Illumination (lighting)

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Exposure of the interior of Chartres Cathedral through colored glass
Exposing a crossroads - reliefs in a cave through a slot in the blanket on the Calvary the Sanctuary Moresnet-Chapelle

Illumination is the specific use of light for decorative or artistic purposes. Both exposure with daylight and illumination with artificial light are suitable for creating light effects that are to be perceived as beautiful . The arrangement of windows in buildings and their special properties are usually used for exposure. An exposure effect can also be achieved through a slot in the ceiling of a grotto .

With lighting, rooms can be made to glow from the inside. The targeted use of room lighting and lighting is an area of ​​responsibility of interior design . Buildings can also be illuminated from the outside. Objects of all kinds can be made to glow outdoors. As a rule, this is done by illuminating them, but also by self-illuminating (for example during balloon glow ).

Occasionally, the light effect triggered by the massive numbers of fireflies (for example in the Wollemi National Park ) is referred to as illumination .

Etymology and structure of the word field

Combination of “light to see [and be seen]” and “light to see”: Vechta railway station bridge

The word Illumination has been used in the German language since the 18th century. It was borrowed from the French ( l'illumination ). The French word can be derived from the Middle Latin word illūminatio (compare Latin lūmen , "light")

Illumination is not the generic term for the terms exposure and lighting: “Lighting has a purely practical purpose: you can see something. Illumination rises above the pure purpose and becomes art, ”says light artist Wolfgang F. Lightmaster , for example . This statement can also be applied to the exposure. Accordingly, a distinction should be made between functional light and creative light : the former improves the possibilities of seeing objects and being seen oneself. The latter should put objects in the limelight and create a special atmosphere. Others differentiate between light to see , light to look at and light to look at .

Light festivals, light art exhibitions in city streets and "Festivals of Lights"

Light art installation Casa Magica in Nördlingen (2006)
Amsterdam Light Festival 2013/2014

Light effects were used centuries ago on certain, mostly festive occasions. Festive lighting and fireworks fall into this category . In the broadest sense, Christmas lighting (e.g. at Christmas markets ) also belongs to the category of temporary illuminations on the occasion of celebrations.

Today the spectrum of festive illuminations ranges from more traditional light festivals , for example in parks in summer, to light weeks in which light installations or light sculptures are put on display, to planned large-scale events in cities, during which buildings that shape the cityscape are illuminated from time to time.

Accompanied by verbal contributions, music and acoustic effects of all kinds are light and sound shows, which are known above all in France under the name " Son et lumière " ("Sound and Light") and in which historically significant buildings and systems are based on theater lighting dramatically illuminated, whereby the " genius loci ", the historical aura of the place, should be emphasized. An example of this type of staging is the “Son et lumière” spectacle in Rhodes , where the defensive struggle of the Johanniter in 1522 and their defeat in the battle against the Turks are modeled.

On July 18, 2000 , Andreas Hillger from the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung commented on the opening gala for the Ferropolis project , at which the music of the sound artist Mikis Theodorakis was heard in the context of the Expo 2000 in the face of abandoned lignite excavators illuminated by the light artist Gert Hof : "A light artist was at work here, who merged the aura of the place and the character of the music into a magical moment and finally also allowed the unique machine aesthetic to come into its own." Shows represent a further development of the "Son et Lumière" technology , in which object illuminations are integrated, but in which the audio-visual effects themselves come to the fore.

Daily city illumination in the context of lighting master plans

Some cities have started to regulate not only the lighting, but also illuminations in a lighting master plan. In 2006 there were already more than 200 cities in France with lighting plans (French: "plans lumières"); At the time, 19 cities in Germany had legally binding lighting plans. Such lighting plans usually apply not only for one day, a few days or a few weeks of the year, but in principle for all nights.

The city of Lyon is considered a pioneer in lighting design. At the suggestion of Roland Jéol, the first "plan lumière" worldwide was set up there in 1989. In 2003, 270 objects in Lyon were “illuminated” according to the “plan lumière”. Parking garages, bridges, streets and parks are also among the illuminated objects in Lyon.

In Germany, privately owned buildings that characterize the cityscape are usually included in lighting master plans through urban development contracts in accordance with Section 11 of the German Building Code , so that it is ensured that the desired overall visual impression is not disturbed by a lack of light on private properties or by undesired light emissions emanating from these.

Examples of lighting master plans

LUCI

In 2002, European cities joined forces in the organization "Lighting Urban Community International" (LUCI). At present (2016) 70 cities and 40 companies belong to the federal government. LUCI is headquartered in Lyon.

The network has three goals:

  1. the utilization of light as an instrument for urban development
  2. the promotion of a city identity with the help of light art and lighting technology
  3. the consideration of the aspects of ecology and sustainability in urban development

Prizes and awards

Internationally known prices for city illuminations are

  • the IES Illumination Awards , sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
  • the City.People.Light award , donated by LUCI and Philips

Ecology and sustainability

Generous use of artificial light, which does not primarily serve purposes such as hazard prevention and the creation of security, is rejected by critics because of the high power consumption, the associated high CO 2 emissions and the light pollution .

LED lights during the Advent season in Osnabrück

Around a quarter of all energy consumed worldwide is used for lighting purposes. Because of the high costs involved, cities have an interest in high energy efficiency. This can be achieved through new lighting technologies, especially by replacing incandescent lamps with light emitting diodes . In this way, for example, during the “Essen Light Weeks”, electricity consumption can be reduced by 80 percent. This not only saves costs, but also avoids CO 2 emissions that would have been generated if coal and other fossil fuels had been converted into electricity.

Much of the light pollution is that diffuse lighting also radiates into the night sky and into citizens' bedrooms. Diffuse light, which largely eliminates the darkness in the cities, disrupts the rhythm of life of humans and animals in cities and makes it difficult to observe the night sky. These effects are to be reduced by lighting plans that prescribe lighting aimed specifically at the objects to be illuminated.

In order to develop appropriate techniques, LUCI has set up a “Sustainable Development Commission”, which is headed by the city of Eindhoven (Philips headquarters).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kluge Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, 24th edition
  2. ↑ Wolfgang F. Lightmaster: We are eye animals. (PDF) Archived from the original on October 9, 2007 ; Retrieved January 19, 2016 .
  3. ↑ die urbanauten: lighting plans in Germany . April 24, 2006. p.5 (PDF; 1.1 MB)
  4. ^ J. Alexander Schmidt: Light in the city. Guiding principles and strategies for innovative lighting concepts . 2007. p. 14f. (27 f.) (PDF; 880 kB)
  5. ^ Gerda and Wolfgang Krapohl: The Loire Valley - Son-et-lumiere
  6. ↑ Trailer for the Ferropolis event 2000
  7. ↑ die urbanauten: lighting plans in Germany . April 24, 2006. p.9 (PDF; 1.1 MB)
  8. ↑ Lyon, simply unforgettable! (PDF) Lyon Tourist Office and Convention Bureau, 2006, p. 12 , archived from the original on March 10, 2006 ; Retrieved January 19, 2016 .
  9. ^ J. Alexander Schmidt: Light in the city. Guiding principles and strategies for innovative lighting concepts . 2007. p.18 (PDF; 880 kB)
  10. ^ Artificial light regulations of the city of Lucerne. May 15, 2008 ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.stadtluzern.ch
  11. ↑ About LUCI. LUCI Association, accessed January 19, 2016 .
  12. ^ Illumination Awards. In: www.ies.org. Retrieved July 28, 2018 .
  13. ↑ city.people.light award contest. Phillips, accessed January 19, 2016 .
  14. ↑ About LUCI ( Memento from May 4, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  15. ↑ Ulrich von Lampe: Pretty bright . 4th December 2009

Web links

Commons : Illuminations (outdoor lighting)  - collection of images, videos and audio files