I have to apologize for my absence, I just realized that I haven’t written a single note yet this year! I don’t know if I’m just lazy or too busy and time just flies, but three months of this year are already gone! My assistant is always saying, “Anything is fine just write something.” So I have consulted my digital camera for a topic and had a mini trip down memory lane of last year. What a fun year it was. In November of last year some of my students and I attended a workshop near the equator and these are a few snapshots of that trip. The first picture is of students from my studio class at Musashino Art University attending the workshop during Transnational Taneidan Forum 2006 in Singapore. Those are not beggars squatting on the floor, but students at the workshop. Not enough desk workspace, but a lot of floor space to spread out pictures and sketches. The night before we split up into five groups, mixed with local Singaporeans, and setout on the town for a Lighting Detective survey. The results were taped and glued to panels and set up in the exhibition hall for visitors to view. We didn’t have a lot of time so the workshop was also a lesson in decision-making skills and self-assurance. The next picture is after the survey work was finished for the night, we held a small gathering at…

New things are happening along Singapore’s famous Orchard Road. A new season of lighting is being born. The Bidford Junction, near Takashimaya and Paragon, also the busiest along Orchard Road, became a scramble crossing once every 30 minutes. During this time, 「Garden City, Working on Water, Aurora, Starry Night Sky」, a series of images will be projected onto the roadway, creating a light pattern on the pavement while pedestrians crisscross paths. The idea and design came from the Singapore government and LPA was in charge of the project to transform a strategic transit spot into a theatrical stage. The pedestrians caught in the rainbow of light are the actors who excitedly perform on stage as they cross the intersection. This might be the first lighting display of its kind in the world. Right now we are also in the middle of working with the government on the Singapore City Centre Lighting Exhibit on display. The exhibit displays a proposal for a lighting master plan for the city and also outlines basic guidelines of urban lighting. According to this proposal, the junction lighting is a realization of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) first attempt to redevelop Orchard Road. There are more details about this on the STB website. However the main purpose of this one event was to not just have a well lit intersection, but redesign the existing light plus α. While increasing the percentage of reflection on the road…

I invite you to take a little stroll through Harajuka and down Omotesando. For the holiday season, six-meter tall lanterns line the street and emit a soft Japanese light-like glow. The illumination along this particular street started in the 90`s and was a huge success, but damage to the trees forced the street into darkness. Now, eight years later the street is aglow again. Before the area community chamber of commerce was named ｢Harajuku Champ d`Elysees Group｣, but are now called ｢The Harajuku / Omotesando Community Group｣ and the street has been dubbed “Eco Avenue,” transforming into an environmental-friendly enterprise. About a year and a half ago we started to meet with local businesses for workshops aimed at creating a fresh new kind of lighting event. After so many discussions we decided on not an illumination, but lantern light for the street. Although the street is a very modern strip overflowing with western culture influences, Omotesando is also an important approach for Meiji Shrine. So honoring both worlds we have pre-programmed lighting fit for a festive Christmas spirit, but the colors and atmosphere will be strictly Japanese for the New Years celebration. At first there was a lot of brainstorming and any and all design ideas were presented and discussed. A huge arcade of light, tree-shaped lights and other geometric forms floating in light, low Japanese-style light close to the pavement, or long strips of light hanging in the air…

What does the picture to the right look like? A bunch of boy and girls locked up in a cage making a racket? Close, but take another look. Some in the group ARE climbing the high fence, but only to get a better view. This is the observation deck of the Taipei 101 Building with the LPA staff surveying the city nightscape. At dusk we climbed the Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building at 508m. Unfortunately an unexpected high fence surrounds the open-air observation deck, a huge intrusion on the view. Some of the staff tried to get a better view by looking over the top, but scattered after being yelled at by the security guard. Some still wouldn’t climb down from the fence… Unfortunately, the Taipei nightscape does not have any distinguishing features, but only strange little dots of light scattered around the base of this building. Most of the LPA staff were a little disappointed, but have categorized Taipei as a comparatively tame Asian nightscape. Taipei is famous for the manufacturing and wholesale of extremely cheap LED units, but the lights around the city are very much subdued. The reason I was surprised is because I have an image of Shanghai’s hyperactive lighting environment stuck in my head when it comes to Asia. Shanghai is one symbol of the recent development in China, but comparatively Taipei has a very individual style that is just starting to form. Every…