Layered Light: Creative Lighting Design Techniques for Urban Environments

Urban environments require careful consideration of numerous design factors in order to provide unique character, attractive settings and amenities, as well as safe surroundings. Appropriate lighting design is one of the factors contributing to successful urban environments. Wellington’s Civic Centre in the heart of New Zealand’s capital city serves as the setting for a case study exploring creative lighting design techniques to improve attractiveness, comfort and amenity in an area presently devoid of night-time social activity. Being unable to recognise people and architectural details or to make accurate colour judgments, as well as perceived lack of security or safety have been identified as significant problems in the Civic Centre. The proposed design solution takes a layered approach to lighting urban spaces and building facades, including their architectural details and three-dimensional articulation. The additive nature of layered light allows for unique opportunities in highlighting attractive features and improving visual comfort and safety while at the same time providing greater control of lighting scenarios and energy consumption. A comparison of photographs of the existing situation with virtual images rendered in Radiance formed the basis for testing these lighting techniques in a survey of public perception. Results from that survey indicate that three-quarters of the respondents judged the proposed lighting solution as solving the problems identified and significantly improving the commercial, social and recreational appeal of the Civic Centre during night hours.