2010, Rojak 16 – After 7
After 7
Sensing the cities. This has always been on the agenda for most urban designers, where we are always taught to appreciate the visual qualities of cities, and the importance of maintenance of visual coherence. Yet, these theories often apply for cities in the day, whilst most no literature address the importance of designing cities for darkness. In exterior lighting masterplanning, the approach has always been very ‘physical’, where the design is often structured upon the existing or designed pathways, nodes, landmarks, and with the catergoization of districts to establish areas of different lighting strategies. Yet, through these lighting masterplans, it has always been drafted from the viewpoint of ‘visually composing’ various parts of the city and putting them into a coherent whole, but when one navigate through space, sometimes, there are pockets which are forgotten, and in fact these forgotten spaces could be illuminated to foster better use of public space in the comforts of the night , especially for tropical cities.
Cities change with time, and with time, activities morph and some spaces take on a special character when night falls, But cities should not be designed for the day, and leaving the night to discretion. Tropical cities, with due consideration of our unforgiving weather, has public spaces that are potentially well used at night. Yet, our parks and public spaces are often badly illuminated, or perhaps, visually monotonous.
“Outdoor activities that are particularly dependent on the quality of the outdoor spaces are the optional, recreational activities, and by implication, a considerable part of the social activities. It is these specially attractive activities that disappear when conditions are poor and that thrive where conditions are favourable.” Jan Gehl, Life Between Buildings.
Why do we always assume that spaces are no used at night? That is perhaps how European cities function back in the times when theories are formulated to explain for city designs. Or perhaps, does outdoor activities really stop after 7? why should a city sleep? Why are there no writings to explore the visual design of cities at night? So what determines visual design of a night city, is that a combination of environmental psychological, lighting design, urban design theories? So, what makes a good night city design?
For Rojak 16, I will prefer it as not being another presentation of my works but I will like to question what inspires me and how these had been translated into my works, or my investigations. Although I was an architect by training, I went into the ‘light side’, pardon the pun, of cities, this is a perfect combination of my three loves, architecture, urban design and lighting, particularly so as one of my favorite book is The Image of The City by Kevin Lynch, and I was always very intrigued by the fact that city design has never taken the night-time appearance of the city into questions. Yet, it is ironical that we have always maintained that the visual quality of the city (being the form, the geometry, navigational qualities, the type of outdoor spaces we are designing for) is very important, when we have allowed these spaces to disintegrate into darkness when night falls. Hence, the title of the presentation – “After 7″, speaks of life in cities after 7 and how these “after-7″ spaces should be perceived in design, and how good design cultivates good use of space. This is perhaps best illustrated through an installation by Studio Roosegaarde 4.0, titled Dune 4.2, where good design can inspire use of a seemingly monotonous space.
Come join me.
