Lighting in Design February-March 2017

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Town planners around the world too often neglect the potential of
night-time lighting. By combining expertise in all areas of urban
design, cities can use night-time lighting to become more enjoyable,
more sociable, safer, healthier and easier to get around. In compiling its
2015 report, Cities alive: rethinking the shades of night, Arup brought
together experts of different disciplines to discuss the importance of
lighting and what needs to be considered when planning a city. The
report, the substance of which is featured in our article on page 10 of
this issue, takes a holistic view of urban lighting and focuses on four
key issues: people, technology, space and process.
Designed along the lines of New Urbanism principles, Central Square
in Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, is a mixed-use development and the only
green ‘city’ in Africa. Its prime feature is a piazza enhanced by public
artworks, water features and trees, and bordered by eateries and cof-
fee shops. It is a popular meeting place designed to make people feel
comfortable while they enjoy the outdoor weather of one of South
Africa’s best climates. The lighting, by Pamboukian Lightdesign, com-
bines creativity, science and technology to make the space enjoyable,
sociable, safe and easy to negotiate.
Rather than flood lighting the square or introducing street lighting,
projected gobo mood lighting, directed from two nine metre high masts,
adds interest to the surface texture as light and shadow fill the space.
People walk through brush strokes of light.The most striking features of
the lighting design, however, are the surfaces of the glass panel boxes
that light the ramp of the underground parking by day. Fittings, placed
over a metre below ground, emanate a hue of colour from below as part
of the piazza surface and, on a slow program, the LED colour changes
fromwhitish blue through shades of blue. Both AnthonyTischhauser and
João Viegas of Pld commented on the success of this installation and
how much people have enjoyed the blue light. João gives a wonderful
description of children running and jumping in the light as they would
in water. He says the children illustrated ‘an honest appreciation’ of the
design. This, surely, is as worthy an acknowledgement of one's work
as one could want. And an excellent illustration of what the Arup report
would hope to achieve.
Till next time!
Editor: Karen Grant )
Advertising manager: Carin Hannay )
Layout: Adel JvR Bothma
Circulation: Karen Smith
Cover: Piazza on Central Square, Menlyn Maine. Photograph by João Viegas, Pld
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1 LiD FEB/MAR 2017