wild places | wild happenings | wild news
make a difference for our wild places

home | links | search the site
  all articles latest | past | articles by topics | search wildnews
wild news on wildsingapore
  Business Times Singapore 15 Dec 06
Switching on the city
The URA unveiled a masterplan to light up the city last month.
MINT KANG walks you through its projections and explains how it will plug the Singapore night skyline into the electric map of global metropolises like London, New York and Paris

LIGHT is a part of our life, by day or by night. The placement, brightness and colours of light can alter the appearance of an unassuming object, an ordinary room or the character of an entire city.

With that in mind, the Urban Redevelopment Authority recently set in motion a masterplan for transforming the city centre through innovative lighting design. Created by URA's lighting consultant, Japanese design firm Lighting Planners Associates, the plan was unveiled on Nov 21.

It involves the lighting up of four key areas - the CBD-Marina Bay area, Orchard Road, the Bras Basah-Bugis district and the Singapore River - to accentuate their most outstanding characteristics.

Luminous landmarks and an interactive streetscape are in the works, along with a beautiful night skyline. Among the key features of the URA plan are: the introduction of white lighting in the Central Business District and Marina Bay area to create a more dynamic atmosphere; the placing of animated light displays at major intersections along Orchard Road to create an interactive experience for pedestrians; the introduction of luminous street art and other elements throughout the Bras Basah/Bugis district; and along the Singapore River, promenades, streets and the water itself will be lit up.

Throughout all four areas, as well, tree lighting will be introduced to make greenery more visible, evoking the image of Singapore as a tropical metropolis.

Progressive implementation

The plan will be implemented in varying phases according to the pace of development in each district. In the Marina Bay area, implementation will dovetail with the development of the integrated resort project.

Public sector works will be treated similarly, with lighting introduced as the infrastructure is being built. For instance, new lighting poles have been incorporated for roads currently under construction in the new downtown area.

The proposals for Orchard Road, on the other hand, are scheduled for implementation within the next two to three years. They will fall under the $1.6 billion scheme to rejuvenate Orchard Road, announced by the Singapore Tourism Board in March last year.

One proposal, the animated light display at Bideford Junction along Orchard Road, will in fact be implemented as a pilot project at the end of this year.

Developments along the Singapore River will also take place within the two-to-three-year period.

As a broad-based design that will involve both public areas and privately owned structures, the URA plan will be realised through a public-private collaboration that aims to engage and educate as much as it makes suggestions.

While the government implements it within the public realm, building owners and businesses will be encouraged to contribute by lighting their building facades and shopfronts.

Businesses that take up the proposals are projected to benefit from the lighting enhancement. Retail outlets like boutiques and cafes will find themselves better able to attract customers and pedestrians who are encouraged to remain on the streets after dark by the security good lighting provides.

Said the URA spokesman: 'Good lighting designs will boost rental values, businesses and overall tourism.'

Guidelines for private sector lighting development will be released shortly, and lighting proposals will also be offered to floor owners on a purely recommendation basis.

Whether building owners and businesses take up the proposals will be entirely their choice, but the URA has introduced a raft of attractive incentives to encourage them to do so.

Incentives

Most notably, new developments and existing buildings undergoing major redevelopment or additions and alterations will be offered as much as 2 per cent additional gross floor area for the purpose of lighting installations, over and above the maximum allowable GFA set out in the 2003 masterplan.

Building owners who wish to install new lighting schemes, but do not intend to carry out redevelopment or additions and alterations, will not be left out either. They can apply for a cash grant to cover as much as 50 per cent of the installation costs.

The response to the masterplan has been mixed so far, although a number of building owners and businesses have approached the URA to seek more information and even, in several cases, recommendations for their establishments.

Lloyd Goh, 44, who runs L 'n' M Interiors, an interior design company, said: 'This big plan for the city can only succeed if business owners are willing to spend more on this aspect. The government's offer to defray part of the lighting installation cost and give a percentage of gross floor area or cash grant may not be attractive enough.'

He explained: 'What about the high running costs, which are a lot more than the installation cost? An unwanted after-effect of this cost could be that it's passed on to consumers . . . like us, and the tourists.

'One suggestion is to reduce the cost of power supply for business owners, say, after 6.30pm to 3am.' A bright idea, indeed.

Like Mr Goh, other lighting and design companies have also expressed interest in the proposals. Said Rico Gonzalez, general manager of Philips Lighting Singapore: 'This lighting plan presents various exciting opportunities. Lighting designers will gain the chance to create new experiences and emotions with the urban nightscape; architects will have the opportunity to design a fresh new look for Singapore. 'We hope to bring our knowledge and expertise to the technological forefront of the plan's implementation.'

The innovative night lighting is positioned to add to Singapore's competitive advantage in attracting investors, tourists and talent, following the trend set by world cities such as Paris, known as the City of Light.

Although the URA currently has no plans to extend its proposals to other areas in Singapore, one can hope that if the masterplan bears fruit in several years' time, the appreciation and implementation of good lighting design will spread throughout the city, and perhaps help us to achieve an identity - not as a City of Light, but maybe an Island of Light.

Going from yellow to white

A KEY feature of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's masterplan is for the traditional yellow street lighting in the Central Business District (CBD) to be replaced by white light.

A decade ago, such a proposal would have been dismissed by city planners. The reason: white light has a high energy consumption. But today, advances in lighting technology have made white light far more energy-efficient and ecologically friendly than the ubiquitous yellow light.

White light has become economical at an opportune time. In an era when cities are awake round the clock, the dynamic appearance cast by white light has become far more suitable for modern streets than the traditional sodium lighting.

Said Yap Lay Bee, Acting Head (Urban Design) of the URA's Conservation and Urban Design Division: 'White light not only has better colour rendering properties, it presents a more professional and business-like image, thus differentiating the district as a modern business and financial hub.'

Colour rendering is the degree to which a particular type of light allows different colours to be distinguished, while contrast threshold is the visibility provided by the light type. In terms of urban lighting, this means that white light will give streets and buildings a more dynamic look, closer to their daytime appearance.

The increased brightness will also provide greater visibility for pedestrians and motorists, helping to allay safety concerns that naturally arise in high-traffic urban areas.

In comparison, the warmer colouration of yellow light evokes a more hushed atmosphere, inappropriate for the image of a bustling metropolis. Streets as seen by yellow light have a dim and unnatural appearance, with colours that are difficult to distinguish and low visibility that reduces their sense of security.

Furthermore, the higher contrast threshold of yellow light lowers the distance from which drivers are able to see approaching pedestrians, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Philips lights the way

An industrial success in the area of white lighting is the CosmoPolis outdoor lighting system developed by Royal Philips Electronics, the parent company of Philips Lighting Singapore, over four years. Characterised by high energy and optical efficiency, the technology driving this system is currently enjoying a high take-up rate by urban planners in Europe, revealed Dirk Smeyers, a senior product programme manager for Royal Philips.

The company is confident that CosmoPolis will be adopted by traditional lighting suppliers in the near future. The next step in lighting technology is likely to be an improvement in such systems, aimed at bringing down their maintenance costs and expanding their usage to indoor applications.

Said Fernand Pereira, senior marketing manager for Philips Outdoor Lighting: 'We are committed to exploring how advanced lighting solutions can enrich and simplify the human experience of the urban setting.' All said, the future of urban living certainly looks bright.

Principles of lighting

GOOD lighting design is not just about flooding a space with light. It involves the integration of lighting and architectural elements, to provide viewers with a three-dimensional experience that is attractive without being intrusive to the vision.

So say the experts behind URA's Lighting Up The City masterplan. Properly designed lighting can complement the design, scale, and material of a building to give it a striking appearance: for instance, highlighting its structure and crown to emphasise its shape and height, or bringing out the textures of varying facades - all factors that will contribute to the skyline envisioned by planners.

Under the masterplan, lighting will not only be a complement to buildings, but a major indicator of their identity. Commercial areas such as the CBD will be designed with greater exterior illumination than residential districts such as Robertson Quay, which require far less external visibility.

Similarly, the colour temperature of each building will be determined by its height. High-rise office buildings will be illuminated with cool lighting, usually of white and blue hues which present a brighter and more dynamic appearance. Low-rise structures, on the other hand, will be lit in red and yellow hues, giving a warmer and more intimate feeling. The overall effect will also contribute to the appearance of the skyline.

Another feature of good lighting design is striking a balance between light and shadow, bringing out the finer points of the lighting and, more importantly, preventing the dual problems of light trespass and light pollution.

Both occur when glare from excessive lighting enters homes or offices, or is reflected into the sky, and can be dangerous in high-traffic areas - glare forms a visual obstacle to both drivers and pedestrians.

The URA plan aims to educate building owners about these lighting principles as part of its encouragement for them to adopt the proposals contained within the masterplan.

By adopting good lighting design, building owners can save on energy costs by cutting down on excessive lighting, while simultaneously giving their buildings a new and refreshing appearance that will also assist in attracting business.

As well, the proposals will contain information and recommendations on lighting technologies such as energy saving bulbs and reflectors. These will drastically reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions, keeping the proposals ecologically friendly and minimising the drain on the power grids.

Said a URA spokesman: 'We hope that all building owners, regardless of where their building is, can begin to better understand the value of lighting and think about lighting as part and parcel of good building design.'

Lights, camera, action
Enlightened: The Goh family at the Lighting exhibition

HOW does the promise of an enhanced night-time experience go down with the typical heartlander? Are the lights only for the cameras? What about action, or rather, interaction?

The Goh family, from Serangoon Avenue 3, did not have a clue about this grand plan, until last Saturday.

It was an enlightening experience for LLoyd and Mathilda Goh and their four children, who dropped by the Lighting Up Our City exhibition at the URA Centre. With the spotlight on four areas - the CBD-Marina Bay area, Orchard Road, the Bras Basah-Bugis district and the Singapore River - it did not take long to impress Mathilda.

'It's definitely a big plus, especially for tourism,' she said. 'When I visited Las Vegas some years back, the beautiful lighting up of the hotels, casinos and shops was so vibrant and colourful, it left such a deep impression, even to this day. A distinctive Singapore night-scape would do likewise,' said the 44-year-old office manager.

She continued: 'What's more, as a mother, I feel better assured in letting my teenage children go to areas that are better lit. And as a woman, I will feel more secure in such places, too.'

Her second son, Sylvester, 14, agreed. 'Better lighting will also mean more excitement and life, ultimately drawing more people to such places,' he said.

Added his father, Lloyd, an interior design consultant: 'Correct lighting is an integral aspect of design - creating ambience and aesthetics, achieving visual effectiveness within pertinent areas. All these work together to enhance better human interaction.'

The Lighting Up Our City Centre exhibition is on at the URA Centre until Feb 28 from 9am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays. There is a special late-night opening until 9pm every Friday. More details can be found at www.ura.gov.sg
links
Related articles on Singapore: green energy
about the site | email ria
  News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes.
 

website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com