Written by Ulrike BrandiLighting DesignerHamburg In March 2020 I sent out our annual spring card and wrote: Dear friends, As the beginning of spring and our spring card coincide with the spread of the Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2, I cannot send our card without comment.Fortunately, it is spring.A crisis is also an opportunity for something new, something better. This is my hope and I pay attention to every little sign. Could we create an economic system that is not so mercilessly based on inequality and growth? One that is not so sensitive to taking time off, being healthy, experiencing anxiety, protecting and caring for the needy, and reflection? Instead of returning to our “regular” way-of-life, I wish us all a more compassionate, loving, respectful, and unified attitude towards humanity and nature. In August 2021 I see: The world is on fire, as we can see from the satellite images of recent weeks. Floods and storms claim human lives, blackens the earth, driving people all over the world into long term existential distress. The global extinction of species continues unabated, and COVID-19 is also a consequence of increasing ignorance. In the face of these wide-ranging changes that challenge us, we emphatically desire to make an impact in order to live in a truly sustainable way. Lighting design is a small but influential profession. Our contribution can be impactful. Light pollution: Let’s minimize and avoid light pollution in all our projects by providing our…

Date of Issue: 04 December, 2023 -Activity 1 / City Night Survey – Taipei & Taichung, Taiwan（2023.10.30-11.04） -Activity 2 / Visiting Tanteidan in Ishigaki Island (2023.08.26) -Activity 3 / Online Lounge Talk (2023.11.27) Lighting Detectives Newsletter Vol.126 Download PDF City Night Survey – Taipei & Taichung, Taiwan 2023.10.30 – 11.04　Genki Watanabe＋Hikaru Kimura Taiwan is geographically close to Japan and has deep historical ties. It is famous for its skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and, more recently, for buildings designed by Japanese architects. Renovations of old buildings are also being actively undertaken. We investigated how the mixture of old and new influences the light and human activity in the cities of Taipei and Taichung. Taipei and Taichung The capital of Taiwan, “Taipei” is characterized by world-class skyscrapers such as Taipei 101 and streetscapes that retain historical architecture. In addition to new buildings, there are also many renovations of existing buildings, creating a city with a mixture of old and new architecture. Taichung has become the second largest city in Taiwan in terms of population in 2017 as a result of government-led urban development efforts in recent years to disperse the over concentration of the metropolis in Taipei.We investigated how Taichung, planned as a compact city, affects the city’s light and human activity, and how it differs from Taipei’s light. Taipei’s Urban Area Taipei’s urban area can be roughly divided into two areas. The west side of the city is the Old City,…

Published：05.July 2016 ・Activity 1／The 53rd City Night Walk in Yokohama Bashamichi and Isezaki-cho（18/03/2016） ・Activity 2／The 51st Regular Round Table Discussion（01/04/2016） The 53rd City Night Walk in Yokohama Bashamichi and Isezaki-cho 18.March.2016　　Yuki Takeuchi + Eiki Takeuchi + Ginko Mochizuki + Huang Simen + Shinichi Sakaguchi We divided into two groups walked in Bashamichi and the other two in Isezaki-cho, Northside and Eastside of JR Kannai Station in Yokohama. Those two areas are geographically close but have different characters. ■Over 150 years old gas lamps and early modern architectures create nostalgic scenarios in Bashamichi. Most elements and buildings have been modernized to suit for urban life style in Isezaki-cho. Both Bashamichi and Isezaki-cho are on the same stretch of the city, but have totally in contrast of these characters. We started exploring those two areas to find Heroes and Villains of light, and to reveal what kind of light defines the character of each area. Contrast between gas lamp and shop interior light. ■Bashamichi Area Bashamichi was the first place that gas lamps were installed in Japan. Before those gas lamps were produced in Japan, people carried portable lanterns with candle light. We started the walk, imagining how people felt when they saw gas lamps at the first time. Group 1 started at Kannai Station. Arriving at Bashamichi and walking further down to the junction, first light to note was stadium lighting. We still had a long distance to Yokohama Stadium though,…

Let’s explore the city in teams of up to five! 2020.Oct.- Nov.　Tomoya Furukawa + Naoko Oguchi + Shinichi Sakaguchi + Shinichi Sakaguchi + Takashi Amemiya + Yuka Suzuki + Amane Kotani To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we held a “Small Group” night walk survey in seven locations —including Kansai—limiting each group to a maximum of five participants. It was our first walk in a year. With the pandemic, had the vibrancy of the city at night changed? Patio Juban – The warm glow of the bollard lighting harmonizing with the gradually turning leaves of the zelkova trees created a pleasantly inviting atmosphere Based on the results of the “Future Detective Night Walk Planning Salon” held at the end of August, we organized seven small-group night walk surveys from late October to mid-November, each with up to five participants. We selected seven areas—five in Tokyo, plus Nagoya and Osaka—and participants chose their preferred locations. It was our first night walk in a year, and we were reminded of the joy of seeing things firsthand and exchanging opinions on-site with fellow members. Each area had its own theme, allowing us to explore the unique characteristics of each neighborhood. ■Azabu-Juban – Motoazabu – Nishi-Azabu Azabu-Juban Odori – The warm orange lighting beautifully reflected off the stone pavement, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance Low-rise luxury residences – The illuminated grounds exuded an air of sophistication and elegance Azabu-Juban, a district blending tradition…

Date: September 22nd, 2005 Program: City Tour, Symposium Venue: AIA Center for Architecture It was another beautiful autumn day in New York City for the 4th Annual Transnational Tanteidan Forum. It all started 4 years again in 2001 with the first forum held in Tokyo. The network of Transnational Lighting Detectives has since grown throughout the world and once a year the core members gather to stage, what has become, the annual TN forum. Presently, the core members consist of 11 members from 6 different countries. This year’s forum was presented by the New York Chapter and held at the Manhattan AIA Center for Architecture. Main Street Lighting This focus this year was again on public space, with the main theme: Main Street Lighting, a continuation from last year’s theme of Daily Transportation Facilities. Main Streets are a feature of most cities and the purpose of these surveys was to see how each core member’s city was illuminated. 200 plus architects, lighting professionals, and others gathered and passionately listened to the following 6 presentations. The first presentation from Jason Neches, New York Chapter, featured Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Times Square. The valley-like form of these streets from being enclosed by tall skyscrapers is the most recognizable characteristic, but light from signage and window displays on the lower portion of the buildings creates most of the scenery along the streets. Aleksandra Stratimirovic, from the Stockholm Chapter, repeatedly used beautiful…