2025.09.12 & 09.18 Lin Hu + Jiang Kunzhi + Lin Huangyi Shenzhen evolved from a fringe town into a high-tech metropolis in about 45 years, and its bold, sustainable urban lighting planning stands out nationally. A two-day field study examined nightscape patterns in its three CBDs, media façades in Futian, and the functional lighting design of the new Gangxia North Metro Station. Unlike older, historically rich Chinese cities, Shenzhen started as a peripheral town and in just about 45 years has become a high-tech modern metropolis. Thanks to its local legislative autonomy, Shenzhen’s urban planning is highly experimental and often serves as a model for other Chinese and even international cities. In urban lighting planning, Shenzhen is a national frontrunner: its nightscape design is bold and innovative, yet the city has also enacted special regulations for ecological protection and light pollution control, showing a clear commitment to sustainability. However, some lighting projects still spark social debate over energy consumption, light pollution, and the use of public resources. To understand more of Shenzhen’s current nightscape, the Shenzhen office team conducted a two-day field study with Mende-san and Kasai-san, focusing on three themes: 1.　Nightscape of the three main CBDsWe visited the observation deck at 540 m on the Ping An Finance Center in Futian to take in the scale and layout of the city at night. Looking east toward Luohu, the skyline shows a mix of old and new high-rises, reflecting Shenzhen’s…

2018/10/13-23 Mikine Yamamoto + Kouki Iwanaga This was our first South American survey in about 15 years. We tracked the light expression of Rio de Janeiro, a port city marked by both entertainment and poverty, which hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 and has become increasingly international. While possessing famous coasts like Copacabana and Ipanema and being counted as one of the world’s three most beautiful harbors, it also has the “favela” slums covering its hillsides. Surrounded by magnificent nature, Santiago, Chile’s largest city, has annual rainfall of only about 360mm, meaning it is sunny for most of the year. We investigated the lighting situation of this city blessed with natural light. The nightscape from Pão de Açúcar: A beautiful contrast created by the rich topography Viewing Copacabana Beach from Pão de Açúcar Favelas built on the mountain slopes ■Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Rio de Janeiro is an international tourist city that hosted the Carnival and the Olympics in 2016. It is said to be a microcosm of the country, where light and darkness coexist: scenic areas with beautiful topography blending nature and culture are situated next to slums. We surveyed the light expressions of this city, which has various faces, including the glamorous light of tourist and resort areas, and the strangely glowing light of the favelas (slums) where poor communities gather, reflecting the lives of the people.The suburbs leading from the…

Tianjin is situated 150km east of Beijing and easily reached in a 30-minute high-speed train ride. Historically, foreign influence including the UK and Germany has shaped the western-style architecture and streetscape that this city is famed. Tianjin also poses the largest harbor in Northern China, a gateway for this economical and technical development zone. Upon exiting the main station, a panoramic view of the city awaits. The western architecture, remnants from the foreign settlements era, is illuminated in low-color temperature light and stands in contrast to the newly constructed skyscrapers. A historical western architectural structure is now used as a banking facility. At night, orange-colored fluorescent and high-pressure sodium lamps softly illuminate the facade. Downtown is also bustling with construction. During the day the area is swarming with shoppers and construction site workers. At night, mega size digital media, neon signage, and colorful lanterns are everywhere, with even more foreseeable in the future as the construction boom continues.

2023.09.22 – 2023.09.26　Ke Yonglin + Chuanyi Liu

Muslim District within New Development Context2025.11.06-11.09 Quratuaini Jamil + Xu Sunny The survey aims to examine the Muslim Quarter District with a focus on its religious, cultural, and urban context, while assessing how it integrates with the emerging modern development within Xi’an. ■ Brief Summary of Lighting SurveyWith a vast metropolitan population of 12.9 million—of which 4.45% reside in the urban center—Xi’an is a renowned historical and cultural hub in China that pursues an urban planning strategy blending tradition with modernity. The city integrates its rich heritage with the demands of contemporary development while carefully safeguarding key cultural areas. A prime example is the Muslim Quarter, which plays a crucial role in preserving living heritage, ethnic diversity, and the traditional urban fabric. Xi’an’s planning approach emphasizes “development within preservation and preservation within development,” reflected in the harmonious coexistence of new growth and historic architecture. Accordingly, this research focuses on how the old and new parts of the city—particularly distinct areas like the Muslim Quarter—are effectively integrated. ■Xi’An Muslim QuarterOn the first day, we observed the Friday congregational prayer at the Great Mosque of Xi’an. This visit provided a valuable opportunity to study the mosque’s internal spatial organization and architectural characteristics. The Great Mosque of Xi’an is distinctive for its unique synthesis of traditional Chinese architectural language and Islamic religious functions. It differs markedly from the Middle Eastern style—characterized by prominent domes and tall minarets—commonly seen in places like Singapore. Instead,…