How do you make things a city? :
The designer's difficult role was the master lighting planner of a 47.4ha all-new central zone of Saitama City. Relying too much on paper plans, views above and below people are often overlooked. Instead, the designer thoroughly analyzed human recognition to lighting environment and distinguished six elements of urban lighting. "Mass, surface, path, node, ground and underneath" are the six. All lights considered, the six pieces were carefully fixed. In those area 17 government offices, an arena, several parks, a new railway station and commercial facilities were built. But accommodations and private offices are still under construction. While government office buildings take up most part, and they dim at night, to create a lively night scene was a challenging task.
The method to Realize the lighting master plan.:
1. Making the lighting concept.
2. Making a "lighting discussion sheet" for every building, to clarify the matters to be solved, after hearing every plan, which was already made by the architects.
3. Making three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated models CGI, which enabled to realize lighting scenes, and thorough study of night environment from a human viewpoint.
Four lighting guidelines :
1. Create a lively night scene.
2. Make the street path-structure clear.
3. Make the charming viewpoint.
4. Make the switching time schedule of the whole city lighting.
"Discussion sheet" :
The sheet categorizes the building's visible lights, into the 6 elements (Mass, Surface, Path, Node, Ground and Underneath). Possible problems, the designer's proposals, and answers from the client and architect were dialectically filled in.
Population has increased. Now the city is so lively.
The difficult role has been finished, to create the lighting master plan of a city successfully, by the collaboration with the representatives of the government, the architects and the specialists. And also other lighting designers who were working for this project. The Six-Element study from the human viewpoint is a useful method in urban planning.
"Mass lights" comprises lights from interior spaces make a massive volume of brightness. And floodlights on top of the building stand as the landmark.
"Surface lights" comprises many buildings' lights, along the railway in a line, make a large surface of the new city. And lights in lower part of the building, along the pedestrians' walkway make a surface.
"Path lights" comprises lights along pedestrians' walkways and the road lights.
"Node lights" comprises lights at the switching points to upper and lower path, lights at the crossing points, and the lights for sculptures at the open spaces. They are strongly contrasted as a sign and indicate the Node in the distance.
"Ground lights" comprises lights for trees and waters in the parks. They will be an effective accent in busy city.
"Underneath lights" comprises lights for spaces under pedestrians' walkways, under bridges, and lights in tunnel walkways should be sufficiently illuminated.
