Jyväskylä in Finland was placed first in recent lighting awards. With its waterside location as a backdrop, it chose to have stimulating and sustainable light in all its public spaces

It may or may not be a coincidence that the top three cities in the recent city.people.light awards all sit by expanses of water. There’s nothing like it to reflect the full glory of a lighting scheme.

Jyväskylä in central Finland won first prize for its City of Light initiative in the annual competition organised by Philips and the Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI). The award recognises projects that use lighting to contribute to the well-being of those who live, work or visit a city or town.

The winning project, a collaboration between local businesses, building owners and the city, has 50 installations so far, and was designed to position Jyväskylä as a forerunner in outdoor lighting using the latest technology. The wider aim, according to the city, is to develop the outdoor lighting culture in Finland.

Spending the majority of the winter in darkness, it is perhaps understandable that Jyväskylä wanted to use lighting as a means of cheering up its fast-growing population. The key aims were to create a strong sense of security while ensuring that all installations were energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.

The judges liked the subtle use of lighting not only for major urban projects, but also for smaller public spaces and parks where light is in direct touch with the people.

‘We appreciated that the city used all the potential lighting can offer to stimulate sustainable urban development,’ commented Iris Dijkstra, an independent lighting designer and president of the awards’ multinational jury. ‘At the same time Jyväskylä will also reduce the energy consumption of its public lighting.’

Joint second prize went to projects in Hangzhou, China, and Lachen in Switzerland.

The jury liked the fact that the Hangzhou project created a strong landmark for the city, reinforcing its natural link with water. ‘A delicate and yet powerful project which gives a new dimension to the grand canal and reinforces the city’s identity as a whole, in its most romantic and natural aspects’, said the judges of the scheme.

The port of Lachen is on a delta of the Wägi river in the upper section of Lake Zurich. The lighting was commended by the jury for its harmony with both urban and natural environments. ‘The designers have used light in a sensible and moderate way, creating a gentle landmark and reinforcing the charm and identity of this tourist destination,’ said judges.

Some 20 cities entered this year’s competition, which was judged by a six-person jury comprising lighting architects, lighting designers and municipal lighting managers. Judging criteria included how lighting projects added to the cultural and architectural heritage of a city, its night-time identity and environmental contribution.

This article was first published in FX Magazine.