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Date of Issue：May 29, 2018・Activity 1／City Night Survey in Switzerland （2018/04/12-04/17） City Night Survey in Switzerland Zurich ⇒ Bern ⇒ Basel2018/04/12-04/17　　Yumi Honda + Kyoko Takubo We visited Switzerland in search of places with light where people gather. Celebrating the long-awaited arrival of spring, we found that more people than we expected were relaxing outdoors from morning until night. During the day, they enjoyed the abundant nature and beautiful cityscapes, soaking up the natural light. At night, people were chatting and laughing in a soft, gentle light. We climbed a dark hill for an elevated nightscape shot, but even there, it wasn’t tourists but locals who were gazing at the nightscape. We were able to find a city light in Switzerland that makes you want to spend a long, leisurely time there. People enjoying the sunset on the shores of Lake Zurich People Gathering on the Riverside in Basel, with Beers in Hand ■Waterside at DuskOn a warm spring evening, people gather on the shores of Lake Zurich. In open areas with a view, everyone enjoys the passing of time in their own way—a unique luxury. After the sun sets and the sky turns indigo, historical buildings from the Middle Ages are softly lit and reflected on the water’s surface. The reason this atmosphere can be enjoyed comes from a combination of historical background and urban planning.First, the number of cars is overwhelmingly small compared to other cities. The city is…

Looking over the Nagoya nightscape from the symbolic Television Broadcasting Tower, Hisaya Boulevard stands out in the center and orange sodium lamps dominate the park below. The new trendy spot in Nagoya, Oasis 21, along Hisaya Boulevard. We climbed up the Television Broadcasting Tower before dusk so we could sit back and watch nature’s light show over the city with Oasis 21 in the foreground. Various mechanisms of light are incorporated into the design of Oasis 21, a former LPA project and winner of IESNA 2003 Award of Merit. One characteristic of Hisaya Boulevard nightscape is that the scenery always includes the Television Broadcasting Tower. Whether from the illuminated water fountain, Central Bridge, Central Park, or Oasis 21 all are framed just like a picture postcard with the Tower in the background.

Reiko KasaiLighting Design ProducerSingapore I am now cramped in a packed economy class flight from Bangkok back to Singapore with my laptop open. I am amazed at the number of people passing through the airport. The reason this scene feels like a dream is that I am still vividly remembering my flight from Japan only a year ago, when the airport was deserted, and I was the only passenger. On the return “private” flight from Haneda to Singapore, I enjoyed strolling around the cabin, chatting and playing cards with the five amiable cabin crew members who were working for just one passenger. The anxiety of the mandatory 21-day hotel stay that awaited me after landing had disappeared. Once again, I was the sole passenger on the bus that ferried me from the empty and lonely Changi Airport, where there were more staff in protective suits than passengers. I was nervous because I was not told where we were going, but we arrived at a high-rise 5-star hotel with a balcony in the center of the city. My prior fearful and pessimistic imaginings – 21 days isolation in the locked hotel room, boredom, stagnation, ill-health, and madness – were completely misled as I spent the next 21 days in peace, comfort, leading healthy regulated time schedule, and happiness. I can say with absolute certainty that what brought me happiness was the view from the room; windows that fully opened to the…

Written by Ignacio ValeroLighting DesignerMadrid No doubt this is the best dynamic lighting event EVER…Tunable white plus dim to warm and RGBW sources, stunningly huge backlit panels providing a truly immersive experience, controlled by the most complex random algorithm, which is performing in real time unique cues, with silky soft transitions, and driving zillions of watts. Nothing is even close to this. We try hard. But, simply, we cannot. This is the kind of bullshit a lighting designer might think in front of a sunset, while everyone else is just enjoying the wonderful colors. Actually, I do, I have to admit. But the truth is that it can be even worse. Like many other people, I have a deep relationship with sunsets. With each of them. With all of them. With this one I’m witnessing right now as well. It all began as a child. Even then, I kept suspended in front of a dusk, my mother told me. As a kid, when I kept constantly running from wherever to whoknows, I used to stop, mesmerized, for the sunset call. As a young man, I remember myself cycling as fast I could with my tripod and my first camera, every single afternoon for a long time, just to grab some pictures that looked so unique for me then. Now, at my late fifties, I still keep on hold every day. Sunset light opens some kind of intimate door and, for…

Did you know that there are over 1,200 members of the Lighting Detective spread across the globe? Seeking to foster connections among our international members, who rarely have opportunities to interact, we hosted our first-ever online talk event and YouTube video feed. For our inaugural event, we focused on the theme of “Nightscape in Your Town.” Four members from diverse locations—Swansea, Basel, Colombo, and Takamatsu—shared their unique perspectives on the night scenes of their respective cities. Our first speaker, Howie Ruan, is a doctoral student in Swansea, a seaside city in the southeast of UK. He shared beautiful photographs capturing the daily changes in the sky, the moon’s glow, and the long blue moment in this tranquil town. His presentation conveyed a deep appreciation for the distinctive beauty of European lighting, contrasting with his hometown of Guangzhou. Next, we heard from Michael Hübscher, a lighting designer based in Basel, Switzerland’s third-largest city. He discussed the evolution of Basel’s cityscape over its long history, as well as recent debates surrounding the sudden emergence of colorful façade lighting. I’m particularly intrigued by Basel’s unique carnival, where the city lights are extinguished and lanterns illuminate the streets. Our third speaker was Nilusha Rajapaksha, a lighting designer based in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. She highlighted concerns about light pollution and safety in popular tourist areas of Colombo, as well as the slow pace of LED conversion for street lighting. Her insights into…