Lighting design that's blazing a trail


From glow-in-the-dark parks to signs of the times, we look at some of the more thought-provoking lighting concepts installed around the world over the past few years


FX

Glowing report

The idea of using phosphoresence to provide a gentle illumination in public spaces seems to be catching on. It was one facet of the Smart Highway concept that won Best Future Concept at the Dutch Design Awards and a Danish Index award for designer, artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde of Studio Roosegaarde and development partner Heijmans Infrastructure.

Smart Highway, by Daan Roosegaarde

Smart Highway, by Daan Roosegaarde

Roosegarde's concept involves treating roads with a special photoluminising powder that has large quantities of crystals mixed with paint. Europium, a moderately hard silvery metal, is one of the additives used to boost the quality of the crystals.

Charged during daylight hours, the substance replaces road markings and theoretically makes additional lighting unnecessary, illuminating the contours of the road after dark for up to 10 hours. Europe's first installation is over a few hundred metres in the Netherlands' province of Brabant, where also being trialled over the next five years are priority induction lanes for electric vehicles, interactive lights that switch on as cars pass, wind-powered lights, and dynamic paint. The latter becomes visible in response to temperature fluctuations so that traffic information and hazards can be communicated directly to drivers. Symbols of snowflakes, for instance, will be painted across the road's surface so that when temperatures fall to a certain level, the images become visible, indicating that the surface is likely to be slippery.

The Van Gogh cycle path, also by Roosegaarde

The Van Gogh cycle path, also by Roosegaarde

Roosegarde and Heijmans have also applied the photoluminescent principle to the first glow-in-the-dark cycle path, this time in Eindhoven. Due for completion in 2014, the 600m-long path runs where Vincent van Gogh resided and will feature a design comprising thousands of sparkling stones designed by Roosegaarde.

Meanwhile OTRO, at the International Centre of Art and Landscape at Vassivière Island in Limousin, France, is both artwork and skatepark. Comprising a series of bowls and tunnels, it can be used for skateboards, roller blades and BMX bikes. The green phosphorescent concrete is again charged by exposure to the sun providing energyfree illumination for after-dark recreation.

A skatepark-cum-art installation in Limousin, France

A skatepark-cum-art installation in Limousin, France

The 186 sq m structure was a collaboration between Korean artist Koo Jeong-a, L'Escaut Architectures and Belgium skate collectives Brusk and Barricade, and took four years to complete. In the UK a glowing path is being trialled at a park in Cambridge. This approach is not dependent on sunshine, which is probably just as well for a UK application. Starpath, developed by British company Pro-Teq Surfacing, is composed of particles that absorb ultraviolet radiation during the day and release a gentle blue light at night. They are spread on hard surfaces such as concrete, tarmac or timber and then given a protective covering. The surface is non-reflective, making it suitable for cycle paths, and has anti-slip properties.

The Starpath, Cambridge

The Starpath, Cambridge

'It is not intended as a complete replacement for street lighting but it would be very useful in developing countries where they don't have power,' says Hamish Scott, Starpath's inventor, who has been developing the product for around four years. The surface also responds to natural light, controlling its own luminosity. 'If the sky is lighter, it won't release as much luminosity - it adjusts accordingly. It's almost like it has a mind of its own.' The trial site is being used to test a variety of product samples, mix ratios and application techniques. The existing surface did not have to be removed, took 30 minutes to spray and was ready for use in less than four hours.

studioroosegaarde.net/project/smarthighway; http://uk.heijmans.nl; escaut.org/urban-scale/otro; pro-teqsurfacing.com/

Transport of delight

The problem of prolonged darkness in Nordic climes crops up elsewhere in this Lighting Focus (see CLU Socialite awards, p72). However, architect Roque Peña Pidal's solution for Helsinki was a more byzantine proposition than that Swedish energy company opted for when looking at Seasonal Affective Disorder in a small Swedish town north of Stockholm.

Transport of delight

As part of an advertising campaign it installed special lights in 30 bus stops to provide light therapy for travellers during winter months when there are periods of continuous darkness.

People are encouraged to stand in front of the panels with their eyes open for a full 30 minutes to receive the maximum effectt. Which probably doesn't say much or the local bus service. umea.se

Breaking new ground

Two virtues of LEDs are that they are discreet and easily controllable. Which means they can easily be used for delineation as well as illumination.

LEDs help declutter multiuse sports halls via ASB Glassfloor

LEDs help declutter multiuse sports halls via ASB Glassfloor

Nike is working on a scheme to project sports spaces

Nike is working on a scheme to project sports spaces

One of the issues in a multiple-use interior sports space is that it requires a maze of white lines on the court. The ASB Glassfloor resolves that by underlighting the glass floor surface with hidden LED channels that can be switched to reveal different boundaries and court markings. Created by the German glass company ASB Systembau, the floor's LED technology can also be used for the benefit of spectators by displaying the score, statistics and team colours directly on the playing surface.

LEDs help declutter multiuse sports halls via ASB Glassfloor

LEDs help declutter multiuse sports halls via ASB Glassfloor

Another concept - a collaboration between Nike and Spanish digital agency Doubleyou - uses lasers to transform any appropriate urban space into an instant football pitch, providing youngsters without access to the right facilities a dedicated space to play in, even at night.

LED carpets for wayfinding and more, from Desso

LED carpets for wayfinding and more, from Desso

An app allows the prospective soccer players to request a visit from a laserequipped van. The vehicle has a crane that is raised above the space to project the digital soccer field on the ground. Given that most people look down rather than up, it also makes sense to exploit the floor as a signage and orientating surface. Philips has teamed up with carpet specialist Desso to develop light-transmissive floor coverings. There are obvious decorative possibilities, but practical applications will include providing information, wayfinding, indicating exit routes, and helping to declutter spaces by making information visible only when needed.

LED carpets for wayfinding and more, from Desso

LED carpets for wayfinding and more, from Desso

The LED carpets are designed for high-traffic areas - offices and airports spring to mind - and come in different colours, shapes and sizes. The companies are working on pilot projects, but at time of going to press the light-transmissive carpets had still even to be named.

http://asbglassfloor.com desso.com;.nikeblog.com

Many of the above concepts feature in a report called The Future of Light, a collation of international schemes and concepts, designed to identify future directions for light in marketing, branding, communication and urban improvement. It was produced by New York-based PSFK and sponsored by Philips Lighting

psfk.com/future-of-light








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