City Night Survey : Urumqi, China

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…

Interviewer: Sunny Xu Sunny: Hi Mr. Mende. Today I would like to talk about a new technologic: AI (Artificial intelligence). What do you think about AI as a design tool? Mende: Have you tried to use AI to make some sentences or other things? Sunny: Recently, I tried to use an AI tool, Mid-journey, at a workshop with the Singapore office.  First, the user types into the app simple words or phrases, what style you want, or what object you want to see.   Then the app will show the user images. For example, if I want to see Singapore, Sentosa, or other locations and lighting, then I just type in these words, and the app will show different versions of this image.  The computer can also make some beautiful perspectives or drawings. Mende: So what do you think about this latest technology for our lighting design business or the project teams? Sunny: On the negative side, a lot of time is needed for AI to show complete work. However, since I have studied drawing in the past, I think drawing is faster than trying again and again. This is my position. Mende: Could Mid-journey create new designs or new lightscpaes for our projects.? For example, a hotel guest room. What will be the new design? I don’t know if AI will be able to exceed our creativity in this area.  A fellow professional recently stated, instead of  lighting designers, if…

Date of Issue: 12 July, 2024-Activity 1 / City Night Survey – Pu’er City Yunnan, China（2023.12.08 – 12.13）Lighting Detectives Newsletter Vol.131 Download PDF City Night Survey – Pu’er City Yunnan, China Nightscape in Jingmai Mountain2023.12.08 – 12.13 Kyoko Takubo + Hongna Chen Located on the southwest border of China, Jingmai Mountain is the birthplace of Pu’er tea, where the indigenous people have created an ancient tea forest cultural landscape, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023.While working on the project, we became interested in the local culture. So we decided to survey the villages at night and to observe and report the impact of tourism development on the local nightscape. ■Introduction Visiting Jingmai Mountain isn’t easy. First, spend the night in Kunming, then leave early morning for the destination by plane or train.We had planned to fly from Langcang Jingmai airport, but our flight was suddenly cancelled. So we had to travel to Pu’er by train and grab a cab to Jingmai Mountain.During our stay, we were based in Huimin Town where our project TEA CELLAR is located. We visited Nuogang Village, Wengji Village, and Jingmai Village to observe the people’s daily life and the nightscape there. ■ Nuogang Village Nuogang Village is a historic village of the Dai tribe, where the villagers have maintained their traditional lifestyle. The first floor of the house, with its distinctive gabled roof, is used for tea production and for…

City Survey: Tsukiji, Tokyo 2017/12/14,2018/01/12　　Nemoto Isao + Masafumi Yamamoto　 Night view from the opposite shore of Tsukiji, across the Sumida River. Tsukiji Market on the middle, Tokyo Tower and Tsukiji Bridge on the left, and Kachidoki Bridge on the right. In this Tsukiji survey, we visited the inner market, where mainly wholesale is taking place, the outer market, where visitors can shop and eat, and also the Tsukiji Honganji temple and the Kachidoki Bridge which are popular spots for tourists. ■Luminous Environment around Tukiji Fish Market From the Kachidoki area on the opposite side of the Tsukiji fish market, you can overlook the entire view of the market, buildings such as Kachidoki Bridge and Tokyo Tower across the Sumida River. While we notice white light that comes from the market and surrounded buildings, the warm-colored light of incandescent lamps emitted from the fish handling facility facing the Sumida River on the opposite shore. This view is quite impressive, and creates an emotional and beautiful view during the night.This warm light from the market brings the sense of the history of Tsukiji rooted in this area for a long time. In contrast, the white light emitted from the group of high-rise buildings in the background seems to symbolize the momentum of the rapidly evolving city. Outside the market, there are more than 400 shops, and many shops still remain open after evening.Various light sources and lighting fixtures are used in each…

Date of Issue：December 23, 2020 ・Activity 1 / Round Table Discussion Vol. 64 @ZOOM（2020.08.28） ・Activity 2 / City Night Walk Vol. 66 with Small Group (2020.10-11) ・Activity 3 / Round Table Discussion Vol. 65 ＠ ZOOM (2020.11.28) ・Activity 4 / Light-Up Workshop in Akiu Onsen (2020.11.18) Round Table Discussion Vol. 64 @ZOOM “Rethinking Future City Night Walk” 2020.08.28　東悟子 The Lighting Detectives’ main activities revolve around fieldwork. During this salon, we split into groups to discuss what kinds of night walk surveys are possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what we should be observing now.Our third salon held online Each team discussed potential areas for the night walk survey. The Nagoya team proposed a streetlight investigation Since the end of March, we’ve been working with the night walk survey planning committee, SQUAD, to explore what kind of activities the Detectives can pursue even under pandemic restrictions. Various ideas were proposed, such as solo night walks, video streams of night walks by Chief Mende, virtual night walks, and even group YouTube watch sessions. In May, we conducted an experiment where each member investigated lighting within a 100-meter radius of their home and shared their findings online. This project turned out to be meaningful, as it revealed both positive aspects and problem areas in each of our residential neighborhoods. However, since the Lighting Detectives have long focused on gathering for fieldwork as a core activity, we wanted to explore new possibilities. With that…