Lighting in Design February-March 2017

Ed Space

T own 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 (crownmag@crown.co.za) Advertising manager: Carin Hannay (carinh@crown.co.za)

Layout: Adel JvR Bothma Circulation: Karen Smith Cover: Piazza on Central Square, Menlyn Maine. Photograph by João Viegas, Pld Published by Crown Publications cc PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 - Tel: +27 (0)11 622 4770 Fax: +27 (0)11 615 6108 - Website: www.crown.co.za

ABC 3 rd quarter: 3 625 Printed by: Tandym Print All issues of Lighting in Design can be viewed on our website. Visit www.lightingindesignmagazine.co.za

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LiD FEB/MAR 2017