock mantle, which required the collection of all electrical installations in one route where lighting was also accomodated. The luminaires are hidden and placed in the metal construction below the ceiling surface, with several cave holes illuminated in red. The red lighting is not that visible from a distance, instead it is an element of surprise. Only in the central gallery were additional LED lines added to illuminate the
pillars and add more light for expositions and gatherings. The only areas with physical intervention were the concrete floors and the vertical elevator shaft between the tunnel and the fortress for museum visitors with disabilities, the elderly, and children. The lighting of the transparent elevator and the exit and entrance zone creates a welcoming ambience and enough illumination for orientation in an otherwise pretty dark atrium. The living rock, which was a shelter during the war, now is a new attraction, a shortcut from one side of the town to another.
BEST LIGHT ART SCHEME
ART
LOW BUDGET
WINNER Air, UK
SECOND PLACE: Reflection Portal, UK by Artin Light, UK THIRD PLACE: Staying Alight, Switzerland by GNI Projects, UK
Project: Air Location: Margate, UK Lighting Design: Rebel Overlay UK Artist: Spencer Heron Main Lighting Suppliers: Rebel Overlay
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Air – a kinetic laser light sculpture and audiovisual installation, created as a proof of concept piece in an ongoing exploration of the interplay between light, sound and space. For this installation, 12 kinetic winch mechanisms and two opposing laser generators are synchronised to create motion-tracked, floating threads of light that render a constantly shifting series of geometric shapes and minimalistic forms.
BEST LIGHT ART SCHEME
ART
HIGH BUDGET
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER
Light Cycles - Illuminate Adelaide, Australia SECOND PLACE: Labyrinth of Light, Italy by Lighting Planners Associates, Japan THIRD PLACE: Mycelium - Bay Street Bridge, Canada by GPI Design, USA
Project: Light Cycles - Illuminate Adelaide Location: Adelaide, Australia Lighting Design: Moment Factory, Canada Image: Moment Factory
For the premiere edition of Illuminate Adelaide, a new annual winter celebration of innovation, music, art, and technology, festival founders invited Moment Factory to participate as a featured artist with an outdoor digital art experience at Adelaide Botanic Garden. Inspired by the lush canvas and the event’s vision, Light Cycles leads visitors on a nighttime journey where nature’s secret rhythms are illuminated through light and video projections set to an original score. Encompassing nearly two kilometres, Light Cycles features seven immersive installations that each encourage newfound connections with nature. Visitors enter through an ethereal tunnel of fog clouds and journey into the setting sun’s golden haze. In the woods, swirling LEDs and sonic frequencies channel the hidden wavelengths of the forest, while deeper in the grove, trees communicate with unique musical signatures and glowing crystal lights. Waves of laser beams flow across the lake’s calm surface, culminating in a moment of reflection that ferries visitors to the garden’s iconic Palm House for a final celebration of the warmth of community and storytelling. Light Cycles brings together a mix of concepts that were custom-created for the site and adapted from experiences in Moment Factory’s repertoire,
such as the award-winning North Forest Lights at The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its Lumina Night Walk series. Despite pandemicrelated travel restrictions, close collaboration with the Illuminate Adelaide, Adelaide Botanic Garden and Novatech teams, to name a few, allowed Moment Factory to successfully deliver Light Cycles to a sold out crowd.
BEST CREATIVE LIGHTING EVENT
EVENT
WINNER Lumiere 2021, UK SECOND PLACE: Connected by Light, UK by Canary Wharf Group THIRD PLACE: Ain Dubai Opening Ceremony, UAE by Neoalpha Global
Event: Lumiere 2021 Location: Durham, UK Organiser: Artichoke Main Partners: Mader Wiermann; Javier Riera; Tim Etchells; Kari Kola; Elaine Buckholz & Ian Winters; Liz West; Floating Pictures; TILT; NOVAK; Illumaphoniumm; Tony Heaton; Iregular; Dominik Lejman; Superbe; Epsztein & Gross; Jim Campbell; Groupe LAPS; Tekja; Palma Studio; Pekka Nittyvirta & Timo Aho; Martin Creed; Youki Kirakawa Main Sponsors: Durham County Council; Arts Council England; DCMS Cultural Recovery Fund; Durham University; Atom Bank; Milburngate; Raddison Blu; Banks Community Fund; Durham Cathedral; County Durham Community Foundation; Unusual Services; QED
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Lumiere 2021 explored new boundaries by expanding beyond Durham’s city limits into Durham County for the first time. Six major installations by light artists transformed county landmarks including Raby Castle, Penshaw Monument, Finchale Priory, the Pasmore Pavilion, Ushaw Historic House & Gardens and Seaham Marina. The 2021 festival featured more than 30 international and UK artists, with site-specific installations transforming public spaces and buildings with artworks all made using the medium of light. An audience of up to 140,000 over four nights explored the city and county locations to enjoy 37 artworks, from videomapped installations to standalone light sculptures, neons, projections, and interactive pieces. Produced against challenging pandemic odds, Lumiere remained true to its mission to enable the vision of artists and their ability to transform the everyday and reflect on past, present and future, as well as its commitment to providing development opportunities for new artists and involving hundreds of local people in the making of the projects through learning and participation programmes associated with several installations. Artichoke is pleased to work with service partners including QED (Lighting & Projection), IPS (Technical Production), Unusual Services (Rigging), Public
Image events and J-EMSS (event management), to deliver the Lumiere festival to the exacting standards and high production values it has become renowned for the world over. Lumiere is produced by Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council, with additional support from Arts Council England, DCMS Recovery Fund, Durham University and a raft of funders and sponsors. Lumiere is instrumental to County Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025.
BEST LIGHTING PRODUCTS
KIT
EXTERIOR
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER
Saber Suspension - PureEdge Lighting SECOND PLACE: Neptune - LED Linear THIRD PLACE: Flexi Grazer 3D - LEDFlex FOURTH PLACE: Pano Adjustable In-Ground Phos FIFTH PLACE: Chronopix - Hera LED SIXTH PLACE: LD1094 - LightGraphix SEVENTH PLACE: Lun-Up Evo - iGuzzini EIGHTH PLACE: OS4 Series - Insta Lighting NINTH PLACE: newGrowth Sprout and Branch Outdoor - CP Lighting TENTH PLACE: Floor Line OGL2 - Insta Lighting
Saber Suspension, the new US patent-pending lighting system by PureEdge, takes architectural lighting to the next level by creating free-form lighting in outdoor spaces. LED rounded strips of light create soft, glare-free ambient illumination. Saber’s three dimensional, wet-listed, suspended stream of light provides ambient lighting and features a unique, rounded LED strip of light for ideal light diffusion. The 0.75-inch wide round lens offers superior colour quality and performance while creating uniform illumination without pixilation. Visually stimulating and housed within an unconventional silicone lens, Saber is tension hung offering flexible installation and conceptual yet functional design. Saber bends up and down giving it the ability to traverse open spaces wall-towall, wall-to-ceiling, or floor-to-ceiling. With Saber’s suspended lines of ‘floating neon’, lighting designers can ‘paint’ the night sky with linear light. It is available in RGB and RGB+White for design flexibility, creating truly unique outdoor spaces. Saber also features multiple colour temperatures, as well as warm dim and tuneable white technology to help create a relaxing environment, replicating the colour temperature change experienced at sunset.
BEST LIGHTING PRODUCTS
KIT
INTERIOR
WINNER
Pano Adjustable In-Ground - Phos SECOND PLACE: Sinfonia - DGA THIRD PLACE: ZTA.70.Zoom - Stoane Lighting FOURTH PLACE: Lazer Line - PureEdge Lighting FIFTH PLACE: Auroom Pink - Centrsvet SIXTH PLACE: Focus Micro - CLS LED SEVENTH PLACE: Soliscape - Delta Light EIGHTH PLACE: Multinova - Delta Light NINTH PLACE: Q8 Lenti - DGA TENTH PLACE: Green Applelec LED Light Sheet - Applelec Lighting
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Phos’ new in-ground adjustable uplight is produced in two sizes; Nano and Midi. The design of the luminaire and its special tool, allows the adjustment of both the tilt angle (up to 30° on every axis), as well as the ability to change the beam width with a choice of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50° options. Both of these elements can be carried out either pre or post-installation, ensuring unrivalled practicality to the designer, with simple detail tweaking at any point of the project, and removing issues around possible installation variances. Tested to IP68 as standard, once the luminaire is in place, the top glass can be removed, allowing access to all these adjustments, then carefully resealed. Along with its other ranges, Phos can offer this new uplight in single colour temperatures or the Genesis ultra-high 98 CRI option as well as tunable white and dim to warm. Offering up to 300-900 lumens in the midi range, or a more discrete, subtle “pathfinder” 100-300 lumens in the Nano range, once again, Phos has ensured that there are a variety of lumen output options in both models to suit the required job. From a construction point of view, Phos offers the fittings in either 316L marine-grade stainless steel or in aluminium. Additionally, it offers custom finishing in any RAL colour or as anodised or
plated to match an interior design colour-concept. All its luminaires can be repaired, upgraded or recycled in accordance with Phos company policy on the Circular Economy and Sustainability.
BEST LIGHTING PRODUCTS
KIT
TECHNOLOGY
[D]ARC AWARDS WINNERS
WINNER
Athena Touchscreen - Lutron Electronics SECOND PLACE: P-Dot - Schnick Schnack Systems THIRD PLACE: 48V DC 32W DC2DC LED Track Driver - eldoLED FOURTH PLACE: SunLike - Seoul Semiconductor FIFTH PLACE: Designer 2.8 - Pharos SIXTH PLACE: DALI-2 Multi-discipline Microsensor - Delmatic SEVENTH PLACE: 3030C - Seoul Semiconductor EIGHTH PLACE: IP DALI-2 Buswire Module Delmatic NINTH PLACE: Elements - Insta Lighting TENTH PLACE: LumiNature - Concord by Sylvania
Athena is a simple, flexible, all-in-one solution for lighting, intelligent blinds, and connected apps. The Lutron system marries best-in-class control, unparalleled flexibility, and simple app-based setup in a lighting control solution that is optimal for both new construction and retrofits and is ideally suited to handle the evolving needs of commercial spaces. Customised controls are also available to meet the needs of occupants and visitors alike – touchless, responsive options like occupancy and daylight sensors or timeclock control, individual Pico remote controls and luxury aesthetics such as Palladiom keypads, or the all-new Athena Touchscreen, and mobile app integration ensure the right options for each space. Athena expands opportunities for beautiful light in elegant spaces. Lighting designs can be customised with warm dimming and tuneable white control. The simple, mobile app enables dimming to 0.1% light with precision fine-tuning in 1% light level increments for visual presentation and aesthetics that are unique in each space. Athena processors allow the system to scale easily, making Athena systems as good for small architectural spaces such as restaurants, museums, and boutiques, as they are for
large, open-plan office spaces and corporate headquarters. Most people spend their days under static light that doesn’t change. Athena invites architects and designers to change this paradigm, to extend dynamic natural light deep into the built environment, far beyond the window’s reach. Athena brings the full power of tuneable white, DALI Type 8 fixtures to the designer’s fingertips. With best-in-class fade times, and independent control of colour temperature and intensity – from 100% to 0.1% – create perfect harmony between interior light and natural daylight. Athena is designed to deliver quality light, natural light, a connection to the outdoors, and control options that are focused on enhancing the human experience.
[d]arc awards installations Once again, this year’s [d]arc awards party featured a series of light installations created by design partners and sponsors. This year, nine installations were inspired by the theme of ‘Songs’. To commemorate the winners of the 2021 [d]arc awards, the industry’s premier awards party, [d]arc night, took place on the evening of Thursday 31 March. Taking place at the iconic Fabric nightclub in central London, [d]arc night welcomed more than 500 partygoers for a celebration of the best in lighting design. Alongside an awards presentation, delivered by [d]arc media’s Helen Ankers and Matt Waring, guests enjoyed a night full of entertainment, including karaoke, a photo booth, neon face paint and DJ, along with complementary food and drink. The event was also live streamed on YouTube to the wider international audience. A core component of the [d]arc night parties in previous years has been the beautiful light installations created by supporting design teams. These once again returned this year, with nine teams creating impressive works centred around the theme of ‘Songs’.
Clockwise from above: Supermassive Black Hole by dpa lighting consultants & Tryka; Claire De Lune (Moonlight) by Buro Happold & iGuzzini; Dance Into the Light by Foster + Partners & Rako. Images: Gavriil Papadiotis
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One big change this year though, was the requirement for the design partners to make their works as sustainable and eco-minded as possible. Part of the wider effort by event organisers [d]arc media and Light Collective to make the night as carbon neutral as possible – an effort that included a fully vegetarian food menu, environmentally conscious alcohol brands and no single use plastic on site – each design team had to provide a ‘Decarbonisation Statement’, outlining the efforts that they took to reduce their carbon footprint and create more sustainable works of art. Methods employed by the design teams ranged from using recycled luminaires and compostable materials, to reusing or repurposing the installation for future events.
Buro Happold & iGuzzini - Claire De Lune (Moonlight) by Claude Debussy
Inspired by the classical piece of music, Claire de Lune by French composer Claude Debussy, Buro Happold and iGuzzini created an installation that highlighted the importance of protecting our dark skies from light pollution. The dark room, comprised of a self-standing frame covered in black fabric housing models of a cityscape and scenes of nature,
demonstrated the difference between a lightpolluted environment and a clear sky where the stars and moon are perfectly visible for the enjoyment of people. To implement the concept, the iGuzzini products used to replicate light pollution were intentionally used without any shields, representing light spill. The manufacturer’s PalcoInOut framers were used to create the starry sky, while its gobo projectors created the moon. The installation was controlled by iGuzzini’s Quick BLE system, creating a continuous loop of light pollution going up and down very slowly; a period of darkness allowed the visitors to be mesmerised by the moon and the stars. Due to the ephemeral nature of the installation, the design team was keen to use as few elements as possible, including features that were re-used in order to reduce costs and create a sustainable installation. All iGuzzini products were previously used samples, minimising the environmental impact of producing and shipping new luminaires. The structure framing was rented and returned to the rental company following the event, while other elements within the installation were constructed of recyclable cartons and were sent to recycling.
dpa lighting consultants & Tryka Supermassive Black Hole by Muse
Lighting designers at dpa lighting consultants, and their design partners at Tryka were inspired by Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole for their installation. The idea was to play with the concept of light and the absence of light. A black hole is the darkest thing one can imagine, something so dark and dense that it does not allow even light to escape its tremendous gravitational field. However, it is thanks to this gravitational field that galaxies, stars and unknown worlds dance around it, in calm rhythm towards the inevitable. The dichotomy of beauty and horror is the base of the overall installation. While it is clearly impossible to represent with light the darkest elements known in the universe, to give a sense of the black hole, the design team instead sought to represent the gravitational field around the event horizon – the lines along which the matter moves towards the black hole. As such, a relatively simple toroidal shape was created by stretching Tryka’s flexible Continuty Pixel RGBW LED tape along a metal radial structure, mimicking the gravitational field of a black hole. A careful and accurate work of programming allowed the design team to generate movement, dynamism and express the vortex movement of the stars precipitating towards black holes in a spiralling motion. Use of colour, shimmering effects and different light intensities were used to create mesmerising and hypnotic effects, linked together in a continuous loop. Following the event, the piece will be reused to form part of future marketing events for Tryka, including on its exhibition stand at LiGHT 22 this November. Once the piece has been retired from public use, the intention is for it to become a permanent lighting feature within Trkya’s showroom or sales office.
Foster + Partners & Rako - Dance Into the Light by Phil Collins
Foster + Partners, together with Rako, created their own zoetrope installation inspired by Phil Collins’ Dance into the Light. Housed inside a structure made of recycled Eaglecell (previously used by Foster + Partners on architectural models and mock-ups), the installation featured a spinning, reflective, animated play of light that captivated visitors and invited them to peer inside. Both partners utilised equipment and materials that have been recycled from previous projects and testing, and will continue to be used for these purposes post-installation. Interactive elements of the installation were provided by Rako Controls, and were all recycled – the RGB light fittings used for the installation were fittings previously stripped from the demo room at Rako’s offices following a refurbishment – these contained Luxeon engines and were approximately 10 years old. All Rako control modules and panels that were used came from service stock, and will be re-used post-installation. Other components within the installation included repurposed guitar foot pedals, used to activate
were seamlessly integrated for user interaction along with an amplifier – most equipment was either borrowed or already owned by Foundry, resulting in zero waste. Any items that were purchased are to be re-sold following the event. Within the oil slick installation, nine iMAX II Round Adjustable CL Delta Light fixtures were used, ranging from 2700-4000K, which created a sense of theatre to the design. The fittings will be re-used as project and event samples, and will be recycled at end of life. The fake oil was made by Foundry and was washable, non-toxic, biodegradable and vegan. Every element of the design was carefully considered to curate a sustainable and eco-friendly installation.
Hoare Lea & Kingfisher - Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite
the piece, which were obtained free of charge from Sheffield-based Richtone Music; these were collected as part of a site visit, keeping carbon footprint to a minimum. Both pedals had been well used, with one coming from a service bin, and the other being second hand. Further in keeping with the music theme, the spinning aspect of the installation was created via a turntable acquired by Foster + Partners through a connection at a company called Decktronix. This also came from service stock, and was due to be returned postevent.
Foundry & Delta Light - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths
Clockwise from above: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by Foundry & Delta Light; Fireflies by Lighting Design International & Lutron; Groove is in the Heart by Hoare Lea & Kingfisher
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Paying homage to the classic track from The Smiths, Foundry and Delta Light’s installation entranced visitors with a pool of “oil” that sparkled and glittered in the light. Once engaged, the liquid pulsed and moved with the song, creating globules that danced in the light. The installation was created using material that was either borrowed, or will be re-used. The general construction materials were readily available in the Foundry warehouse, or locally sourced FSC certified timber. Foundry used a local builders merchants, located near their workshop, to reduce travel and carbon emissions. The main structure consisted of timber frames and black reflective material, which created depth and prevented light spill, to ensure that the oil and movement was perfectly illuminated, captivating visitors with a visual experience. Along with the general materials, technology was used within the installation to bring it to life and interact with the music. A laptop and keyboard
To celebrate the return of unrestricted events where the industry could gather together to have a good time, Hoare Lea and Kingfisher chose the song Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite as the inspiration for their installation. The team’s proposal was to have an installation with a low energy requirement and a significant use of sustainable materials, while maximising the visual impact to create something that would be beautiful for people to enjoy. The design team workshopped a number of ideas for the installation, including energy producing potatoes. The final installation took the shape of a large parabolic form, allowing the light source (an Arluce Moto RGB floodlight) to be positioned in the focal point, with a single source creating dramatic effects. As the projected light changes, the appearance of the coloured materials changes and become muted or vibrant, with changes to their perceived intensity and hue. Working off a 600mm diameter mock-up, Kingfisher Lighting scaled the piece up to a 1200mm diameter version, and reworked the materials used to be sustainable, repurposing previous [d]arc awards installations and utilising existing stock. A suitable sample product from its range was also selected, to ensure re-use of an existing product. No plastic was used in either the mock-up or final piece, and around 90% of the material used has been reclaimed or accessed from existing stock. As part of Hoare Lea’s commitment to supporting people and the planet, most material will be repurposed in the future or recycled, with the team also calculating the carbon footprint of its installation, travel, computer time, mock-ups, food and drink consumption, and offsetting the carbon for its entire participation in the event. During the evening, the lighting was preprogrammed with DMX to visually play Groove is in the Heart – when the awards had concluded, the control was switched to a DMX lighting desk, which allowed the three RGB channels to react individually to the bass, mids and treble, taking a feed directly from the DJ mixing desk and allowing the installation to become a part of Fabric’s dancefloor lighting effects.
[D]ARC AWARDS INSTALLATIONS
Lighting Design International & Lutron - Fireflies by Owl City
L-R: Red Light by MBLD & formalighting; Dancing in the Moonlight by Michael Grubb Studio & We-ef; Dancing in the Moonlight by WSP & Seoul Semiconductor.
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The design team of Lighting Design International (LDI) and Lutron took inspiration from the song Fireflies by Owl City for their installation, situated on the mezzanine level of Fabric. The song recounts the experience of sleeplessness, with fireflies representing the illusions that the singer has during moments when he is trying to sleep. These fantasies were what the design team tried to capture visually with a dream-like vista. The team created a green wilderness, with plants, branches and reclaimed materials, in amongst other elements referenced in the song, such as the bed and the jam jars of light; the “fireflies” then populated the landscape and twinkle. An element of interaction came through Lutron’s lighting controls, signifying the passing of time from day to night. The fireflies and backlit backdrop were created with fixtures from Applelec. As part of its decarbonising efforts, LDI used reclaimed materials throughout with the backdrop frame recycled from an image production company, while the flowers and greenery were borrowed from a wedding specialist; larger branches were provided by a tree surgeon, coming from their specialist waste. Any live plants used in the installation were taken home and replanted by the LDI team. All lighting elements used were stocked items already available in the UK, with Applelec delivering them to LDI on route to other commitments. The fixtures were then returned to Applelec following the event for stock. Meanwhile Lutron’s control equipment all came from samples, and will be reused as sample kit post-event. Any additional light that was provided came via LDI’s sample library, and was returned to the LDI offices afterwards. The backdrop is also now being re-used in the LDI office following the event.
MBLD & formalighting - Red Light by Billy Ocean
The concept for MBLD and formalighting’s installation is based on Billy Ocean’s song, Red Light. The lyric “Red light spells danger”, the team felt, reflects the current worldwide situation in which we are all as humanity dealing with Global Warming and the pandemic. Due to humanity’s lack of concern, we ended up being affected the most by these situations, so the design team wanted to raise awareness, as more of us need to be involved to stop or slow down the danger we are in to create a better future, a healed planet. Because of this statement, the team wanted to bring to life a visualisation that time is evanescent and if we are all involved in helping the environment, we can save and heal the planet. The installation therefore comprises a suspended globe, representing our planet, in an hourglass made of steel showcasing a warning red Color Line Opal LED light pulsating, combined with a 3000K Calamaro Dotless LED light, illustrating the healing of the planet. Also made of steel, the base with red LED light and a glass diffuser emphasises the feeling of danger. The materials for the sculpture were sourced from local metal merchants. These materials were fully recyclable, along with the paper elements, and following the event, the sculpture was recycled, with all luminaires to be reused.
Michael Grubb Studio & We-ef - Dancing in the Moonlight by Jubel (feat. NEIMY) Taking direct cues from their song choice, Michael Grubb Studio (MGS) and We-ef were inspired by the supernatural delight of the moon’s light. A single, enchanting light draws spectators into a circle – reminiscent of the moon, silver and cool-toned translucent elements are suspended from above, catching direct light and projecting
WSP & Seoul Semiconductor - Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader
Inspired by Toploader’s 2000 single Dancing in the Moonlight, WSP and Seoul Semiconductor looked at simple ways of creating the effect of dancing light. Through its research, and in combination with Seoul Semiconductor’s SunLike COB technology, the design team looked at traditional puppet lighting and gobo lighting effects – taking further inspiration from Home Alone. Through the mock-up process, WSP found that a luminaire with a reflector wouldn’t create the desired lit effect, as a 360° effect was needed to get the projections onto the lantern screen, so the reflectors were removed. Even with reflectors removed, bare LED COBs are still inherently directional, so the challenge became to create a 360° lit effect with the COBs. Working with Tryka and its product design team, a four-way LED pendant was designed that would allow WSP and Seoul Semiconductor to suspend four LED COBs within cardboard, laser-cut shades that they created. After trialling a 2700K sample arrangement, the decision was made to layer the colour temperatures of 2700K, 3000K and 4000K, creating a number of figure projections and giving the sense of a crowd of people. Simple rotating
discs with Lego boards were used to slowly spin the shades and create movement. Keeping within the sustainable theme of the brief, the main structure was created using twometre-long cardboard tubes – originally used for transporting aluminium channels for LEDs – bedsheets and bamboo. Recycled skirting boards were used to create the H stands to support the cardboard tubes, and the stands for the rotating shades were the boxes used to transport all of the items to site. Alongside the nine installations, the awards party also featured two sponsored areas - the Linea Light Lounge and Mesh Bar. Paul James, [d]arc media Managing Director, said: “It was fantastic to hold the [d]arc awards as a live event again. The lighting design profession thrives on face to face interaction so to have 550 people at Fabric was great to see. “I want to thank everyone that entered, voted, and came to the awards ceremony. A special thank you to the sponsors and lighting design partners who put so much effort into the installations. They all looked spectacular and bring something special to the unique format of the [d]arc awards. I can’t wait to do it all again next year!” www.darcawards.com
[D]ARC AWARDS INSTALLATIONS
their form onto the surrounding surfaces. Once inhabited, a dance of lights activates and fully immerses those within. Visitors are taken by the movement of the lights and spinning moons, seeing the colours and patterns on their skin, and marvelling in the spectacle. With the circular economy in mind, the installation was created using material scraps and samples found in the MGS studio and the We-ef showroom to avoid material waste. The installation consisted of a repurposed structure, whose sides were covered in a recycled lightweight fabric. The reflective elements were suspended from cables and formed from cardboard with translucent filters. A combination of We-ef surface mounted linear LEDs and narrow beam spotlights with GOBOs and accessories were mounted on a lightweight overhead element. The thin floor of the installation concealed integrated switches that activate three immersive light sequences: The Hey! Scene, in which a central spotlight is illuminated to attract curiosity and invite visitors to the installation; the Welcome scene, activated as they enter, where spotlights turn on and dimmed lights begin to appear and slowly pan across the surfaces; the final scene, Dancing in the Moonlight, is activated when visitors enter the central circle, bringing all the luminaires to life. The intensity of the light increases and creates an immersive effect, evoking the moonlight. Visitors step on switch three upon exit to end the experience and return the installation to the first scene. All the luminaires were produced from 90% authentic, refined and recycled aluminium. Following the event all material was reused, repurposed or returned to partners once the installation was deconstructed.
[d]arc awards Thanks for a great [d]arc night!
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Images: Gavriil Papadiotis (www.gavriilux.com)
RESEARCH DR. KAROLINA M. ZIELINSKA-DABKOWSKA
Do We Need a Lighting Detox for Sustainable Cities in the 21st Century? This article looks at relearning our connection to light and dark in context of sustainability, climate change and urban lighting.
In the context of the current climate change emergency caused by greenhouse gases emitted by human activities [1] and recent natural disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods, droughts, or wildfires - sustainability defined as “the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment …” [2] should be an important aspect to be addressed by sustainable cities. Since the establishment of the 17th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [3], which includes 169 associated targets by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, various perspectives on sustainable cities have been developed and adopted in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. However, after review, these goals appear to be limited, as they haven’t taken into account the growing body of results from lighting-related research in diverse fields such as: environmental sciences, biology, medicine, and astronomy on the impact of light pollution from outdoor illumination, especially the effects caused by new LED light sources on humans, flora, and fauna. When the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded for the “invention of efficient blue light emitting diodes [LEDs], which enabled bright, white, energy saving light sources” [4], the general public gained the impression that this new lighting technology would contribute to a more sustainable future for cities. As municipalities around the globe quickly convert their current functional and decorative external lighting to LED in an attempt to conserve energy and save money, other key factors are overlooked. Although, the World Economic and Social Survey 2013 addresses energy efficiency as an environmental management pillar for sustainable cites [5], nevertheless, Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, published in 1987, defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” [6] This means going beyond energy savings by addressing additional elements. Also, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development from 1992, which was seen as a guide for
future sustainable development of countries and cities in principle 4, states that “In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.” [7] Until recently, not many people related outdoor illumination as an indirect contributor to environmental degradation and climate change, but recent studies and environmental reports link them together. For example, burning fossil fuels, which is a main contributor to global warming, has an impact on Earth’s increased temperature, and the use of fossil fuels has been used to produce electricity for outdoor illumination (up to 20% of the world’s electricity production is consumed by electrical light sources) [8]. Urban illumination (compared to rural areas with no outdoor lighting) directly impacts the climate change in cities, with spring seasons commencing earlier as the photoperiod of illuminated trees and plants is extended and their leaves bud prematurely [9]. Also, they do not lose their leaves in time for winter. This causes them to get weaker and less healthy, so they become an easy target for climate change flooding and pests. The health of trees and plants is important because they play a critical role in cities, counteracting air pollution by converting carbon dioxide into breathable air [10], they also reduce noise, lower the urban heat islands in cities, and they create important ecosystems for various organisms such as birds, insects, and mammals such as bats. The nighttime outdoor illumination of streets, buildings and urban parks also attracts insects and hastens their decline [11]. Many of these insects are crucial for the pollinating process, and without this process humans and ecosystems would not survive as 80% of food production requires pollination by other living organisms [12]. Exposure during the nighttime to blue-rich white light has numerous adverse effects on the environment, leading to problems with reproduction, the avoidance of suitable habitats, changes in seasonal migration routes and a reduction in numbers or even the extinction of certain species. Various animals
Asst. Prof. Dr. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska IALD, IES, CIE, MSLL, RIBA is an architect and an award winning practicing lighting designer. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland, and Co-Founder of GUT LightLab, where she conducts research on various aspects of light and lighting in the built environment. She is actively engaged in the work of international organisations such as the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), International Commission of Illumination (CIE) and International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), providing guidelines and sharing best practice for nighttime illumination in the built and natural environment. She has participated in a number of international conferences, and has written articles for national and international publications. Karolina joined Women in Lighting (WiL) in March 2018 as an Ambassador for Poland.
[22]. Today, 83% of the human population lives under light polluted skies [23], and the blue component of outdoor lighting increases light pollution much more than older lighting technology (the S/P ratio of 4000K LEDs shows they increase light pollution by 170%), completely prohibiting urban astronomy [24].
Urban lighting in sustainable cities
I have identified eight key aspects of urban lighting in sustainable cities, based on my research: Social; Safety, Security and Wayfinding; Cultural and Heritage; Environmental; Regulatory and Legal; Nighttime Economy; Public Health and Wellbeing; and Technological (Figure 2). Many of these aspects have not been taken into consideration by the UN Agenda 2030 [25]. Therefore, it is proposed that the goal SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable [26] is updated to address these key aspects, including the mitigation proposals for the numerous adverse impacts caused by artificial lighting at night (ALAN) on public health, wellbeing, and the environment.
Figure 1. Eight key aspects of urban lighting in successful sustainable cities identified by online interviews performed by the author [27].
“Sustainable cities at night means carefully balancing the benefits that artificial light provides, both socially and economically, whilst ensuring we minimise any potential damage to the planet.” Mark Major, Speirs Major
like birds are attracted towards artificial lighting during migration periods, resulting in collisions with buildings and structures that can cause injury or death. Recent data indicates that around 600 species of breeding birds have been lost in European Union countries between 1980 and the present day [13]. Fish like young salmon migrate through streams, rivers, and estuaries to the ocean. These fish migrate at night cued by illumination levels, and this timing is designed to reduce predation. When attracted to illuminated urban bridges, fish become an easy target to predators such as birds and other animals, and as a consequence, their chances of survival are greatly reduced [14-15]. Nocturnal animals such as urban bats can also be negatively impacted by exterior illumination as this causes a delay or prevents the emergence from their roosts, affecting the feeding behaviour, and changing commuting and foraging routes [16]. Bats 116 / 117
are important nighttime natural predators (insect hunters), as they make it possible to limit the use of toxic insecticides in agriculture and forests, and their presence indicates a strong, healthy, and stable natural ecosystem [17]. Also, improperly designed outdoor illumination of human settlements such as seaside condominiums, houses and hotels along beaches discourages female sea turtles from nesting, and it attracts young sea turtle hatchlings away from the sea, which decreases their chance of survival [18]. All of this can directly contribute to biodiversity loss, which is crucial for human existence and wellbeing [19-20]. The Living Planet Report, published in 2020 by The World Wildlife Fund revealed that in the last half century, vertebrate species have declined by an average of 70% [21]. It is also believed that new LED technology with high emissions of blue wavelengths of light might be the potential origin of certain chronic diseases in human beings, including cancer
Social Urban lighting should support the active use of public spaces in cities by residents and visitors during the evenings and early nights, by improving its liveability and social relationships within the urban community, regardless of gender, age, race or economic status. Safety, Security and Wayfinding Urban lighting should provide safety and visual reassurance in cities for elderly residents and visitors, supporting their orientation and wayfinding by guiding them around outdoor environments and public spaces with the help of appropriate lighting. Cultural and Heritage Decorative urban lighting should facilitate appreciation for the cultural value of the built heritage via the sensitive illumination of buildings façades, monument, structures, and artefacts to give them identities after dark. Environmental Urban lighting should respect not only human needs but also the natural environment including flora and fauna by reducing light pollution, and questioning what kind of urban illumination is needed, as well as where it is needed and when. It is also important to preserve humanity’s right to have visibility of the dark night sky and celestial bodies as an ancestral global common, and to also enable continual professional and amateur nighttime observations. Regulatory and Legal Urban lighting should be properly regulated in the form of soft and hard laws, and it should also be monitored in order to counteract artificial light pollution and its negative impact.
Ruskin Hartley, International Dark-Sky Association
Nighttime Economy Urban lighting should support nocturnal activities including tourism, retail and hospitality. Public Health and Wellbeing Properly designed urban lighting should take into consideration public health and wellbeing by avoiding over illumination, light trespass into the windows, balconies and gardens of residential properties, and glare, all of which can desynchronise circadian rhythms, resulting in insomnia and hormonal imbalance. Technological Urban lighting should save energy by using energy efficient light sources, along with luminaires that integrate proper optical design, have an appropriate light spectrum, and employ smart lighting control systems. Also, it should include aspects such as a circular economy, and the re-use and recycling of lighting equipment. Moreover, urban lighting should apply other forms of natural and inexhaustible energy such as solar energy to power the outdoor illumination of our cities.
Lighting Detox required
Currently, there seem to be an uncoordinated explosion of vividly coloured and bright outdoor illumination on building façades, in parks, and in the streetscape of many cities around the world. Many urban planners and architects appear to have discovered the new design possibilities of this new medium, overlooking the importance of thinking holistically about environmental aspects. And some lighting professionals may be unaware of the negative impact their urban illumination can cause, if not properly designed, which necessitates a serious rethink of their design approach. Unfortunately, the new knowledge of the impact of artificial lighting on humans, flora, and fauna is rarely available to them, the reason being that researchers work in isolation and do not share the findings of their scientific work with those who design cities and the lighting. However, some luminaire manufacturers recognise the importance of collaborating with researchers and lighting professionals and the need to develop new tools, as well as lighting solutions to support the safety and wellbeing of humans, flora, and fauna. Yet this process to develop appropriate solutions is not immediate. And although responsible lighting advocates are informed and knowledgeable about the various challenges, they are rarely invited to
be part of the design process. Although city representatives are aware that they need to make choices that are beneficial in a long run, not only for people, but also for nature and animals, the process to coordinate all the stakeholders involved can often be overwhelming and complex. With the recent climate change emergency and environmental degradation, it is now urgent to apply different than traditional, people-centred development approaches. To protect the future of humanity, planet Earth, and to transform our world into a healthier environment, a new paradigm shift in the form of Lighting Detox (Detoxing from too much applied light in our urban and natural environments) is urgently required. In December 2021, the UN Human Rights Council recognised for the first time, that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right [28]. So, other targets could possibly be included into the Sustainable Development Goals, such as protecting access to dark skies and reducing light pollution in order to preserve this common ancestral heritage shared by humanity, as well as helping safeguard the health and wellbeing of humans, flora, and fauna by the application of responsible outdoor lighting at night (ROLAN) or no exterior lighting in Urban Natural Areas, such as parks and open spaces in any city, which are not only essential for humans, but for many other species too.
“The quest for brightness seems never ending. It is like a drug we are craving. A lighting detox for all cities seems to be necessary.” Kristin Bredal, Director, Zenisk
References 1. European Commission, Caused of climate change. Available online: https://bit.ly/38UCr8T (accessed on 29 December 2021). 2. Cambridge Dictionary, Sustainability. Available online: https://bit.ly/3k237XL (accessed on 29 December 2021). 3. United Nations, The 17 Goals. Available online: https://bit.ly/3EC5Oc8 (accessed on 29 December 2021). 4. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014. Available online: https://bit.ly/38cyE6I (accessed on 29 December 2021). 5. United Nations, World Economic and Social Survey 2013. Available online: https://bit.ly/3EzgZ5c (accessed on 29 December 2021). 6. United Nations, Sustainability. Available online: https://bit.ly/3Otxt3e (accessed on 29 December 2021). 7. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Available online: https://bit.ly/3rGkQIB (accessed on 29 December 2021). 8. Zissis, G. Energy Consumption and Environmental and Economic Impact of Lighting: The Current Situation. In: Karlicek, R., Sun, CC.; Zissis, G.; Ma, R. (eds) Handbook of Advanced Lighting Technology. Springer, Cham, 2016. https://bit.ly/3v2hmSC 9. Meng, L. Green with phenology. Science, 2021,374 6571, 10651066. 10. The effects of urban trees on air quality. Available online: https://bit.ly/3L5U83J (accessed on 29 December 2021). 11. Boyes, D.H.; Evans, D.; Fox, R.; Parsons, M.S.; Pocock, M.J. Street lighting has detrimental impacts on local insect populations. Science Advances, 2021, 7. 12. Why is Pollination Important?. Available online: https://bit.ly/3K34ik7 (accessed on 29 December 2021). 13. New report reveals huge declines in Europe’s birds. Available online: https://bit.ly/37sCUit (accessed on 29 December 2021). 14. Some Like It Dark: Light Pollution And Salmon Survival. Available online: https://bit.ly/37E4OrA (accessed on 29 December 2021). 15. Artificial Lighting Impacts to Salmon in WRIA 8 Briefing Memo. Available online: https://bit.ly/3v1YXFy (accessed on 29 December 2021). 16. Zielinska-Dabkowska, K.M.; Bobkowska, K.; Szlachetko, K. An Impact Analysis of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Bats. A Case Study of the Historic Monument and Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdansk, Poland. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 11327. 17. Ecological and economic importance of bats. Available online: https://bit.ly/3vBsK6T (accessed on 29 December 2021). 18. Kamrowski, R.L.; Limpus, C.; Moloney, J.; Hamann, M. Coastal light pollution and marine turtles: Assessing the magnitude of the problem. Endanger. Species Res. 2012, 19, 85–98. 19. A Report of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Available online: https://bit.ly/3L4o0NT (accessed on 29 December 2021). 20. World Health Organization. Biodiversity and Health. Available online: https://bit.ly/3xMRITF (accessed on 29 December 2021). 21. World Wide Fund For Nature. Living planet report 2020. Available online: https://bit.ly/3KfIWAp (accessed on 29 December 2021). 22. Zielinska-Dabkowska, K.M. Make lighting healthier. Nature 2018, 553, 274–276. 23. Our nights are getting brighter, and Earth is paying the price. Available online: https://on.natgeo.com/3v3bvwz (accessed on 29 December 2021). 24. LED lighting and dark skies. Available online: https://bit.ly/36xrLwa (accessed on 29 December 2021). 25. United Nations, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Available online: https://bit.ly/3vA2R7v (accessed on 29 December 2021). 26. Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Available online: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (accessed on 29 December 2021). 27. Zielinska-Dabkowska, K.M.; Bobkowska. Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting. Sustainability 2022 (in print). 28. United Nations. Access to a healthy environment, declared a human right by UN rights council Available online: https://bit.ly/3Oodi6S (accessed on 29 December 2021).
RESEARCH KAROLINA M. ZIELINSKA-DABKOWSKA
“Light pollution is the most visible indication of a city’s commitment to sustainability. To be considered “sustainable”, cities must also take steps to use light at night more responsibly.”
Responsible Outdoor Lighting At Night (ROLAN) 2022 Inaugural International Online Conference May 12-13, 2022 “When lighting professionals are better educated, the benefits of this extend to everyone.”
Bringing together the foremost researchers and practitioners, the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and Assistant Professor Dr. Karolina M. Zielinska‐Dabkowska, ILLUME/ Gdańsk University of Technology, Poland are launching the inaugural international Responsible Outdoor Lighting at Night (ROLAN) conference, taking place online on 12-13 May 2022. ROLAN 2022 is designed to facilitate much‐needed collaboration and the support necessary to improve lighting practice and to enhance research, as well as providing networking opportunities between practitioners, researchers, and manufacturers. This conference will utilise the immense depth of knowledge, expertise, and innovation of an international panel of speakers, presenting unique perspectives from lighting and related disciplines and research areas. Aiming to broaden horizons, increase understanding, and improve communication between researchers, lighting professionals, and lighting manufacturers for the benefit of the environment and society as a whole. The event offers an opportunity for lighting professionals, architects, town planners, landscape designers, lighting manufacturers, local authorities, ecologists, and researchers to keep up to date with recent findings. Much has changed since the introduction of LED lighting, and it is necessary to reduce its
impact on all aspects of the environment. The programme includes 31 renowned speakers from across Australia, Europe, and the United States, covering a range of expertise in lighting design, environmental science, biology, astronomy, medical science, and legal aspects. The talks have been divided into four dedicated sessions: Losing our dark nights; Best lighting practice(s) to reduce light pollution; Light pollution legal aspects; and the impact of light exposure at night on the environment and humans. In developing the programme, the organisers contacted leading figures from the industry to gauge their response to the proposed topic. Mark Major, Senior Partner, Speirs Major, said: “We need artificial light as a society, but how do we balance its use with the environmental impact that it creates? How do we reduce energy use, light pollution, ecological damage, and electronic waste, while continuing to create great experiences for people after dark? These are just some of challenges that confront us, not only in the future but right now. I really look forward to participating in the debate about new ways of working with outdoor lighting at night.” Florence Lam, Global Lighting Design Director, Arup, added: “We need to shift our lighting design paradigm towards a humanity‐centric
approach. This entails designing with the long‐term health and wellbeing of people, place, and planet in mind, harmonising the symbiotic relationship between humans and biodiversity.” Allan Howard, Group Technical Director Lighting and Energy Solutions, WSP, said: “The application of all forms of artificial light at night is an important global topic, not just with respect to dark skies but within all environments through to city centres. The more we can raise the importance of good lighting design undertaken by competent designers to protect the environment the better.” The ROLAN 2022 organisers would like to thank the conference Founding Partners: International Dark‐Sky Association (IDA), International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), ILLUME, Institute of Lighting Professionals (ILP), and Society of Light and Lighting who begin this important paradigm shift together. Members of Founding Partners can access the conference at a reduced rate. For more details, including speakers, programme and registration please use this link: https://go.cibse.org/ROLAN22
Founding Partners
Supporting Partners
Diamond Sponsor
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Silver Sponsor
Silver Sponsor
Dr. Ruth Kelly Waskett
Ruskin Hurtley
Dr. Raul Cerveira Lima
Dan Oakley
Dr. Andreas Jechow
Prof. Dr. Salvador Bará
Dr. Alejandro Sanchez de Miguel
Fabio Falchi
Ken Walczak
Dr. John Barentine
Dr. Richard Green
Allan Howard
Annukka Larsen
Inessa Demidova
Mark Major
Nancy Clanton
James Benya
Deborah Burnett
Dr. Linnaea Tillett
Yana Yakushina
Dr. Martin Morgan-Taylor
Benedikt Huggins
Andrej Mohar
Dr. Nicolas Houel
Dr. Katarzyna Szlachetko
Dr. Kellie Pendoley
Dr. Franz Hölker
Catherine Perez Vega
Dr. Sibylle Schroer
Andrew Bissell
Dr. George Brainard
Dr. Mario E. Motta
Dr. Travis Longcore
RESEARCH KAROLINA M. ZIELINSKA-DABKOWSKA
Dr. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska
An Inside Look GREENLIGHT ALLIANCE MARC SALVANY, SIGNIFY
In this issue, the GLA asked Marc Salvany, Head of Global Professional Services at Signify, to summarise the company’s policies in the direction of a Circular Economy.
To transition to a circular economy, the lighting industry needs fresh thinking on design, materials and business models. As lighting professionals, we have an inherent appreciation of the value of light. The light that surrounds us influences the beauty and liveability of our homes, the productivity of our workplaces, the yield of our crops, and even our ability to transmit data or eradicate disease. As we demand more of our lights, so our industry grows. In 2030, there will be 35% more light points in the world than there were in 2006. With this growth comes a duty of care. As the lighting industry has transformed, Signify has adapted our products, our processes, and our business models to the reality of the changing world around us. With the great shift to LED, we have slashed electricity consumption and its associated emissions. And through the accelerating uptake of connected systems and services, we help customers manage their use of energy resources that come with both a financial and an environmental price tag. But all of these light points come with another associated cost: their reliance on resources and the generation of material waste. In 2021, humanity was using 1.7 times the resources our planet can sustain. Unless things change, we will require three earths to supply our needs by 2050. At Signify, we aim to address this point through a strategic commitment to the growth of lighting for circularity – or lighting that works within the principles of the circular economy. A circular economy aims to decouple value creation from the use of resources by using those resources more effectively. Lighting for circularity changes the way we consume light to focus on the true end product – the light itself. Products are designed to be serviced, upgraded, reused, and refurbished so that the previous materials, energy, and labour inputs will last. For customers, the benefits are readily apparent: there is no need to invest in equipment, take care of management and maintenance, or commit to long term innovation 120 / 121
paths. In many cases, we are able to offer products, systems and services that save energy, too. Signify defines products and services as circular when they are designed to preserve value and avoid waste. This includes the following categories: 1. Serviceable luminaires (incl. 3D-printing), which are upgradable, serviceable, connectable, energy efficient, reusable and recyclable. 2. Circular components, which are exchangeable and recyclable parts, such as drivers, controls, and LED boards. 3. Intelligent systems, which monitor serviceable luminaires and enable preventive maintenance. 4. Circular services, which aims to prolong lifetime and provide customers with end-of-contract options. In 2019, those segments comprised 16% of our global business. In 2025, we aim to double it to 32%. How do we make our products, systems and services work for the circular economy, and how can others do the same? Harvard Business Review identified three strategies businesses can use to create a circular business model: retaining product ownership, product life extension, and design for recycling. The best combination of these strategies is dependent on considerations like the complexity involved in recovering materials, and the ease of recovering the product from customers. All three of these strategies are very much at play in Signify, with different weightings across our businesses, sectors and products. Retaining Product Ownership Through shifting from product to service-based goods, products can live multiples lives. In our Light as a Service (LaaS) offering, Signify makes our products available through service contracts with a typical five to ten year term. This flips our commercial offering from the nuts and bolts of the products, to the end solution. We can provide a competitive offer to customers with a zero or low upfront capital investment, take on the
maintenance of the customers’ lighting, manage their lighting operations, and at the same time, ensure we continue to extract value from the products – or their components – at the end of the contract or at the end of the product’s life. In this way, we give products a useful life when customers’ lighting needs change. And by ensuring we offer our customers an integral service including both products and services through their entire life cycle and recovering them at the end, we remove uncertainty about the future of their components. This model is particularly appealing in industries that make intensive use of light, like manufacturing, warehouses, retail or entertainment spaces. In a recent project at ArcelorMittal’s factory in Sagunto, Spain, workers had struggled with poor-quality, yellow lights that needed frequent maintenance. By switching to LED on a LaaS model, ArcelorMittal has been able to bring down energy consumption while guaranteeing a fixed lux output for the duration of the contract and ensuring that maintenance is continually carried out. The private sector has been faster to shift to a service model, as procurement is often set up with more flexibility. However, a LaaS model is
also ideal for outdoor street and road lighting, where fast maintenance and easy availability of spare parts is essential for public safety. The growth of this service-based model gives businesses like ours extra incentive to maximise the durability and lifespan of our products, keep them well maintained, offer operations managed services, and create a cost-effective and streamlined pathway at the end of their useful life. Product Life Extension To contribute to a circular economy, Signify aims to create products with a long life. LEDs are a great example of a vast improvement in longevity through a technological change. In our fast-moving field, we must ensure that all of our products are durable and serviceable, but also future-proof, offering potential to be upgraded and system connected as technology moves on. When considering lifespan, we need to also consider serviceability, and we tackle that in part through modularity in product design. By standardising and simplifying, we allow for the easy replacement of components to give products a longer functional life. Signify’s Luma gen2 road lighting is an example of a product that is intrinsically
At Colombia’s El Dorado Airport, Signify used 3D printing to customise the specifications of existing lights for a seamless installation, covering close to 9,000 light points across two terminals.
GREENLIGHT ALLIANCE
The ArcelorMittal factory in Sagunto, Spain (left), switched to an LED lighting system using Signify’s LaaS model, reducing energy consumption while guaranteeing a fixed lux output. Signify has also begun the process of 3D printing luminaires, using shredded material that can be repuposed (right).
This series is curated by Roger Sexton of Stoane Lighting, roger@mikestoanelighting.com
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designed for serviceability and to make use of natural resources in a much more effective and regenerative way. Every element of this multipurpose road and urban outdoor light is designed to be easily installed, maintained and recycled to extend its useful life. First, it is made of durable materials that are easily recycled. Under the hood, all electrical components are contained within a plug and play GearFlex module to optimise and simplify maintenance and repair. Technicians can easily remove the entire module and take it to the ground for adjustments in a safe workshop environment. Maintenance instructions come built in via a Service tag QR code on every product, further enhancing the product’s serviceability. And to equip it for the future, the Luma gen2 is System ready, meaning that customers who are not quite ready to switch to smart city controls and sensors can do so at a later stage via integrated universal connectors, without wasteful and expensive replacement of equipment. Design For Recycling Our third strategy focuses on products and manufacturing processes that optimise recoverability of materials. In a global company operating across many product families and geographical areas, this process is complex. We therefore work with dedicated recycling partners that share our vision and goals. For example, within the EU, we participate in collective schemes for lamps and luminaires through Collection and Recycling Service Organisations (CRSOs). These CRSOs ensure sustainable financing and guarantee effective and environmentally-sound collection and recycling. In collaboration with the EU lighting industry, we’ve established a dedicated infrastructure for the collection and recycling of lamps. At the end of their life, lamps are either crushed or cut to extract components like mercury, fluorescent powder, metals and glass. The processed materials can return to the lighting industry or can be repurposed for other uses – for example, glass from processed lamps can be used
for glazing, industrial or cleaning use. Through this process, we are able to re-use more than 80% of the waste collected from lamps. A second component of design for recycling is creating products, processes and techniques that facilitate use of recycled and recyclable materials. Through our use of 3D printing as a manufacturing technique, we can locally create product components to our customers’ precise specifications. These products can be accurately designed to fit existing fittings, minimising further material replacement. They are lighter to ship, make use of fewer components, and eliminate the need for glue. At the end of their life, the polycarbonate can be shredded and made into a new design. 3D printing can be used in the smallest to the largest scale projects. At Colombia’s El Dorado airport, 3D printing allowed us to customise to the specifications of the existing lights for seamless installation, covering close to 9,000 light points within Terminals 1 and 2. This meant we could upgrade the lighting experience for airport workers and visitors while minimising disruptive and resource-heavy installation in a busy 24/7 transit hub. 3D printing also lends itself to recycled materials; for example, the Philips LED table lamp made from 24 recycled CDs, or our MS Series Projector with at least 65% recycled polycarbonate, recovered from illuminated advertising, protective hoods from machines, carports or swimming pool covers. A transition to a circular economy will be instrumental in managing our scarce natural resources as the world’s population grows. When the lighting industry transitioned to LEDs, we showed that a shift in technology could yield a lighting solution that was not just lower in energy consumption, but superior in every way. By shifting our mindset in the way we design, consume and re-use our lights, we can address this second fundamental issue, for brighter lives and a better world. www.signify.com
UNDER Restaurant, Lindesnes, Norway Partner: Luminator AS, www.luminator.no Photo: Tomas Majewski, www.tomaszmajewski.no
UNDERWATER ILLUMINATION ALWAYS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WWW.WIBRE.DE
MADE IN GERMANY. SINCE 1919 | WWW.WIBRE.DE WIBRE Elektrogeräte GmbH & Co. KG · Leingarten/Germany · +49(0)7131 9053-0 · info@wibre.de
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PIONEERS IN IP68-LIGHTING U N D E R WAT E R L I G H T I N G | E X T E R I O R L I G H T I N G
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Electric Light Orchestra DAVID MORGAN
David Morgan runs David Morgan Associates, a London-based international design consultancy specialising in luminaire design and development and is also MD of Radiant Architectural Lighting. Email: david@dmadesign.co.uk Web: www.dmadesign.co.uk
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Combining light and sound, the new Rail system from K-scape merges a miniature sound system within a linear light fixture. David Morgan takes a closer look at Rail to see how effective the pairing is. One of the common traps in new product development is to try combining a number of different functions together in one product in the belief that the combination will achieve more than the sum of the parts. The danger is that, far from achieving synergy, the combined product does not perform any of the functions as well as the individual ones. K-array, the Italian manufacturer of professional audio equipment, seems to have avoided this problem with its new Rail system, which combines lighting with a high-quality sound system. K-array, based near Florence was originally founded in Mugello, Tuscany in 1990 by Alessandro Tatini, his father Carlo, and Massimo Ferrati as an audio and lighting service company that offered design solutions for theatres, cinemas, town squares, and events. The problems involved in handling and transporting heavy PA equipment for live events lead to the idea of creating slim and ultra-compact loudspeakers capable of reproducing high quality sound without the weight of traditional products. Since then, K-array has developed a variety of innovative miniaturised audio products including the remarkable Anakonda flexible linear loudspeaker system with modules that can be linked together to produce a 64-metrelong loudspeaker with a profile of only 50x30mm. It is understood that K-array manufactures its components in Italy and has local suppliers in Tuscany, which is very unusual for the audio industry. K-array products are designed so that at least 80% of materials used can be recycled at the end of life. One of the latest product developments from K-array is the Rail system, combining a miniature sound system with a linear lighting system. To give Rail a good chance of commercial success, a new division, K-scape, was created with the mission of putting people at the heart of design by merging technologies such as light and sound, which it says will lead to “a more immersive human centric experience to improve its connection with buildings and interiors” for everyday use.
According to Tom Riby, Global Sales and Marketing Manager of K-scape, the initial idea for the Rail system was born while K-array was developing a rigid version of its Anakonda loudspeaker that could connect up to 46 lines of audio. Alessandro Tatini, K-array’s Co-Founder, CEO, and President of Research and Development, had a moment of revelation that Riby summed up in a single question: “We were invading the space of light, so why not explore merging the two worlds together?” And so it was, with audio specialist K-array taking its first steps into the world of lighting. The Rail system is modular and consists of two extruded 1.2-metre aluminium sections. Overall dimensions are only 35x92mm. The upper extrusion houses the uplight and three downward pointing 1x5-inch full-range cone loudspeakers along with connection and suspension components. The lower extrusion is fixed centrally, leaving a linear gap on either side for the sound to escape. This lower extrusion can house a linear downlight, an array of lensed downlight modules or a low voltage track system into which adjustable spotlights can be attached. The light engines were developed in conjunction with Nichia and consist of very tight pitch mid power LEDs. With 270 LEDs per metre, an almost dot-free lit effect is produced. A combination of satin silver side reflectors and a number of optical film inserts provide medium beam, diffuse wide or asymmetric distributions. A combination of linear downlight and an array of lensed downlight modules is also an option. At the moment, only 3000K 90 CRI LEDs are offered. The downward light engine provides up to 3,680 lumens with a power consumption of 33W for the 1.2-metre-long luminaire. The uplight is available with either 3000K or RGB light engines. The spotlights are also only available with 3000K 90 CRI LEDs and provide up to 501 lumens. A 15° spot and a 25° medium beam version are the only options at the moment. All the lighting elements, including the spotlights, are individually controllable with DALI.
The Rail system is designed to be surface mounted to the ceiling or wall, suspended on airplane wire, semi-recessed or fully recessed into the ceiling. T and L connectors are available in three lengths to create grid layouts of the system. Finishes for the metal work are standard satin white and black or custom RAL colour powder coat. Alessandro Tatini and the R&D team at K-array worked on the design and development of the Rail system from 2018 and it was first launched in 2020. The technology required to produce the very small loudspeakers is quite new and has allowed the overall size of the Rail system to be reduced to such a small size. The target markets for the Rail system are understood to include offices, retail outlets and museums where the combination of light with sound will be most useful. According to K-array, the Rail system will reduce product costs by up to 25%, up to 52% on installation costs and also reduce power consumption by up to 35% compared to using separate lighting and sound systems. The Rail system is a nicely designed and manufactured system, though I did not have the opportunity to fully test the quality of the sound output. It will be interesting to see how easily K-scape is able to penetrate its target markets in competition with the existing multitude of available luminaires. For some projects having a combined sound and light product would be the ideal solution, but would the lighting designer also then be responsible for the audio design? I would imagine that each of the target applications will require a wider range of light source options for power, colour temperature and distribution to meet the likely project requirements. Custom luminaire lengths will also be needed to fill the range of building sizes along with glare control accessories and a wider range of dimming protocols. The Rail system incorporates quite a wide range of options, but it may need to expand on these to be specified on many projects. www.kscapemergingsenses.com
Product Launches LumiNode Tryka Tryka’s new LumiNode product helps create a truly stunning LED façade, illuminating any project into an instantly eye-catching vision. This innovative fixture offers an ultra-lightweight design and compact dimensions that ensure a discreet installation. Not only does it offer a sleek and subtle integration, it can also be made-to-measure to suit the specific needs of any project. This flexible solution offers the perfect lighting for architectural, entertainment, or general lighting application areas. www.tryka.com
LD34MI LightGraphix Since introducing its high-power inground linear wall grazer the LD34, LightGraphix has received many requests to design a mains-in based system. The company can now share the LD34MI with an IP67-rated plug and play system for speed and ease of installation on-site. It can support single length, multiple length and inline, switched and dimmable applications and removes the need for remote driver locations. LD34MI’s high-power performance matches the LD34, delivering up to 3749lm. www.lightgraphix.co.uk
Beamer New Erco The lighting technology of Erco’s highest-output museum spotlights is now also conquering outdoor applications in the form of the Beamer New range of projectors. The first of their kind to feature darklight lenses, the luminaires offer unrivalled variations in terms of digital control modes, interchangeable lens units and mounting options. They are predestined for sophisticated outdoor lighting tasks with their quality of light and outstanding visual comfort. www.erco.com
Here & After Emco This comprehensive linear lighting system gives you maximum flexibility as well as significant cost savings from rapid, easy installation – even for complex layouts and control specifications. Different Hybrid modules for your preferred combinations of general lighting, downlighting, spotlighting and wall washers. It can be used with multiple electrical circuits and complex lighting networks and control systems; you can also choose from a wide range of matching aluminium covers, rails and accessories. www.emcogroup.co.uk
LED-in-Glass FlexLedLight The LED-in-Glass screen is bright enough to be installed as a window facing the sun while offering 92% see-through both ways. Its sizes range from three-metres high for shop windows to 1.5-metres high guardrail or 0.5-metres high smoke containment screens while there is no limit to the lengths. Pitches are 10mm or 8mm to push advertising messages, light effects or videos of any type. www.flexledlight.fr
CR2 Spectrum Lighting CR2, the ultimate cylindrical lighting instrument: small and powerful, visually striking yet unobtrusive and small enough to disappear into the architectural background. When fitted with decorative bezels and/or Spectrum’s luminous frosted accent acrylics the CR2 is also capable of being an architectural feature. Set the mood with warm dim LEDs or choose from five kelvin temperatures at 80 CRI or from four kelvin temperatures at 90 CRI. www.spectrumlighting.co.uk
Modus Linea Light Group Modus by Jacopo Acciaro for Linea Light Group is a modular and implementable suspension system made in aluminium with electrified track, available in three finishes: neutral white, black and burnished. Different elements and numerous accessories, each dedicated to a specific lighting scenario or a precise operating environment provide great freedom. The ease of use is joined by the speed of integration and variation of the elements, all easily press-fitted into the track. www.linealight.com
Smooth White COB Series Luminus Luminus Devices expands its portfolio of COB arrays with the Smooth White COB series designed for spotlights, downlights, museum, hospitality, and architectural lighting applications. These new LED arrays offer excellent uniformity and color consistency, as well as exceptional long-term stability. With a low-blue halogen-like spectrum, 97 CRI typical and R1 to R16 all over 90, Smooth White raises the bar in LED COB quality of light. www.luminus.com
LED Light Line ADO Lights The LED light line is a jack-of-all-trades because it is incredibly versatile - it can be used indoors and outdoors, installed in façades, ceilings, walls and floors, and can even be used to create a company logo. Installed in pilaster strips, it sets the scene for façades, but it can also show the way, provide discreet cove lighting or simply be an eye-catcher. www.ado-lights.com
Rigid Optico LEDFlex Rigid Optico is a range of high-powered optical fixtures for exterior façade grazing and wall washing. This innovative range from LEDFlex is the perfect solution for exterior architecture and façade lighting. Categorised by width: 36mm, 40mm, 54mm and a pixel solution, each fixture offers different beam angles, colour temperatures and voltages. All fixtures are available in a variety of colours. This range offers versatility and lighting results of the highest quality. www.ledflexgroup.com
Xcel Hacel Hacel’s new Xcel recessed downlighter is minimal in size, but powerful in performance. Available in a choice of four and seven cells, with Lumen outputs of 2069lm and Efficacies up to 116lm/W, the luminaire features a discreet bezel, injection moulded cells and integrated lens construction. Designed and manufactured in the UK by Hacel, Xcel offers ideal accent lighting, suitable for offices, lobbies, museums and galleries. www.hacel.co.uk
Issa Intra Lighting Issa is an opal tube that shines along its entire length. One diameter and a variety of sizes allow lots of creativity in compositions. It brings a general illumination to big open spaces, staircases and halls, with a touch of elegance. Due to its smooth milky surface, it stands out even when turned off. Adjust the suspension height the way you prefer Issa to be suspended. In line, completely vertically or a little inclined. www.intra-lighting.com
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case study
Xinshougang Bridge Beijing, China Connecting Beijing’s urban and suburban areas, the Xinshougang Bridge has been illuminated with fixtures from Linea Light Group.
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At 639-metres long and almost 55-metres wide at its broadest point, the Xinshougang Bridge features eight lanes with a main span reaching a height of 280-metres. Located near Lianshi Lake, the Xinshougang Bridge was inaugurated at the end of September 2019, and represents the last stretch of a 600-year-old road that connects the urban and suburban areas of Beijing, with the aim of speeding up transit to the city centre. Built by China Railway Baoji Bridge Group under the China Railway Group Limited (also known as CREC), the bridge goes on to cross Shougang Industrial Park, once the hub of China’s steel industry and now the new site of the 2022 Winter Olympics. The design team behind the bridge created new models, implementing the application technology of curved steel sheeting, the digital design of the entire process and digital manufacturing technology. The result is a new rigid-structure composite system with tie rods, consisting of two asymmetrically-inclined steel towers that symbolise gates connecting the city with nature, along with separate steel beams in varying profiles. Curated by the Beijing Municipal Engineering Design Research Institute in collaboration with the Frontera Lighting Design studio in Beijing, the lighting project saw the utilisation of a selection of Linea Light Group professional solutions that, thanks to modern lines and minimal design, perfectly integrate into the structure and are able to ensure high performance. On both sides of the spans, the Prolamp RGBW projector with DMX control creates plays of light and evocative multicolour scenographies. The narrow spot optics allow for a precise and well-defined light beam.
To illuminate the pedestrian passageway beneath the bridge, the Linea Light Group Beret recessed ground spotlights were chosen, these are also ideal for highlighting details as they are small in size, robust and utilise AquaStop technology. Then, installed to shine light on the entire lower part of the bridge and all along its extent is the Paseo transparent polycarbonate bar, customised with a colour temperature of 4500K and supplied both recessed into the ground and with elliptical optics that direct the light beam along the entire length without light dispersion. Finally, the Paseo bars are also found along the handrails of the lateral stairways. Recessed within, they perfectly integrate into the structure, ensuring only the beam of light is visible. www.linealight.com
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case study
Volksbank Freiburg, Germany Sharp lines of light from ADO Lights help to accentuate both the architecture and interior design of Freiburg’s Volksbank complex.
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When leaving the central train station in Freiburg, Germany, travellers immediately see the redesigned Volksbank complex; a building with a façade that stands out thanks to the accented lighting design, realised by ADO Lights products. The brainchild of Hadi Teherani Architects, the building complex boasts a gross floor area of 43,000sqm, meaning it provides plenty of space for cooperative financial services provider Volksbank Freiburg, the various foundations in the archdiocese of Freiburg, the St. Ursula High School, the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott, and other companies, too. The design challenge was to devise a single stringent concept that brings together the different occupants and functions. This is applied not only to the building shell, but also to the interior design and the lighting design, both inside and out. Daniel Walden of AG Licht developed the lighting concept in cooperation with the architects. A full year before completion, various specimen light lines were tried out on the outside of the building with a view to achieving the desired effect. The reason being, the louvres of the façades are reminiscent of trees in an abstract way, thus calling to mind the Black Forest. The anodised aluminium profiles are not visibly connected to the building’s exterior. Moreover, profiles were specially drawn to integrate the LED light lines by ADO Lights – a modification of the series product – into the pilasters. In the hotel’s reception area, the vertical effect is complemented by horizontal light lines. On the façade alone, just under 1,000-metres of these strips of dimmable lighting illuminate the building complex.
These LED light lines are also used repeatedly in an intelligent and varied way inside the building. In the Volksbank’s service counter area they decorate the two-storey hall’s ceiling in the form of luminescent barcodes, at the cash counter the way they are arranged, on the sides and vertically, ensures that the terminals are illuminated evenly. On the hotel’s staircases the light lines subtly evoke a sculptural image of tree trunks. However, finding a suitable way to connect the inside and the outside of the new build was not the only consideration in this case. For the interior, despite the very disparate usage concepts, it was possible to limit the number of colours and materials. Here, different grey tones and oak have been used. A similar kind of harmony is reflected in the fixed indoor lighting, which has been restricted to only a few products, again courtesy of ADO Lights. The uniform intensity and quality of lighting is guaranteed by the Gallery LED – elegant yet unobtrusive downlights integrated into the ceiling in strips of three, six or even 12. The Aurora LED spotlights provide additional cones of light at selected points. www.ado-lights.com
Scope Mini Sconce by
Luxuriously discreet. Scope Mini Sconce is an ambient wall light that combines high-quality materials and finishes with simple yet elegant design details. The 1.25-inch diameter cylinder is available in multiple lengths and finishes and can be accented with either powder coated aluminum, anodized aluminum, brushed brass, or pressed glass gems.
insightlighting.com/scopeminisconce
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case study
Image: Till Schuster
Alte Aktienspinnerei Chemnitz, Germany Lighting fixtures from mawa meet the exacting demands of the listed Alte Aktienspinnerei library in Chemnitz, Germany.
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Since 2020 the Alte Aktienspinnerei in Chemnitz, Germany, has provided excellent conditions for reading and studying. The listed building dating back to the middle of the 19th Century now serves as the central library of the University of Technology. Lighting is provided by luminaires, custom-made by mawa, that fully meet the exacting demands of the historical building in terms of look and function. Major work was needed to convert the historic industrial building to its new use, with the winners of the architectural competition, Siegmar Lungwitz, Lydia Heine and Thorsten Mildner giving high priority to preserving the historic features. The university now has a centre of learning and communication with more than 700 workspaces for studying and working: from quiet individual workspaces and reading booths to the shared work areas in the central reading room and areas for group work in the study and communication area. The new lighting was given a thoroughly modern interpretation. Natural light dominates in the reading room where daylight streams through open galleries into the adjoining rooms. Here the planners added two further elements: firstly, lighting for the individual reading places and workspaces with classic, firmly mounted table lamps and second, general lighting with linear LED ceiling luminaires arranged as lines of light or in groups, depending on the spatial situation. The proportions and look of the linear surfacemounted luminaires are reminiscent of the fluorescent light fittings typically used for lighting industrial architecture for decades. However, the contemporary interpretation with LED technology
under a diffuser is low-maintenance and more energy-efficient – not least because unlike classic fluorescent lamps, the diffuse beam characteristic is concentrated exclusively on the lower halfspace. In addition, a pleasant 3000K and good colour rendering ensure excellent conditions for concentrated work with the different media available in the library. The surface-mounted luminaires can be switched and dimmed centrally via DALI interfaces. The surface-mounted luminaires can be configured to suit the specific spatial situation: in the galleries around the atrium their arrangement follows the rhythm of the acoustic ceiling. Lined up, they illuminate the cloakrooms in the basement. In the entrance hall the designers decided to take a cue from the design of the coffered ceiling and combined 10 linear individual luminaires on a square base structure. This design principle is repeated on a smaller scale on the stairs with three shortened lines of light. A technical challenge was to give the construction a hinged design to enable the ventilation and loudspeaker components at the rear to be serviced – a task that was made easier due to mawa’s experience in realising challenging light and luminaire solutions for buildings of historic importance, art exhibitions and unique architecture in cooperation with architects and designers. www.mawa-design.de
Hybrid profile • Plug and play with Wieland plugs • 230v • Dali 2 driver at each module • No external drivers needed • Can use 2 power supplies • Easy to change configuration with different modules
Check out our website to view our full range of here&after products
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case study
Image: Proled / Frieder Blickle
Prime Time Fitness Hamburg, Germany Precision light lines from Proled help to create the right atmosphere for Hamburg’s Prime Time Fitness gym.
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In Prime Time Fitness’ new gym located in Hamburg, Germany, Proled lighting technology creates the right atmosphere with precision light lines digitally connected to building services and the media control system. These lines of light provide general illumination for the workout areas and side rooms, while also realising a strong graphic effect on the ceiling. In combination with the ventilation ducts and installations, the light lines lend the fitness studio a very special ambience based around a futuristic aesthetic with a technoid touch. The lighting was planned and designed by Sota, a consulting firm specialising in technical and media equipment for fitness studios and similar interactive spaces. The designers selected the L-Line Standard 24 aluminium profile as the basis for the light lines. Mounted directly on the reinforced concrete ceiling, these channel profiles are 60mm wide and 50mm deep, large enough to house not just one or two LED strips installed in parallel on a slide-in tray but also the control gear and all the wiring. The plastic diffuser in white opal ensures uniform, soft light distribution. Employing this modular system, the lighting designers created a continuous line of light running through the two wings of the gym’s V-shaped layout, bridging the different ceiling levels, and converging in a sharp point in the foyer. Another line of light runs parallel, closer to the inside wall. The light lines branch off it at right angles, guiding visitors into the side rooms where the changing rooms, showers and toilets are located in the space between the fitness studio’s two wings. The lighting manufacturer supported the designers
in configuring the light lines. “Some 180-metres of aluminium profiles were installed for this project in all,” said Marc Ritter, Key Account Manager at Proled. “The desired output of 1800lm per metre is achieved by two Mono 400 HE LED strips mounted in parallel inside the channel profiles.” Finished in black, the aluminium profiles also conceal the slimline drivers, each of which supplies 2 x 5-metres of LED strip, as well as DMX dimmers. The entire lighting control system installed at Prime Time is based on the DMX protocol. After a few months of experiencing the new lighting in operation, the client and the gym members alike are happy with the lighting concept. “We wanted a soft, uniform light in the workout areas without any separate bright spots,” says Managing Director Nils Kuprat. With the warm white provided by the 3000K temperature alongside the good colour rendering (Ra>90), the lighting solution makes gymgoers look good.” In the workout areas, the illuminance is slightly reduced to 200-400lx, while the back walls are powerfully accentuated with Alliance track lights from Uni-Bright, a member of Proled Group. This gives the room depth when viewed from outside, and to those looking in, gymgoers are only visible as silhouettes against the illuminated back walls. The DMX controls enable the balance between general lighting and accent lighting to be adjusted at any time. With the futuristic aesthetic they convey, the light lines at Prime Time Fitness are both a symbol and an element of today’s digitally connected lighting and media technology. www.proled.com
case study
Museumlab Pittsburgh, USA At Pittsburgh’s Museumlab, contemporary, functional lighting from Spectrum Lighting enhances the site’s rugged, yet ornate architecture.
Occupying a historic library that was struck by lightning, Museumlab is a Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, USA. Designed to be a place where older children and young adults can have cutting-edge experiences in art, tech, metalworking and learning, guests step into virtual worlds, explore art installations, weave on a loom, sew, emboss metal and much more. Brought in to assist on the Museumlab project by Tim Leonard at LaFace McGovern, in coordination with Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Spectrum Lighting was tasked with implementing contemporary, functional lighting that enhanced the rugged yet ornate architecture - particularly as much of the original architecture was still intact, including columns, arches, floors and brickwork. The electrical engineers at Iams Consulting and lighting designers at Lam Partners requested HK Xicato 98CRI LED modules for all track lighting; with that Spectrum’s Euro Series track fixtures, STT3XT and STT4XT, met all criteria with multiple HK options, 83 and 89 CRI, and Quick Twist optics for field adjustment. These track fixtures were primarily used in the Grable Gallery, which features an architectural rope climbing structure designed for children.
According to Leonard: “In the Studio Lab, Make Lab, and Manchester Academic Charter School classroom, the ALDDH22 high bays were selected because of the clean, smooth lines on the housing and an industrial feel was desired in the high open ceiling area. Spectrum fit the bill with the many options available for those product lines.” Spectrum’s aluminum Lumen Max high bays have a contemporary design, with a retention ring that absorbs shock and impacts - great for environments with high activity. Elsewhere, Spectrum’s Schoolhouse Shade was utilised in the open space foyer and were pendant mounted for stability. With a classic RLM look, the shade provided modern illuminated LED lighting, with a vintage style. While the SJ1GV, part of Spectrum’s RLM Subway Line series was utilised in the Chromatic Passage for a true industrial feel with the fixtures wire guard and exposed brick walls. Spectrum’s products were chosen not only for their functionality and appearance but also their price point - one of the key elements resulting in this project’s success. www.spectrumlighting.co.uk
Please contact Radiant for product information, to see demo samples, or for a presentation
Residential project, London. Lighting design by Syntax Lighting Fixed-shape Centura 40 pendant with up and down light Downlight: High-power LEDs with lenses. Uplight: COB
Centura 40 IP20 System Modular, flexible or bespoke fixed-shape, linear LED lighting system Up to 7,000 Lumens per mtr
www.radiantlights.co.uk | +44 ( 0 ) 208 348 9003 | david@radiantlights.co.uk | London, N6 5JW | All products designed by
arc ad APRIL-MAY 2022.indd 2
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Advertisers Index ACEVEL
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Clear Lighting
133
LiGHT 22
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092
Lightfair
114
LightGraphix
087
[d]arc sessions
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dpa lighting consultants
137
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017
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003
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133
Novolux Lighting
065
Ewinlight
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089
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FlexLedLight
129
Radiant Architectural Lighting
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formalighting
077
Seoul Semiconductor
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GVA Lighting
023
Spectrum Lighting
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StudioFractal
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Hacel Lighting
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Advertising enquiries should be made to Jason Pennington. Tel: +44 (0) 161 476 8350 email: j.pennington@mondiale.co.uk 136 / 137
LIGHTING DESIGNER
LIGHTING BIM/CAD TECHNICIAN
Want an interesting design career with room for your private life? StudioFractal is an award winning architectural lighting design practice working on a wide range of diverse projects around the world.
Want an interesting design career with room for your private life? StudioFractal is an award winning architectural lighting design practice working on a wide range of diverse projects around the world.
We offer in-depth training and professional development but more than that we offer a career with room for both your professional aspirations and your family ambitions. In a work environment where everyone knows the value of a healthy work-life-balance you can shape your career to match your ambitions. If you are a lighting designer looking for something different we’re looking for you.
In a work environment where everyone knows the value of a healthy worklife-balance you can shape your career to match your ambitions. If you are an excellent BIM technician with experience in creating integrated Lighting models we’re looking for you.
The ideal candidate will be a UK resident and will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications: • Formal education in architecture or design or extensive experience. • Practical experience and knowledge of architecture and the lighting design industry. • Proven ability to use the following software packages; AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft windows office suite. • Sketching ability would be an advantage. • Revit experience would be an advantage. • Proven understanding and experience of working to the RIBA design stages • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate at all levels • Ability to work under own initiative with excellent time-management skills to plan workflow and work to tight deadlines. Salary and benefits to suit ability and experience. London based. Hybrid working patterns Interested? Please send a CV, a portfolio of your work (printable format) and a cover letter to Rachel Downey at info@studiofractal.co.uk
The ideal candidate will be a UK resident and will have the following skills, experience, and qualifications: • Proven experience in producing RIBA Stage 3 & 4 AutoDesk Revit and AutoCAD lighting packages • Proven ability in following BIM level 2 and level 3 workflows and production processes. • Proven ability to use the following software packages; AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft windows office suite. • Rhino & Navisworks would be an advantage for model coordination. • Experience of directly producing architectural system models using BIM standards and processes. • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate at all levels • Ability to work under own initiative with excellent time-management skills to plan workflow and work to tight deadlines. Salary and benefits to suit ability and experience London based. Hybrid working patterns Interested? Please send a cover letter, CV and a portfolio of your work (printable format) to Rachel Downey at info@studiofractal.co.uk
dpa lighting consultants has the following positions for suitably talented candidates: Associate - Oxfordshire Studio Senior Lighting Designer - Oxfordshire, London & Dubai Studios (Oxfordshire Studio is in a rural location and does require a car) We are looking for a creative and technically knowledgeable Associate (Oxfordshire) and Senior Lighting Designers (all studios). Excellent written and spoken English is essential. Candidates should have a portfolio of completed projects (interior and exterior). IT skills must include Microsoft Office, AutoCAD, InDesign, Photoshop and DIALux. Knowledge of BIM/Revit would be beneficial but not essential. Duties and responsibilities would include, working within a team environment on all aspects of the lighting design process, from concept to completion, attending design and site meetings in the UK and overseas and supervising the work of lighting designers within the studio. Only applicants with professional independent lighting design experience will be considered. Associate applicants should have a minimum of 8 years lighting design experience. Remuneration will be commensurate with experience and includes bonus opportunities. The Dubai position enjoys a tax free environment subject to personal taxation circumstances.
Lighting Designer - London Studio We are currently looking for Designers to join our London studio. The role will involve being part of a design team and providing support in the production of concept presentations, layout drawings and details, specifications etc. with the opportunity to progress within the Practice. We will consider both graduate level candidates and applicants with some lighting design experience. Applicants should have AutoCAD and Photoshop skills. An understanding of InDesign, Visualisation programmes and other lighting related packages such as DIALux. BIM/Revit experience would also be advantageous but not essential. Excellent written and spoken English is essential. Remuneration will be commensurate with experience and includes bonus opportunities. For further details about dpa, please refer to our website: www.dpalighting.com Please email your application letter and CV along with a portfolio of examples of completed projects where you have had a significant contribution, to Elizabeth Grundy: dpa@dpalighting.com. Please clearly state on your covering email which position/studio you are applying for.
bucket list curated by
#27
“Why are we uncomfortable with the sensation of falling? We have done nothing but fall lately. So why does falling bother us now? Let us use our critical and creative capacities to build colourful parachutes. Let us think about space not as a confined place, but as the cosmos into which we can fall with colourful parachutes.” Ailton Krenak
Diana Joels concepDUAL What
Enjoy a psychedelic experience.
Where
Somewhere you feel safe. The setting is extremely important! Mind the lights, the sounds, the smells, the space and the people around you.
How
You will basically need stimulus. I’ve had an extremely powerful psychedelic experience ignited by visual and sound stimuli in the perceptual cell “Bindu Shards” by James Turrell. On the opposite, a very silent and dark (real zero light pollution!) natural environment has enabled me to see so many stars and feel so close to the sky, that it triggered a deep spiritual connection to nature and the cosmos. It is also possible to find stimulus in psychoactive natural substances such as ayahuasca, certain fungi or seeds, that will guide you in accessing new perspectives of yourself and the world around you.
When
Whenever you feel positive about it. Anytime a safe opportunity appears - like a James Turrell exhibition featuring his perceptual cells - don’t hesitate! But, don’t wait for opportunities to appear. Go after them - a trip to the wilderness in good company surely needs to be planned!
Why
I believe we must deeply feel our connection to the planet and the cosmos to be able to truly develop a conscious existence as individuals and society. Psychedelic experiences are enlightening opportunities to straighten that connection with nature, as we experience the perception of our own lives in revealing ways, visible partly through patterns of light and colour in our minds. www.concepdual.com.br
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The First Diamond Certified LED SunLike natural sun spectrum LEDs are the world’s first LEDs to produce light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight, delivering human-centric lighting. The light sources with SunLike Series LEDs more accu accurately show the color of objects as they would appear in natural sunlight. It is optimized to natural light spectra and color rendition Rating “Diamond” based on IES TM-30-20 Fidelity intent from UL Labs. https://verify.ul.com/verifications/520
It delivers considerable benefits of significant vivid color, detail contrast, and homogeneous quality of light.
www.seoulsemicon.com info.europe@seoulsemicon.com