Occhio opens new flagship store in Shanghai
(China) – In one of Shanghai’s most prestigious shopping districts, German lighting company Occhio has opened its new flagship store.
A strategically important step towards internationalisation outside of Europe, the store will offer an interactive brand experience, presenting Occhio’s complete product range over approximately 400sqm.
"The new Occhio store Shanghai is an important step in our growth strategy and contributes significantly to positioning Occhio as a luxury lifestyle brand. With this strong presence in one of the most important world metropolises, we are setting a clear statement as an international player. This location is the bridgehead for us in the Asian market," said Axel Meise, founder and designer of Occhio.
The multifunctional concept of the showroom was developed taking into account the local architecture as well as the usual material and colour worlds. In the warm and cosy ambience, light and design are presented in living as well as office situations.
The inviting, bright showroom welcomes its visitors to experience the Occhio world. Illuminated product displays serve to present the various luminaire and spotlight series. They are an invitation to experience the products interactively. The purist white "light lab", gives an idea about the effect of light and lighting quality in a room. People can interactively create their own lighting atmosphere. The Occhio bar and lounge area is an invitation to enjoy the light and ambience and let them experience the brand world. An exclusive VIP room was designed for tea ceremonies and events.
"Our location in Shanghai fulfils three important tasks for us in the Chinese market – it is our head office in China, a training centre for partners and network and, as a flagship store, makes it possible to experience Occhio's culture of light in a sophisticated ambience. We are very much looking forward to presenting the possibilities of our complete product portfolio live and in use to private customers as well as Occhio partners, architects and planners," added Amber Guan, General Manager China.
IALD Enlighten Americas makes triumphant return
Welcoming more than 400 attendees from across the professional spectrum, the IALD Enlighten Americas 2022 conference opened in Palm Springs, California for three days of collaboration and celebration.
Launching on 28 September, the event offered three days of informative sessions from veteran and emerging professionals in the industry, roundtable discussions between manufacturers and specifiers, peer networking, and all the celebratory energy of an international community in attendance.
Guests were treated to an awe-inspiring keynote address by award-winning sculptor Janet Echelman, as well as the induction of two lauded professionals into the IALD College of Fellows: Steve Brown, FIALD, FIES, CLD of Australia; and Ulrike Brandi, FIALD, CLD of Germany.
The in-person event also provided eagerly anticipated gatherings for members of the Lighting Information Resource Council (LIRC), galvanising the collaboration and cooperative insight that the Council provides to lighting designers and manufacturers alike.
Furthermore, the IALD Education Trust welcomed students and educators to the event as a result of Trust-provided stipends, in keeping with the mission to further the advancement opportunities for the next regeneration of lighting design talent.
Christopher Knowlton, IALD Chief Executive Officer, was thrilled to see the enthusiasm coming from the event aptly titled "Into the Sunlight".
He said: “It was rewarding to see so many members of our community coming together for the first time in several years and re-connecting so positively. It really goes to show that the lighting profession is emerging strong and energetic from the pandemic.”
The IALD Enlighten Americas conference will return in November 2023 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Early information regarding speaking opportunities, sponsorship, volunteering, and general attendance will be released in coming months on the IALD website and social media channels.
Organisers hail returning Light + Building a success
(Germany) – With solutions from more than 1,500 exhibitors from 46 countries presented at the returning Light + Building, organisers have described the event as “more than successful”.
Wolfgang Marzin, Chairman of the Board of Management at Messe Frankfurt, said of the show: “We are delighted with the extremely high level of interest shown by the visitors who came to Light + Building Autumn Edition.
“Personal encounters are and remain the central element of trade fairs. Business is done between people. In times of crisis, it takes courage and a willingness to take risks to look positively and solution-oriented into the future. The exhibiting companies have impressively demonstrated this at Light + Building.”
Held from 2-6 October, this is the first time that Light + Building has been held since March 2018, following two and a half years of cancellations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The returning show saw 92,838 visitors from 147 countries travel to Frankfurt. In addition to Germany, the most visitors came from Italy, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Great Britain and Poland, with international participation at 55%. Post-show surveys show a high level of visitor satisfaction, with 95% of trade visitors satisfied with the achievement of their visiting goals and the range of exhibits, while more than 83% are already planning to visit Light + Building 2024.
After this one-off Autumn Edition of the fair, Light + Building will return to its usual Spring slot in 2024, taking place in Frankfurt from 3-8 March.
HLB Lighting Design Principal Faith Baum to retire
(USA) – After an architectural lighting design career that has spanned across 35 years, Faith Baum, Principal of HLB Lighting has announced her retirement.
Led by a passion for theatre and theatre lighting, Baum discovered architectural lighting through a colleague and fell in love with the permanence of lighting design. She took classes at Parsons School of Design and started her career working at The Mintz Lighting Group, beginning as an entry-level designer and ending as an Associate before starting her own firm, Illumination Arts, with longtime friend and colleague Ken Douglas. In 2018, Illumination Arts joined HLB, which, according to Baum, “gave all of us opportunities to focus on our passions and what we do best”.
During her career, Baum has completed iconic projects all over the world – some of her favourite projects include Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge in Worcester, Massachusetts; Veterans Glass City Skyway in Toledo, Ohio; National Audubon Society Headquarters in New York City’ and the Lowry Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Speaking of her retirement, Baum said: “Retiring from a profession and company I love is bittersweet. I’m thrilled to be on the precipice of an adventure, not knowing exactly where it will take me. But I will miss the joy and excitement of working with my friends and colleagues at HLB, meeting new people, and collaborating on beautiful projects.”
Baum will continue to work with HLB in a part-time consultant role for the next year, and will continue to provide meaningful contributions to the firm through select mentorship and marketing activities as she focuses on completing her years-long investment in fellow teammates and principals through the sharing of her knowledge and expertise. Her commitment to mentorship will continue to light the way for the next generation of lighting designers, both within HLB and beyond.
teamLab to open 10,000sqm immersive museum in Beijing
(China) – Art collective teamLab will launch dynamic art space teamLab Massless Beijing in November 2022. Based on the idea that digital technology liberates human expression from material substances, the exhibition will present large-scale installations with no physical boundary separating them from the viewer’s body, creating a heavily immersive experience.
One of teamLab’s largest permanent museums to date, teamLab Massless Beijing will be housed permanently on the top floor of Beijing’s Chaoyang Joy City mall, and will utilise the expansive 10,000sqm of floor space and 11-metre-high ceilings to create an “ever-changing, interactive environment that explores physicality and the borderless continuity between the self and the world”.
teamLab Massless Beijing will feature a representative selection of more than 40 teamLab works, including the likes of Massless Clouds Between Sculpture and Life, Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Colour, Massless Suns and Dark Spheres, Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers and The Infinite Crystal Universe.
On the same floor as teamLab Massless will be U2 by UCCA (U2 for short), a brand-new art museum founded by UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, China’s leading contemporary art institution. The inaugural exhibition of U2 will be a collaboration with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to present Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser. Exploring its origins, adaptations and reinventions over 157 years, this immersive and theatrical show charted the evolution of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland from manuscript to a global phenomenon beloved by all ages.
teamLab Massless Beijing will open in 19 November 2022.
Design London welcomes nearly 13,000 visitors
(UK) - The largest contemporary design fair of the London Design Festival, Design London took place from 21-24 September at Magazine London, in the city’s newest design district, Greenwich Peninsula.
The sophomore edition of the event reported a total of 12,686 visitors, from both the UK and overseas, over the course of four days.
Marlon Cera-Marle, Director of Design at Media 10, said, “We’re very pleased with what we achieved this year – not only because this was only our second edition, but also because there was a real sense of excitement and optimism from our industry as a whole, seeing products and reconnecting with our peers in person.
“This year we could not be prouder of our visitor numbers, and the quality of our overall programme. We also witnessed some of the most prominent, industry-wide issues being addressed at our show, from sustainability to waste and material innovation.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us in the last 12 months and made Design London another tremendous success. With my team, I very much look forward to planning our 2023 edition and welcoming the global design communities to our capital once again.”
Organisers have announced that the third edition of Design London will take place on 20-23 September 2023.
Light Collective to host Collected Light exhibition
(UK) – Comprising five artworks created by six different female artists, Collected Light is an intimate showcase of work by women light artists curated by Light Collective.
Held from 14-25 November at the SoShiro Gallery in London, the exhibition will feature a range of mediums, from neon to projection, with works from Kate McMillan (UK/AU), Karolina Halatek (PL), Jacqueline Hen (DE), Tamar Frank (NL), Lauren Baker (UK), and Chila Kumari Burman Singh (UK) on display. The exhibition is supported by formalighting.
In 2019, Light Collecteve started the global project, Women in Lighting, also supported by formalighting, creating a huge community and network of women around the world working with light. Collected Light is part of the project, and the start of the creation of a permanent collection made solely of women light artists. After the London event, the exhibition will tour other cities, with the addition of more women light artists.
The artworks on show are:
In Lucem, 2019 by Tamar Frank: A series of 20 small light panels illustrate – four of which are on display at this exhibition – a seemingly still image with a central focus that gradually blends into different colour compositions. The colour gradients are inspired by the changes in natural light over the course of one day and change very slowly so that the transition itself is not perceived. The artwork is a response to the perception of light as a natural presence. The central focus invites the spectator to slow down and allow the light to draw the viewer in. The diffusion of the image does not allow the eye to focus. As a result, the image will appear to pulsate and float.
Peacock, 2020 by Chila Singh Burman: Burman is celebrated for her radical feminist practice, which examines representation, gender and cultural identity. Peacock was part of the hugely popular neon installation on the exterior of the Tate Britain, Remembering A Brave New World in 2020. She explained: “My Peacock piece explores the birds’ symbolism of re-growth, rejuvenation, beauty and love. The peacock is native to the Indian subcontinent, in this way it is also a reference to my Indian heritage.” Burman works across a wide range of mediums including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film.
Halo, 2019 by Karolina Halatek: The circular-shaped immersive installation is designed to draw out a very personal experience. Visitors interacting with the work have the possibility of discovering a new dimension of their own presence in the contemplative, pure and abstract environment. The title refers to the natural optical phenomena seen around the sun or moon, produced by light in the interaction of ice crystals. The place of the celestial body is given to the art viewer, who becomes a central part of the piece. Halatek is a Polish artist who uses light as a catalyst for experience. She often collaborates with non-artists including quantum physicists, founders of the superstring theory (Leonard Susskind, Roger Penrose, Carlo Rovelli) and precision mechanical engineers.
The Lost Girl, 2020 by Kate McMillan: The Lost Girl is an immersive film-based installation centred around the fictional character of a cave-dwelling girl on the east coast of England. Using DH Lawrence's book of the same name as a starting point, the film narrates the experiences of a young woman seemingly alone in a dystopian future, with only the debris washed up from the ocean to form meaning and language. The film combines McMillan’s various research interests, including the Anthropocene; the role of creativity in forming memory and the consequences of neglecting female histories. McMillan is based in London and is the author of the annual report 'Representation of Female Artists in Britain' commissioned by the Freelands Foundation.
Off Grid Series, 2022 by Jacqueline Hen: This installation investigates the perception of the body in space in the face of the digital realm. How is social media influencing our perception and interaction with the physical space? Mirrors and an arrangement of lights create the illusion of an infinite space of luminosity and darkness. The perception of this space changes with the viewer's perspective inviting them to investigate their self within infinity.
Stardust - The Deep Field (Lenticular), 2018 by Lauren Baker: A six-image lenticular backed by an LED light box, described by Baker as depicting ‘a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter’. Because of the way the lenticular lenses shift how the images are perceived, moving past the artwork brings it to life: suggesting a celestial dance of explosion and implosion, separation and unison, change and repetition. The artwork depicts a galactic explosion of shooting stars and space matter, inspired by the findings of the Hubble telescope. Hubble’s glimpse into what is known as the deep field has highlighted that we are just one tiny part of a vast system comprising of 100 billion galaxies. As people walk past, the six images appear and merge into one another from different angles, creating a moving image of an exploding star.
All the artists are featured in a new book of the same name also curated by Light Collective. The duo share their reasoning for both the book and the exhibition;
“After 25 plus years in the world of light, it became apparent, that there is an onus on and huge visibility of male artists who work with or have worked with light within their body of work. Many are well known names and are often cited as inspiration in the work of lighting designers. While there are a few names that come up when discussing female light artists – the financially successful artist; Yayoi Kusama, the political rebel; Jenny Holzer and lover of daylight; Nancy Holt, like the rest of the art world, the exposure of their work is less and our knowledge of light artists remains unbalanced in terms of gender. If you want to prove this further, just type the words “Light Artist” into Google - out of the first 15 artists shown by the world’s leading search engine only two are female.”
The Women in Lighting project inspired Light Collective to look at all aspects of representation in the field of light. They found and researched over 150 women creating light-based art, which led to the curation of a book: Collected Light Volume 1: Women Light Artists. The book is a small step towards trying to redress the unfair imbalance in visibility and will be available for purchase at both the exhibition and online, after the event has finished.
Light Collective asked more than 40 women to participate by sharing images of their work. From immersive environments to reactive light, beautiful glowing objects to light that tells a story, this collection of light art from women artists includes a multitude of manipulations of the medium. Directing the viewer to contemplate colour, nature, politics, life and even death, the true power of light as an artistic medium is perfectly portrayed by the artists included.
“Our hope is that by profiling these women artists who use light within their work, we are opening a door for others to do the same and for all to be celebrated and widely known for what they create. We also hope that the beauty of each piece of work offers inspiration to those who discover it and, whilst created by women, is valued as incredible art, non-dependent on gender.”
Pharos: New DMX & DALI controller
Benefit from Pharos expertise in dynamic architectural lighting with Expert, an all new, practical, and straightforward control solution. The Expert software guides you through setting up and creating your lighting designs before you output to DMX and DALI fixtures using Expert Control, a single set-and-forget lighting controller. Complementing the range is Expert Touch, an elegant wall station, and accessories Expert Repeat and Expert Switch. Expert makes light of it.
Headline speakers announced for LiGHT22 talks programme
(UK) – LiGHT 22, the UK’s only dedicated high-end lighting specification event, is delighted to announce Michael Anastassiades, Sally Storey, Mark Major, and Nick Hoggett as headline speakers.
In collaboration with lighting control specialist Lutron, [d]arc thoughts returns for two-days of insightful comment and discussion on all the latest topics covering lighting design. Taking place as part of LiGHT 22 at London’s Business Design Centre on 22-23 November 2022, the event is free to attend and will see leading designers take to the stage.
Michael Anastassiades will sit down with [d]arc media's Managing Editor, Helen Ankers for a Q&A session titled 'The Detail Behind the Design' to discuss how decorative lighting has changed over the past decade, while taking a closer look at his approach to design and revisiting some of his most important collections.
Visitors to the show will be able to see his talk on the ground floor at 3.30pm on Tuesday 22 November.
Directly following this talk, lighting legends Sally Storey, Founder of Lighting Design International; Mark Major, a Founding Partner of Speirs Major; and Nick Hoggett, Partner of dpa lighting consultants, will share their thoughts and insight on the lighting design profession with arc editor, Matt Waring. Considered by many as pioneers of the lighting design community in the UK, the designers will look at how the industry has grown, predictions for the future and reflect on past projects and trends.
Visitors to the show will be able to see this talk on the ground floor at 4.45pm just before the late-night drinks event.
With more than 30 speakers taking part in the two-day talks programme, the content doesn’t stop there. Covering everything from diversity in design to sustainability and circular economy, dark skies, and materials, [d]arc thoughts @ LiGHT 22 is the must-attend talks programme for the lighting design community this winter.
[d]arc media’s Managing Editor, Helen Ankers commented: “I couldn’t be more thrilled with our line-up of speakers for the inaugural LiGHT 22 event. Ever since we launched the [d]arc thoughts talks programme we have made it our mission to bring the very best in speakers and topics to the stage and this next instalment is no different.
“By providing a completely free talks programme, we’re ensuring the entire design community is able to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the speakers involved. I’m looking forward to some lively discussion over the two-days!”
Talk highlights from Day One include:
The Future of Materials, which opens the show at 10:30am. Product designers from both architectural and decorative lighting will look to address questions such as: Should manufacturers and product designers be looking at new and environmentally friendly resources? How does technology play a role in the materials available? How does the current economic climate affect the availability of materials?
For students and those recently graduated, there is plenty of interesting content at LiGHT 22. Two particular highlights include Starting out in the Industry at 1pm on the opening day, which sees Emma Cogswell of Skills Army moderate a panel that discusses what it takes to become established in the world of design. And then at 6pm, the ILP’s much-loved ‘How to be Brilliant’ series, which sees successful senior lighting designers share their time and expertise with students, juniors and new entrants to the profession.
For all of the talks happening on Day One of LiGHT 22, click here.
Talk highlights from Day Two include:
On Day Two, the show opens with a bang; bringing together designer Jason Bruges; light artist Frankie Boyle; and Helen Marriage of Artichoke, organisers of the award-winning light art festival Lumiere, UK, for a discussion on the Distinction between ‘Light Art’ and ‘Art that uses Light’; what makes an installation a work of light art and how the medium is changing. The panel will also look to address diversity within the light art world.
Other thought-provoking topics for day two, include The Weaponisation of Light at 1.30pm. This panel sees designers Edward Bartholomew, Ruth Kelly Waskett and Satu Streatfield have an open and honest discussion around the hierarchy of lighting design, particularly how lighting in underprivileged areas can contribute to social inequalities.
The day will close with an insightful discussion on the importance of Dark Skies, a hot topic in the lighting design community. Panelists include: Nathalie Quadrio of Nature in Light; Raluca Dascalita of Delta Lighting Design; Inessa Demidova of Arup; Dan Oakley – Dark Skies Specialist.
For all the talks happening on Day Two of LiGHT 22, click here.
Taking place on the ground floor of the Business Design Centre, all the [d]arc thoughts talks are free to attend, for visitors registered for LiGHT 22.
Nulty opens new studio in India
(India) - Nulty has launched a new office in Pune to expand its project scope throughout India.
The expansion into Pune comes off the back of Nulty’s Bangkok studio launch two years ago, which gave rise to a number of projects in the region. As a result, the team is now working on a large mixed-use scheme in Hyderabad, retail and hospitality schemes in Delhi, a private residence in Goa and a Pune-owned five-star resort in the Maldives.
The studio will be led by Technical Design Manager Danish Sayed, who will work in partnership with Founder Paul Nulty and Managing Director Mark Vowles to oversee the growth plan for India. Nulty Pune launches with a five-strong team of lighting designers, which will quickly increase to eight to meet demand for the team’s lighting design services.
A highly experienced lighting designer, Sayed began his career in India working as both an Electrical Contractor and Lighting Designer, before relocating to the UAE, where he worked in Nulty’s Dubai studio for six years. Sayed returns to Pune to head up the team and will draw upon his experience of delivering projects in Dubai’s fast-paced industry to grow the firm’s portfolio of design work.
Paul Nulty, Founder, Nulty commented: “Nulty has been active in India for the last few years and a recent influx of new projects signalled to us the need for a local base. Pune felt like the right fit - it’s a vibrant city with a large pool of talented young designers that we are looking to nurture and develop.
“The city also has a well-established network of architectural engineering clients, so there’s a great synergy between India’s rapidly developing pipeline of construction projects and Nulty’s multisector lighting design experience. The new studio places us right at the heart of it all and will enable us to respond to all of the exciting opportunities that the region presents.”
Circular Lighting Live a sell-out success
(UK) – Held on 22 September, the Circular Lighting Live conference and exhibition discussed how the lighting industry can make the circular economy a reality.
The event, chaired by Ray Molony, Editor of Circular Lighting Report, welcomed 250 registered attendees from specifiers, manufacturers and suppliers, with presentations heard on forthcoming EU and UK legislation, as well as the plethora of different environmental metrics that exist, including assessments of circularity (TM66), embodied carbon (TM65), environmental product declarations and lifecycle assessments.
Practical discussions also included how to encourage more remanufacture and reuse in the lighting sector. Meanwhile, the pivotal role of the specifier in encouraging more sustainable lighting was tackled by two panels, both composed of five experts drawn from across the industry.
The conference was complemented by a supplier exhibition that included a 3D printing demonstration from Platinum sponsor Signify, as well as stands from Gold sponsors ASD Lighting, DW Windsor, Lucent, Orluna, Primelight, Silent Design and Trilux.
Commenting on the event, Nigel Harvey, Recolight CEO, said: “We have been thrilled by the level of energy and commitment expressed during Circular Lighting Live. It really does seem that we all get it: the really significant changes we need to make to address the climate crisis, and to improve material efficiency.
“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback, so we’ve already announced that Circular Lighting Live 2023 will take place on 21 September 2023. We will be at a bigger venue, so we will be able to welcome many more delegates and sponsors.”
One of the main takeaways of the event was the value of TM66, the CIBSE and SLL specification for circularity in the lighting industry. TM66 is increasingly being seen as a helpful tool to allow specifiers to identify lighting products that are properly designed with circular economy principles.
Harvey added: “Recolight was proud to host Circular Lighting Live. It aligns perfectly with our ambition and desire to support and encourage our industry to become more sustainable. And we did our best to practice what we preach: the programme, delegate list, and feedback form were emailed rather than printed. The venue chosen favoured public transport, rather than travel by car, and the food was vegetarian, to reduce the carbon footprint.”
Blurred visions of a lighting designer
As the lighting industry continues to go through rapid growth and developments, Manas Deniz, founder of 781 Lighting, calls on the industry to slow down and take a look around.
“I sometimes think drivers do not know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly.”
Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury in 1953, is undoubtedly one of my favourite books of all time. The observation above belongs to a rebellious teenager called Clarisse, who complains about a certain law that demanded everyone to drive fast enough, so that no one could witness the pleasant details of life. “If you showed a driver a green blur, Oh yes! he would say, that is grass! A pink blur? That is a rose-garden! White blurs are horses. Brown blurs are cows,” continues Clarisse, mentioning the things they were all missing.
But because of such a speed limit, drivers ended up seeing commercials just as blurry as cows, flowers, grass, and horses, which was clearly not intended. So, authorities enlarged the size of the billboards so everyone could read them while keeping the rest blurry.
Bad news is, the world of light and lighting design recently appears no different because of laws, restrictions, and the unnecessary speed that each and every member of the lighting industry has to carry through. We are taking a leap from a dystopian novel towards professional lighting design, but let me show how similar they sometimes feel.
Since my graduation from Hochschule Wismar back in 2019, I have been thinking about how lighting design could be carried out with more sensitivity towards global, personal and social wellbeing. One thing that appeared clear to me was the speed that the lighting industry had been evolving at, thanks to ever-changing technologies, trends, methods, and approaches. Although awareness for the importance of proper lighting is getting more and more prevalent, there are still so many aspects we miss due to this extraordinary rush we are in.
Clarisse of Fahrenheit 451 was aware of what billboards ordered us to do, to buy and to think. But how about the billboards of our world, the world of light? This speed we carry disconnects us from our planet and our society and even from ourselves. We can see some things more clearly, yet others appear almost as if looked at behind some frosted glass. We are still far from seeing all those details, which make us better people, and a better lighting enthusiast in the end. Here in this article, I would like to introduce you to the visions of a lighting designer that we see and miss on our way, during this fast and long drive of ours.
For quite some time now, the call for energy efficient products, solutions, lighting methods and energy-friendly projects overall has been echoing in our ears. Lately, every single lighting designer, manufacturer, architect and even client has heard about the significance of energy efficiency at each lighting related conference and fair they attend. Speakers nowadays never forget to mention how much energy and money they have saved with the use of LED light sources, sophisticated control systems, and smart lighting gadgets. While manufacturers have been promoting their range of products with the capability of providing extraordinary efficacy data and the lighting industry gathering around “a more efficient world”, we are starting to overlook other aspects of light and lighting design.
The phasing-out of traditional incandescent lamps is one big example of how the industry has evolved around the passion for efficiency. Obviously, that is because our understanding of light has changed dramatically over the past decade. The definition of light is nowadays equal to the definition of only visible light. However, for thousands of years, living beings have benefited from the Sun and the full spectrum of wavelengths that sunlight consists of. Nowadays, production of wavelengths beyond the visible range – especially infrared – are said to be a waste of energy. Those who try to compress our understanding of light into a narrow range forget the fact that all living beings, both psychologically and physiologically, have adapted to a greater range of energy since life began. Although light without a wider range of energy might not appear as efficient in the means of visible light per consumed power, all those wavelengths we miss with newer technologies not only bring quality to light but also to our lives.
Higher ratio of distributed visible light per consumed power unit is now possibly what makes a light source a legitimate tool for design. Open a random catalogue of products that contain LED light sources, and the first information you see will be the lumens per watts data. The manufacturers are not the ones to blame for promoting it. After all it all comes down to what the customer demands, and as lighting designers it is our duty to guide those who are not working in the field of lighting. Although efficiency is a major consideration in a project, it is not everything. In other words, I do accept that efficiency is a significant benefit that LED technology has brought into our lives, however it is not significant enough to shape a project around it.
A psychological effect, the Jevons Paradox, refers to more consumption of a product than usual when that product is claimed to be efficient. A year ago, a very close friend of mine turned his living space into a Bluetooth-controlled RGB smart lighting-house. And I still spend my evenings in a living room where only two dimmed halogen lamps are turned on, which appear to be way less energy-friendly compared to LEDs. He turns the lights on 30 minutes before he gets home via his smartphone app, while I turn off my two beloved halogens whenever I leave the room. So, I do wonder who has a larger electricity bill.
Before we buy lighting products, often we are certain of how energy-friendly they will be, however there is a flipside to the coin. Examples could be supported with proper data, however my goal is not to fill pages with graphs and tables but to remind you to question the practicality of what billboards tell. Things that we believed were crystal-clear are perhaps a sequence of illusions that forbid us from seeing what we actually need to see. But what are those things? Let’s break the law, lift off from the gas pedal and take a look around.
The efficiency paranoia has initiated a rapid switch from traditional light sources to LED lighting all around the world. The residential example I gave above is just a small part of it, since the whole world is switching to LED technology on a greater scale. Streets, parks, highways, walkways, almost every outdoor space is now aimed to be illuminated with LEDs. The main reason behind the change is again the prophecy of energy-efficiency. However, the rebound effect is applicable for outdoor situations as well, probably even in bigger digits. Although fixtures with LED light sources provide much more controllable and directional outdoor lighting, the over-usage of luminaires has been increasing the light levels all around the world. Scientists and researchers have been sharing numerous before and after satellite images of LED installations. There is an increase in radiance towards the sky and the fact that night-time
dark skies all around the world have been disappearing is now undoubtable. We perhaps have started to forget what the night sky and the stars used to look like.
Remember the pre-LED, traditional street lights we used to have? High-pressure and low-pressure sodium lamps, which had a warm amber-like colour. This monochromatic colour of light consisted of a narrow-band spectral power distribution, and had no high-energy wavelengths (UV to blue light) within their spectrum. Although outdoor LED lighting can mimic the correlated colour temperature (CCT) of a sodium lamp, it is quite rare to see an LED light source that eliminates high-energy wavelengths within its spectrum.
Human beings have been using incandescent light sources at night for thousands of years. Fire, torches, candles, oil lamps, gas lamps and later with the invention of electricity, incandescent light bulbs. Our introduction to artificial UV and blue light is very recent. We have received shorter wavelengths of light only from the Sun, during daytime. And during all those years we have developed an internal clock that is regulated by light. But we are not the only occupants of this planet we live on.
Plants and animals have been exposed to artificial blue light very recently. And just like humans, there are insects, animals and plants who see, eat, hunt, emigrate and live according to the patterns of day and night-time. Imagine the impact those LED lights make on nocturnal beings. Are they really ready for this change? Can they adapt to these newer technologies as fast as the industry has? This shiny world is polluted with light, and we only get a quick glance of it, since we are too busy finishing exterior lighting projects with purely aesthetic purposes. This blurred vision of ours is preventing us from seeing the size of the impact we are making to our environment. The damage that light is capable of doing is real, what we believed to be a saviour is like to kill what we promised to protect. Yet, what if the environment is not the only one who is suffering so secretly and silently?
Have you ever felt a sneaky headache after spending hours in a shopping mall or had trouble falling asleep after a long session on social media? How about that feeling of laziness and sluggishness when you spend too many days at home without even going out? All of these situations of discomfort are caused by the rapid evolution of lighting technologies that have invaded our daily lives. It is not only the animals, insects and the cities that are hurt; but we have been suffering from unpleasant lighting conditions just as much.
New technologies of LED lighting have occupied each and every corner of our lives, without leaving a doubt of their benefits. However, our body has developed a rhythm that generates hormones according to the changes in the quality and quantity of light, in that case natural light.
Hormones do not only impact how well our body physically functions, but they also have a direct impact on our mood and psychology. Only a small portion of concerned experts and designers are familiar with the principles of white light distribution from LED light sources and the amount of blue light that they consist of regardless of their CCT. This Trojan Horse, blue light, is sneaking through every little crack it finds into our lives; not only from light fittings, but from smartphones, tablets, and other types of screen.
As lighting designers, it is not quite realistic to attempt to alter the screen habits of society, but at least we can understand and teach multiple aspects of good and healthy lighting. One important aspect of understanding good lighting comes from expanding its definition, and not limiting it only to light that our eyes can see. The benefits of proper lighting do not only serve the wellbeing of the globe and individuals, but also the wellbeing of society.
Back in 2018, alongside my 22 classmates at the Architectural Lighting Design Master’s programme in Wismar, I had an unforgettable experience in a city called Neuruppin, located north-west of Berlin. We took part in a lighting workshop that had aimed at illuminating multiple locations around the city. When we arrived at the city centre, it was very quiet, maybe because of the October weather. Our group of lighting designers started working in the woods, illuminating trees, the lake, and other landscapes. We were quite far away from the city centre, yet still visible from the city’s beautiful promenade. We worked near the lake, had multiple detours between the centre and the woods for equipment and food and saw very few people here and there throughout the workshop.
The lighting installation was complete after a couple of days, and we started gathering out in the cold for the celebrations. Only then a few locals started to appear and celebrate with us. There was one single road nearby where only a few vehicles had passed by in the last few days. But a few hours after the lights were on, people started to gather around our installation, with an impression on their faces that showed how amazed and thankful they were. Some even showed up with some cups of tea and coffee and biscuits just for us to enjoy. Until that hour, we were positive that not a single individual was even aware that we were in Neuruppin, experimenting with light. But quite magically they appeared from nowhere, thanking us and caring for us. This was the moment we realised the power of light, bringing people together, bringing joy and amazement to their lives. We talked, cheered, and celebrated together as if Germany had won the World Cup! Perhaps it meant much more to the locals of Neuruppin. The power of light on our society is undeniable and the outcomes can be tremendous when it is used properly. During these times of disconnection and desolation, light is a beautiful tool to help us come back together and collaborate for a “brighter” future.
Just like Clarisse, my intention was not to bring something new to the table, but to remind you that there is already plenty on it. Not only the lighting industry, but the whole world has been suffering due to this ridiculous speed at which everything has been done: massive projects being completed in weeks or even days; quantity being prioritised by designers; quality, depth and meaning getting disrespected and considered as inefficient have been the norms of a welcomed lighting design process. I would like to recall three aspects; global, personal and social wellbeing, that every lighting enthusiast should prioritise in their projects, products, conference talks and catalogues. Let’s slow down for a while, rub our eyes, and take a look around. We have so much power, yet we tend to waste it by constantly accelerating with everything we do. Let’s remember what we are capable of, considering we possess the most overpowered tool ever invented!
