Leipzig, Copenhagen and Strasbourg win city.people.light awards 2014
The city of Leipzig in Germany was awarded the first prize for its urban regeneration of Richard-Wagner-Platz at the 12th annual city.people.light awards ceremony on the 7th of November 2014 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
The site of a 10th century market settlement from which the city of Leipzig was born, Richard-Wagner-Platz is steeped in political and architectural history from the Middle Ages through to the fall of Communism. The unique lighting atmosphere, created by lighting design office Licht Kunst Licht Bonn/Berlin, carefully matches the city’s architecture with warm white light to illuminate buildings, sculptural fountains and a skate park. Many different interests were incorporated in the final result to create the right atmosphere with modern contemporary LED lighting, preserve and highlight historic fixtures and make significant energy savings for the city.
Mr. Rainer Barth, representative of the city of Leipzig, commented:
“We wanted to pay homage to the historical roots of Leipzig, that’s why we launched a public competition to redesign the lighting through a democratic decision process. The project is an excellent example of how to involve citizens and other stakeholders in the preparation of an urban regeneration project.”
The lighting design of Richard-Wagner-Platz was done by the lighting design office Licht Kunst Licht Bonn/Berlin.
Second prize went to Copenhagen, Denmark for it’s Bicycle Snake bridge, a bridge exclusively for cyclists which is softly illuminated with built-in lighting in the hand rail to enrich the area with a bright, visual element.
The Bicycle Snake is a long, red sculptural bridge exclusively for cyclists. It is a unique and exciting ride high above sea level, separating cyclists from pedestrians and sheltering the quay side below. At night, the bridge is softly illuminated with built-in lighting in the hand rail to enrich the area with a bright, visual element. The jury this year was impressed by the limited lighting used, meaning no additional energy consumption for lighting effects and no glare.
Third prize was awarded to Strasbourg, France for the lighting of the Place du Château square, which offers a new perspective on this prestigious space, highlighting the Cathedral and historic buildings.
Place du Château is an iconic square adjoining Notre Dame Cathedral. This project set out to transform it into an outstanding feature of the Grande-Île, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The jury was impressed by the incorporation of light on both vertical and horizontal surfaces, a challenge which was executed in a unique, sophisticated and outstanding way. The rigorous year long preparation process involving citizens included conferences, guided tours, workshops and questionnaires, and added to the credibility of the final result.
The cities of Pula (Croatia) and Wellington (New Zealand) both received special mentions, and Ankara (Turkey) won the People Choice award with the most votes.
- Interactive lighting preventing crime, Wellington, New Zealand
A narrow dark lit street has become a safe and fun place for pedestrians at night thanks to this creative interactive lighting scheme. Presence detectors trigger playful lighting schemes with animated patterns and muted colors that entertain and bring the space to life. In addition, the project impressed the jury for the thought put into preventing glare and spilled light.
- Illumination of living cranes, Pula, Croatia
This unique project bathes eight majestic cranes in LED light programmed to emit 16 000 different variations in color and intensity. It highlights the industrial heritage of Pula and creates a dynamic sculpture for the seafront. With the shipyard made into a living landmark, the urban lighting project stood out for its bold decision to preserve the industrial heritage that has brought prosperity to the city.
- People Choice award : Lighting master plan, Ankara, Turkey
The city of Ankara received the most votes from the public. Architectural harmony has been created by composing city structures into one lighting master plan. The warm and elegant ambience respects the nighttime landscape by using a variety of connected white and colored light technology. The result is a great improvement and enhancement of the city’s image and livability.
Organized by Philips and LUCI, the annual cpl award recognizes urban lighting projects which best demonstrate creative efforts to plan sustainable lighting infrastructure into city redevelopment initiatives for the benefit and well-being of those who live, work, visit or do business in the city. This year the competition had entries coming from all 5 continents making the award contest a global competition.
Photo credits
© City of Leipzig; © Rasmus Hjortshoj; © Goran Sebelic