Victoria Coeln
Fire, Light and Vision » d
Theatrical Lighting in the Urban Nightscape
The first hominids were hunters and gatherers— and lighting designers. The very first reaching for kindling was a visionary act which decisively advanced the evolution of the species. The fire makers, this third occupational category of the Stone Age, lengthened the day and created warmth and a feeling of security: The night was designed anew. We are now talking about the first “artificial” light spaces and sources from about 790,000 years ago. Hundreds of thousands of years later, light, fire and sun are loosing their mythical magic— light at the touch of a button has become reality. This material of the twentieth century is the basis of our daily communication and a precision tool for medicine and engineering. Today, a hundred years after Einstein, word has finally gotten around: We know what light really is. But do we really know? Visionaries of our millennium are researching the most elementary building blocks— light particles— photons. Perhaps we will soon be surprised by the group of quantum physicists around Anton Zeilinger, with a new picture of reality …
Let’s take another look back: Where did the idea suddenly come from, to make fire useful? How long did it take the Homo erectus or Homo sapiens (science is not yet in agreement about this) to bring him or herself to actually reach out and touch fire? Did this quantum leap of evolution take place in multiple groups of hominids at the same time? (How big are quanta, anyway?) One thing is nearly certain: The very first fire makers played a special role in their society; they belong to the most courageous people of their time. They are the first visionaries. Setting-up fireplaces, they created the first scenic light spaces, supplemented by the light of kindling— the first “artificial” light source. Just like our ancestors, we still use this primary and most simple form of lighting design— scenography. The ritual of the romantic campfire has been passed down, and we even enjoy the togetherness around the open fire in the middle of the Information Age— without the fear of wild animals. Today there are new kinds of spaces we fear. We have built them ourselves. They have emerged in even the smallest of towns and must often be passed through late in the evening. Underpasses, the surrounding areas of train stations, niches in some pedestrian zones, barren areas around industrial buildings or parts of parks, are examples of important junctions in urban areas. City planning and urban design are challenged to improve these situations. How can we confront these feelings of insecurity and fear?
We have specialists. Playfully— within seconds— they turn your emotional world upside down. In the theater, in an instant, the glorious street, flooded with sunlight, turns into a sallow, dangerously imposing canyon of houses. Professional lighting designers know of the emotional factor of light, and how to best modulate it. They combine their traditional knowledge with innovative ideas, and use conventional techniques as creatively and familiarly as innovative technology.
Now the city is discovering these masters. What has long been considered state-of-the-art on stage is now becoming a reality in the urban nightscape. Theatrical lighting design is spreading step by step into public spaces; you find more and more color gradients and contrasts, Gobo projections, dynamic effects and programmed mood changes … Old familiar stage projectors are being converted for permanent outdoor use, and new projectors are being developed as well. Just watch the city carefully and you will discover theatrical lighting on a few selected points, on prominent buildings and landmarks— an exciting alternative to conventional illumination and a fantastic enrichment for every city. Many communities are already designing their own master plans for outdoor lighting. Up to now these plans have taken into consideration functional criteria such as safety, energy efficiency, sustainability and mobility. Today’s master plans are beginning to evoke emotional questions: How and in what areas can public lighting improve the mood of our citizens? How can we transform no-go areas, the new places of fear? How can we learn from theater?
Visionary communities are beginning to experiment. The first examples of scenic light spaces are being utilized in problematic junctions, in important socio-political but often not so popular areas. I am lucky enough to be part of these pilot projects. I blend my picture of today’s jungled city with the Stone Age landscape and imagine our ancestors. How did they feel in the light spaces around their fireplaces? Perhaps we can build scenic light spaces into our urban nightscapes, fulfilling equally important tasks: Colorful, peaceful areas where we meet, slow down and relax!
