Arabianrannan julkisen tilan taiteellinen yleisvalaistussuunnitelma →
2003 Arabianrannan julkisen tilan taiteellinen yleisvalaistussuunnitelma
Soila Hänninen, Soila Hänninen T:mi
Sanna Forsman, Olof Granlund Oy
Touchable lighting in Arabianranta Visions
Light is a platform for encounter of different mental and physical layers and structures of Arabianranta area - history/ future, built/ natural, private/public, reality/unreality.
Light reflects the shapes and materials of tradition and future. Light gives a role to simple, temporal and mobile changes.
Lighting plays together with organic shapes and structures and counteracts with high-tech urban environment. Lighting patterns imitate natural shapes - tree branches, blood veins, neural systems. Light and shadow are both in the focal point where the people can also step inside.
These themes are the major ideas in Arabianranta artistic lighting concept. City of Helsinki ordered a unique design for artistic lighting master plan for this new suburb where several visual arts projects are integrated into the public and private building processes. This design project deals especially with public spaces of the dark hours of the day. The design was carried out in 2003. The realisation is waiting for funding decisions.
Main solutions
Artistic lighting concept is created through light and darkness as philosophical elements as general public lighting was already planned when this project started. Basic design concept was to create large and simple themes which are not strictly site-specific in this area. Thus, these plans can be modified and extended to areas which are still under design and development.
Four themes of lighting: 1) Clarity of light
Street space of Hämeentie-street is made of monumental public buildings and sensitive old parks. Illuminated environment is modified to more human by simplifying public street lighting.
2) Pattern of light
In Arabianranta-street, visual views get smaller to human perspective and pedestrian routes. Artistic lighting imitates organic patterns of nature and soften the high-tech environment. Light imprints its pattern to surfaces. These patterns are memories of old trees replaced with new buildings, but also they interact as encouragement for new young trees to grow. Patterns also create shadows - darkness that is often pushed away from the cities
3) Motion of light
Lighting patterns get a dynamic role in small urban squares where patterns react to wind and weather creating an ever-changing lighting installation. Motion is also created next to the sea shore and the old river where water reflects all the lighting installed close to it.
4) Shape of light
Lighting concentrates into itself. Light transforms into a solid structure ie. light bench that creates a safe place for sitting and thinking and being. These benches glow in the darkness and give a focal point that improve orientation especially in the park areas. Materials integrated into the bench interact with the strong cultural and industrial history of Arabianranta area.
In streets and squares, lighting shapes the darkness, too. Lighting is emitted through elevated horizontal structures - light platforms.
In constantly modified and highly versatile public space of this new housing area, these platforms create identifiable places also in the dark hours of the day as they are repeated around the Arabianranta area. Platforms play a role as new types of street furniture. Around platforms people can meet as we used to do next to camp fires or next to a small lake that reflects the night sky and its stars and the moon.
Text and design concept:
Sanna Forsman ja Soila Hänninen
