Architecture – media – light art
Silo 469 in Helsinki: Concept, valuation and details
Silo 468 in Helsinki has received much praise and a number of enthusiastic critiques over the last few weeks. The images that are all over the Internet right now have left many lighting professionals ecstatic. The project has everything it takes to become a milestone and to be forever quoted in lighting circles: modern media as an integral part of the lighting concept, a dynamic lighting scheme, colour, the story behind the lighting design, daylight and electric light, and the whole energy approach. It is a stunningly powerful but beautifully modest spectacle and leaves us all with a fantastic and lasting impression.
Lighting design: Lighting Design Collective

Shades of grey
Christios Gasometer in Oberhausen
The project we are presenting in contrast to this is equally grandiose. Artist Christo, and his late wife and partner Jeanne-Claude, have designed a work for the Gasometer Oberhausen/D, a former gas holder that served the Ruhr Valley, comprising nuances of grey. The idea of the two artists was to wrap emptiness in cloth to create an air package. Lovers of light will immediately focus on the different shades of grey that are generated across the “package”. The atmosphere within the space breathes calm. Some say it is celestial, or at least how they image Heaven would be. It does not need any colour or any dynamic movement, let alone LEDs. It does not even need a story to captivate the viewer. Christo says everyone is free to interpret his own feelings in the space. My interpretation and perception was that even emptiness needs boundaries for people to feel at ease in it. You might say that every space needs visible boundaries for that very reason, although some architectural lighting at night often lacks visible boundaries…
Big Air Package: Art installation by Christo

Sea of shadows
Lagares Showroom in Girona/E
This project incorporates perfectly the juxtaposition of darkness and light, and light and shadow. It is not a recently completed project, but has never been reported on in depth: the Lagares showroom in Girona/E. It is also a prime example of the science of neuroaesthetics and, above all, a change from the plethora of complex lighting concepts out there right now. We explain why this project works so well.
Lichtdesign: Artec3

Norwegian woods
The Norwegian Forest Museum in Elverum/N
Museum marketeers maintain that science museums tend to have the widest appeal. But why do people visit museums anyway when they can watch documentaries and nature films on the television or enter topics of interest in an Internet search engine? The Norwegian Forest Museum in Elverum/N already has a nice name that appeals to natives of Norway and nature-loving tourists alike. But wait until you get inside. It gives “Norwegian Wood” a totally new meaning.
Lighting Design Lorang Brendlokken

Upside down
ZeitHaus – Automobile Museum in Wolfsburg/D
The ZeitHaus Museum presents the milestones in the 126-year-old history of the automobile industry, taking as examples over 100 vehicles from a wide range of automobile manufacturers. The philosophy of the museum is to show trendsetters: cars that set standards and served other manufacturers as models or examples for their own developments. And since the lighting solution has turned the exhibition spaces upside down, you can be forgiven
for turning the following pages upside down to appreciate the effect to the full...
Lighting design: Kardorff Ingenieure

The revolution has begun
Dossier: Titian exhibition – and a new philosophy in the realm of lighting design
The next contrast we take a look at in this issue is that concerning the conventional and the modern way of illuminating art, especially the masters of the 15th century. There has been a considerable amount of discussion about LEDs and lighting art in the last few months. Our dossier about the lighting for the Titian exhibition in Rome shows how complex it is to design light for a work of art, but also demonstrates the added value a concept based on neuroscientific findings yields. We hear directly from the designers, but also include input from the scientific researcher and the manufacturer of the luminaires applied.
Lighting design: Consuline

Works of art by Titian
Text: Alison Ritter

The scientific aspects of the LIGHT on.in.for smART project
Text: Dr. Gianluca Poldi

The concept of colour rendition
Text: Giancarlo Castoldi

LED lighting in art
LED lighting: a curse or blessing when it comes to lighting art? There has been heated debate on this topic for a long time. In the end it was the positive experience obtained from practical applications of the technology in museums, together with groundbreaking scientific studies, that dispelled any final doubts about this milestone in the history of light sources. In 2012 solid state lighting finally asserted itself as a viable option in the museum world, offering a completely new perspective on the modification of luminous colours within a light source and how to achieve very good colour rendering.
Text: Carina Buchholz

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TVZEB in Vicenza/I
Text: Joachim Ritter

Of course we all want to save energy or build zero energy homes, but do we have to go sifting through garbage to do so? Yes, we do. Garbage is not the rubbish is it made out to be. Some of it makes for valuable resources, and needs discovering. In many parts of our world this idea is not taken seriously, or truly regarded as “a load of rubbish”, but there are examples enough to warrant taking a closer look. This article is about how heaps of used plastic bottles and the right brains can produce a zero energy building. Light, which is available in this case in abundance and only needs controlling properly, plays a central role. Light is by no means rubbish, but there is also masses of it available. We just have to learn to appreciate it.

The Kongress am Park convention centre in Augsburg/D
Text: Joachim Ritter

The Kongress am Park convention centre is a multi-functional events venue in Augsburg in the south of Germany. Described that way, it sounds like an open, contemporary building. In fact, if outward appearances were anything to go by – and given the architecture that was popular when it was designed – in the daytime the structure actually looks a bit on the sad side. The convention centre was built in 1972, designed by renowned architect Max Steidel (Augsburg). At the time, exposed concrete was all the rage. The material was regarded as modern, cost-effective and flexible – positive qualities that cannot be denied. At the same time, exposed concrete can look pretty desolate, brutal even. In the meantime, the Kongress am Park convention centre in Augsburg has been declared a listed building.

Atrium in the UBS bank in Geneva/CH
Text: Joachim Ritter

When we talk about daylight we seldom include clouds in our vision. And yet there are few people watching clouds in the sky who fail to sense some kind of aesthetic pleasure in defining their shapes – provided they are clouds of the cumulus type.
These are the clouds we see on a sunny day: that is to say over the summer months when we are glad of the shade they offer from time to time. And when we talk about dynamic, biologically stimulating light, then a cumulus cloud may well be involved.

Material serenity
Text: Joachim Ritter

Well designed lighting is based on a concept that addresses the special features of an architectural space, which means that room climate, acoustics and light are always very closely related and indeed mutually dependent. The work of the Finnish artist Ilona Rista is based on and around acoustics. Over the years she has specialised in integrating sound-absorbing wooden walls into architecture in an artistic and aesthetically pleasing fashion, thus contributing to the atmosphere in the space.

LED – the answer to everything?
Text: Susanne Brenninkmeijer

Since their invention white LEDs have developed rapidly in leaps and bounds. Efficiency is improving fast and every month we are witness to new developments and technologies. At the world’s biggest light fairs in 2012, 90 per cent of the light sources used were LEDs and the majority of luminaire manufacturers only displayed their latest LED-adapted products. This state of affairs is more confusing than it is inspiring.

Lighting designers – how important are they?
Text: Joachim Ritter

The lighting community as a whole tends to pin their hopes for a positive market climate on the lighting designer. Healthy, sustainable development needs qualified specialists who truly understand how to design light. Reality is a little different: although everyone likes talking about lighting design, real market penetration and an understanding of the need for better light still leave a lot to be de-sired. The fact that lighting design has gained so much attention is due to successful marketing. Lighting design sounds more sophisticated than light/lighting planning, although the results sometimes tell a different story.

The facade of the National Stadium of Peru in Lima

Text: Joachim Ritter

The Olympic Games in London once again showed that lighting design is as important for the success of a sports event as the event itself. Since the facade design for the football stadium in Munich hit the headlines – and the TV screens – it was pretty clear that light can communicate what is going on inside the arena to the world outside. The new facade on the National Stadium in Lima, Peru takes this a step further and displays the mood of the spectators watching their team(s) on the pitch … Again it is LED technology and lighting controls that make this possible. Dynamic quality, technology and passion – expressed in light.

The National Stadium in Warsaw/PL

Text: Joachim Ritter

The UEFA European Football Championship 2012 came and went in next to no time. For some the event was a huge success, for the rest less so, as was to be expected. The host countries are always left with some new architecture and one or more new stadiums. In that regard, Poland and the Ukraine can also consider themselves winners. They have gained new stadiums that demonstrate visionary lighting design. The lighting for the new stadium in Warsaw was even designed by a team of designers whose name is already an indication of future-oriented planning…

Football stadium in Kiev/UA

Text: Joachim Ritter

To be able to host the 2012 European football championships the Olympic Stadium in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev – originally built in 1923 – underwent extensive renovation work based on a design by German architects Gerkan, Marg und Partners (GMP), the same architects’ firm that was behind the Warsaw stadium project. The general conditions for the Kiev project were, however, completely different from those for the Polish stadium and the lighting design practice, in this case Conceptlicht, also made for a different, but equally competent and creative partner.

Underground stations

Text: Magna Ferreira Schulz

Underground stations today are more than transit systems designed to transport city dwellers and visitors across town in the fastest, safest way possible and relieve road traffic. They also contribute to the status and identity of the city and its inhabitants. Design has begun to play an increasingly important role when planning stations. A lighting designer must go beyond standard requirements and create a custom solution for that particular station that will facilitate wayfinding but also please users aesthetically. Light can help to create this kind of attraction and a sense of uniqueness for the environment. A valuable and indirectly sustainable side effect is the increased interest in using public transportation. The number of good design projects for stations is growing, although there are not so many sources of reference for this sector of the lighting design industry.

Colour theory in modern cinema

Text: Dorukalp Durmus

Colour in cinema can be defined as a context for meaning, indicating that what we perceive is fantasy or reality. Colour is not just a complimentary perceptual property of light. It also has a robust subliminal effect on our visual system. With the story it tells, colour is able to alter any given content significantly.

Daylight(think)ing

Text: Alison Ritter

Study trips, many a critic may be heard to say, have very little to do with everyday practice. The summer course held by the University of Florida in Vicenza/I proved exactly the opposite. A group pf 24 international students and practising designers headed by Giovanni Traverso spent 14 days together visiting and experiencing daylight projects and exploring their own ideas on the subject in a practical workshop. The latter resulted in a series of exciting and inspiring new designs.

The Konoba Restaurant & Bar in the Seychellen

Text: Joachim Ritter, Alison Ritter

If “immersion” is the state of consciousness where an immersed person's wareness of physical self is diminished or even lost when surrounded in an engrossing environment, this surely is what we need on a regular basis to escape the troubles and chores of every-day life. Add this idea to an address on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles and you are talking holiday big time.

The Salvage Bar & Lounge in Los Angeles/USA

Text: Joachim Ritter

Lighting solutions that are integrated into the architecture are an accepted trend in designed lighting schemes. Nevertheless, luminaire-based design will continue to maintain its importance and perhaps even present itself as a countertrend, especially when the project features historic elements or references.

The W Hotel on Leicester Square in London/UK

Text: Alison Ritter

Try googling what the “W” in W Hotel stands for? You can basically concoct your own answer. One suggestion relates to the W Hotels' Whatever/Whenever service policy towards guests, meaning you can have whatever you want, whenever you want it, as long as it's not illegal, immoral or wrong. "Wow" is a pretty safe bet, given that the hotel chain offers Wow suites and Wow Apartments. When it comes to the W Hotel that opened in London's Leicester Square last February the W might well stand for Welcoming, Wacky, or just plain Wunderbar. That said, the exterior lighting scheme is a World-first.

Living Place Hamburg

Text: Sandra Lindner

What will our living environment look like in future and what role will light and technology play in shaping it? The research project organised by the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg (HAW) will be providing some answers in the coming months.

Luminale 2012

Text: Sandra Lindner

The biennial Luminale lighting festival has become a classic among Frankfurt's many large-scale public events. 2012 marked the sixth year that the lighting festival offered a cultural after-hours add-on to the Light+Building fair. Once again, worldrenowned lighting designers, young artists and students turned the Rhein-Main region into an international arena for experimental light art and lighting design. The trend towards using buildings for large-scale projections and creating interactive installations continues. The first digitalised lighting projects were in evidence at Luminale years ago. Now they are part and parcel of the event.

The Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi/UAE

Text: Joachim Ritter, Jean Nouvel

If there is one dome in the world you have to have seen as a lighting aesthete, up to now this has most likely been the Pantheon in Rome. The huge hall is 43 metres high and 43 metres in diameter. The most striking element in the entire building is the nine-metre oculus. Domes are a significant feature in Arabian architecture. And the new Louvre Museum designed by Jean Nouvel in Abu Dhabi underscores this. Nouvel’s dome does not have just the one oculus, however, but comprises a modern interpretation that is fascinating, inspiring and boundlessly creative.

The new public library in Stuttgart/D

Text: Sandra Lindner

In 2010, the German Word of the Year was “Wutbürger”, meaning Outraged Citizen. Why did they opt for this particularword? It was a word that cropped up in the news a lot thatyear, especially in reports about the angry citizens of  Stuttgart, who took to the streets for months on end to protest against the politicians’ decision to build a new, but extremely expensive, main railway station in the city centre. It was not so much about the quality of the project, but rather about the fact that the citizens appeared to have very little, if any, influence on political processes. Besides the railway station project, the comprehensive city planning project known as Stuttgart 21 also includes the new public library. The new library’s image consequently also suffered in the wake of the discussions and hold-ups. Wrongly so, since the building is designed as a place in which to chill and to promote intellectual debate.

The Mansueto Library in Chicago/USA

Text: Alison Ritter, Sandra Lindner

It is a known fact that people in enclosed spaces need natural light and a view outside. That also applies to library users. On the other hand, daylight and books are not a natural match, given that the UV content in light fades ink and colours, turning paper yellow, or even brown with time. But what would a library be without people in it, let alone without books? For the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library in Chicago a team of architects, engineers and lighting designers  developed an unconventional solution, which is as practical and pleasant for the users of the university library as it is for the media stored there.

Sandton City Protea Court in Johannesburg/RSA

Text: Anthony Tischhauser

Sandton is a wealthy district in the northern part of the City of Johannesburg and home to the South African Stock Exchange since the late 1990s. The latter is not number one on the city’s sightseeing list but rather Sandton City shopping centre, which is one of the largest in the whole of the country.

Beyond neon and marquee lighting

Text: Anusha Muthusubramanian

Those were the days – when movie theaters were adorned with glittering lights running along the marquee, façade and interiors, creating dynamic patterns to attract clientele. Neon lights in flamboyant colors, brightly sparkling, heavily ornamented decorative pendants, wall paneling and finishes using jazzy materials – all adding to the romantic art deco ambience.

Passion for lighting

Text: Victor Palacio

Any time two or more lighting designers come together they immediately
share a very deep emotion: PASSION. Passion is the ‘glue’ that holds together architects, engineers, designers, artists, technicians, theater professionals, urban planners, conceptualists and many other people engaged in the same activity: LIGHTING. Lighting is frequently described as a mix of art and science. It is thus understood that a good lighting designer will develop creative solutions based on solid technical methodology. Additionally, lighting creates benefits to people and quality lighting can reduce the impact of energy use on the environment. Nevertheless, a definition of lighting design still remains to be formulated in such a way that colleagues are in agreement with it and all those who work with lighting designers fully understand it. The definition to date is generally related to the process pursued by designers as well as to their abilities, skills and the final outcomes of their work.

Moment Factory in Montreal/CDN

Text: Joachim Ritter, Moment Factory

For over 20 years Lyon’s Fête des Lumières event and the efforts undertaken by the French city to coordinate the use of electric lighting in their urban planning was regarded as trend-setting or even exemplary. Indeed, many designers see Lyon as the place where the lighting masterplan first saw light of day (or night). Right now urban lighting is witnessing what might be described as revolutionary rumblings. Digital light has opened gateways to new worlds. The gateways are big and the worlds three-dimensional and interactive.

Abu Dhabi 2030/UAE

Text: Lara El Hashem

Many people have heard of Abu Dhabi, but there are few who have taken the time to understand what this city is all about. For a long time it was cast in the shadow of Dubai, but when the Burj Dubai almost did not reach its peak during the economic crisis, it was Abu Dhabi – or to be exact Sheik Chalifa bin Zayid Al Nahyan from Abu Dhabi – who finally managed to get it built. The towering structure is now referred to as Burj Chalifa. At the same time the sheik also managed to weave his own concepts into the project. These focus primarily on sustainability. But what is it that is so fascinating about Abu Dhabi? Is it really a good example and a model for cities of the future? Or will it end up sharing the same fate as other concepts that go down as being too utopian. And last but not least: what is the basis of its approach to urban development? Is it design, energy saving or perhaps the successful combination of both?

The lighting masterplan for the Old City of Jerusalem/IL

Text: Roger Narboni

From very early times, the walled city of Jerusalem was built and developed according to the availability of water. Its long, world famous history can still be read and understood in the hand-crafted sculpted landscape that surrounds it. The complexity of the constellation of the holy city, the land it is built on and the topography of the terrain is what gives the Old City of Jerusalem its special character and charm. Retracing the form and silhouette of the city through lighting was a huge challenge, which is why the team of lighting designers from Concepto headed by Roger Narboni gladly embarked on the great endeavour.

The urban stage

Text: Lara El Hashem

As part of its continuous initiative to develop Beirut’s city centre, Solidere, a Lebanese private company for the development and reconstruction of Beirut Central District, launched Lighting Beirut Architecture in June 2011. This is the first project to involve the illumination of a large urban area using permanent image projections. The team working on the project comprised Frenchbased design studio Light Cibles, image projection and multimedia design specialists DIAP France, and Lampo Middle East.

New paradigms for urban spaces and their users

Text: Eduardo Gonçalves

The recognition that urban space is complex and consists of many typologies means that a research study on the topic needs to be well defined. The research will focus on urban centres, and specifically on pedestrian spaces with or without
slow-moving traffic.

The role of lighting masterplans

 Text: Dennis Köhler, Raphael Sieber

When we talk about coordinated lighting in the public realm we now know what we are talking about and why we need it. Or do we? Some refer to such initiatives as ‘lighting master plans’ or ‘a masterplan for the lighting’, a ‘public lighting scheme’, ‘an overall lighting concept’, a ‘lighting plan’, ‘an urban lighting
scheme’ or ‘lighting guidelines’. What is the correct term? Perhaps this terminology is overrated at least inasmuch as the terms listed above do not allow any conclusions to be made as to the contents of such a plan. Let us take a closer look.

Designers who have chosen to work with light

Even Speirs + Major, one of the most well known lighting design firms in the world, need to continue to develop their practice. Their firm conviction to delivering quality remains a constant in the development of their work and their team. In the last two years everything has been reviewed and challenged. Joachim and Alison Ritter talked to Mark Major and Keith Bradshaw and learnt about their interesting approach to projects and their new understanding of the role and responsibilities of the lighting designer.

Galleria Centercity in Cheonan/ROK

Text: Joachim Ritter

Shopping malls fulfil a very necessary social function: they offer people places to meet, gather, eat and drink, shop and window shop – to see and be seen. Korea is no exception.
A mall is not merely a commercial space; architects designing shopping malls have the opportunity to build upon and expand the visitor’s social and cultural experience. The modern-day architect’s interpretation of utility goes beyond efficiency and profitability. When UNStudio was commissioned to design Galleria Centercity in Cheonan they sought to generate a stimulating experience, in which the user, not the merchandise, is the central theme.

Novamed Polyclinic in Zagreb/CRO

Text: Dean Skira, Sandra Lindner, Deborah Burnett

Healthcare projects are a great challenge for lighting designers. Nowadays many medical institutions are being built to make the interior spaces look as non-institutional as possible. In addition to its practical functions, such as increasing security, providing visual comfort and enhancing people´s activities, lighting also has another important task:
creating positive emotions! You might go as far as to say that we would like to see more people in hospitals with a smile on their faces – as a sign they are coping with their physical condition or diagnosed illnesses.

A pharmacy in Athens/GR

Text: Petros Dermatas

In the foreword to the Greek edition of his book “Modern Architecture”, Kenneth Frampton suggested that no other capital in the world enjoys such a wide acceptance of modern architecture as Athens. In effect, Athens is stocked with an endless repetition of fairly indifferent apartment houses, the majority of which do not exceed six floors.
This is mainly due to a law which restricts buildings from blocking the view towards the Parthenon, giving an overall human scale to the city's architectural scheme. The Placebo pharmacy in Glyfada, a fashionable, upmarket suburb of Athens, stands out like a pleasant surprise in the otherwise rather dull modern-day Athenian cityscape.

Kings Avenue Overpass in Canberra/AUS

Text: Emrah Baki Ulas

In October 2011 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh touched down in Canberra for a ten-day visit to Australia. The plan was to welcome Australia’s monarch to the national capital by lighting the new Kings Avenue overpass, which leads directly from the airport to the city centre, in red, white and blue. Whether the lighting designers had the queen in mind when they opted for LED lighting is debatable, but the solution is definitely unique and makes for a practical and highly functional solution for the brand new traffic hub.

Gestalt theory

Text: Anusha Muthusubramanian

In the active process of visual perception the eye and brain scan for visual stimuli that relate to the biological need for visual order and meaning in the environment. Part of the human visual perception system involves a dynamic self organizational tendency to maintain a sense of equilibrium when the eye is confronted with visual overload.

Drawing in architectural lighting design

Text: Anastasia Skipetari, Steffen Nijhuis

Drawing is an important tool for lighting designers. Not only as a means of visual communication but also to aid visual thinking. As a process and product, drawing is a constituent part of the overall lighting design process, from concept to realisation. The emphasis is usually placed on drawing as a presentation medium, a means to communicate ideas, either elaborating on technical aspects of the design or revealing the envisaged visual impression.

PLDC 2011 in Madrid

Text: Joachim Ritter

It is not an easy task defining an overall motto that “says it all” about an event two years before it even takes place. Which makes it all the more reassuring to know that the slogan for PLDC 2011 in Madrid hit the nail on its proverbial head. The international lighting design industry was really ready to ‘vamos’ and aim for new horizons …

Alingsås 2011

Text: Sandra Lindner

Alingsås is a quiet nest 50 kilometres north-east of Gothenburg. For five weeks every autumn streams of international visitors flock to the little Swedish town from all over the world, teams of international students clad in uniform weatherproof jackets are seen all over town, climbing trees, clambering up ladders on house fronts…That can only mean one thing:
the Lights in Alingsås workshop is underway!