By Stefano Marzano
CEO and Chief Creative Director of Philips Design
The cities we inherited from the past, and which we have tried, in various ways, to regenerate during this century, often seem to have lost that delicate balance between commercial efficiency and the quality of life. Rational factors seem to have ruled for too long. It is only now, in the last decade of the century, that we have started to realize just how important many cultural, emotional and aesthetic aspects are in creating a properly balanced, humane urban environment.
Lighting, I believe, has a vital part to play in helping us regain that balance - if we approach it in the right way. In the past, when people have thought about the question of lighting in the urban environment, they've tended to focus primarily on the functional aspect – on lighting streets and public places so that they can be used safely. A secondary focus – particularly in towns with a tourist industry - has been on lighting up one or two landmarks, such as the local castle or the town hall.
The purpose behind these uses of urban lighting was not really to exploit any special quality inherent in light itself but rather to eliminate the two major disadvantages of darkness – the fact that it makes it difficult for people to see and, as a result in certain circumstances, makes them vulnerable to unseen dangers.
But, as Andrea Branzi puts it: "To see illumination solely as a way of increasing the safety of places puts rather a heavy conceptual limit on it. It implies that everything should be lit to the same degree as it is in daylight... But the city is also made up of non-light, of areas of shadow, and we need to understand the value of the absence of light, of semi-darkness, of light that comes and goes."
As I said earlier, we've been focusing on the more emotional and cultural aspects of light rather than just the purely rational. We've been exploring ways in which we can exploit the inherent qualities of light itself to enhance the urban environment.
Let's consider just a few of these inherent qualities and the special meanings that people attach to them. There are plenty of them, although we're perhaps not used to seeing all of them out of doors. The most familiar examples, in fact, come from indoors.
Think of the warm, flickering light of an open fire, for example; or a romantic candlelit dinner, with soft lights and sweet music... And what about the cozy atmosphere of our favourite restaurant or bar? These are all settings we like to find ourselves in at moments that are emotionally, or socially, important to us.
Suppose we move such emotions out into the streets? With a fireplace, for instance.... Or an attractive lamp? Or a candle? Will they trigger the same emotional responses in their new settings?
When we want to be excited or thrilled, it is again light that plays a crucial role: these days, a play, a movie or a pop concert are quite unthinkable without dramatic lighting effects! As artists and theatrical people have known for a long time, lighting is a powerful emotional tool.
The special ability of light to focus attention, to bring out contrasts through the interplay of light and shade, and to generate excitement by suggesting more than it reveals: all this has become an indispensable part - and a very enjoyable part - of our lives. Why shouldn't we dramatize our lives out of doors in cities and create, through the careful use of lighting, a setting in which we and our fellow citizens are the stars of the show?
Perhaps with a comfortable bench like this, standing in the spotlight, waiting for the star to come on stage, sit down and start the show? Can outdoor lighting like this make people feel involved? Can it focus their attention as much in a twilight piazza as it does in a darkened theatre? These are questions we need to discover the answers to.
And we shouldn't forget another psychological effect of light – its ability to suggest temperature through colour. By changing colours, we can change the perception of temperature.
So, for example, in the depths of winter the bench could be warm and inviting, but on a hot summer evening a nice, cool place to relax. Again: important questions arise. Do people react as strongly - or perhaps more strongly - to the psychological effect of colour outdoors as they do in the home.
So far, I've just talked about how we might take aspects of lighting that we're used to seeing indoors out into the streets. But in fact, some of today's outdoor lighting already has an emotional and cultural value, even though we may not always be aware of it.
As an example, consider the light spilling out onto the street from shop windows or from office buildings, for instance. Shop windows function almost as street theaters, while the light from offices or other buildings not only adds illumination, but gives a visual suggestion of all the activity that's going on inside – itself a kind of theatrical performance for people passing by.
The urban authorities perhaps have limited control over such lighting, but might there be ways for them to encourage shops and businesses to make a systematic contribution to urban lighting – in an environmentally responsible way? Or might companies see a commercial advantage in managing the external effect of their internal lighting more effectively?
And then there are illuminated signs, such as company signs, logos or pillars. They serve not only to publicize the company in question, they are also used by the local population as illuminated landmarks, an intrinsic part of their neighborhood.
Might it not be possible to exploit this function – for places that are lacking such a nocturnal landmark? To give them personality, and generate a greater sense of pride among residents and a greater sense of interest among visitors?
So to sum up, by looking at the function of urban lighting in a fresh way – by seeing it as much more than purely rational – we have found ourselves asking many questions - questions to which we have no definitive answers. Our intention has been to give those questions some tangible form so that other people - people like yourselves – can give thought to the answers. Ultimately it is, quite literally, the men, women and children in the street who will decide what they like and what they don't like in urban lighting. As we see it, it's our job to pose the questions.
In the exhibition, you'll see just a few of the “tangible questions” that we came up with when we started looking at urban lighting from this new cultural and emotional viewpoint. Light is so important in our lives in so many ways, and with so many deep-rooted associations, it seems a great pity not to make these positive qualities and benefits available to people as widely as possible – and that means taking them out into the streets.
If this idea catches on – if people like it – then streets can perhaps become much more than simply the physical links between those places where our real emotional lives are lived out. Instead, they can become “special living spaces” in their own right – and as a result, some of the balance that was lost from urban life will have been restored.
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