dbell

Chicago Riverwalk, USA

The main branch of the Chicago River has a long and storied history that in many ways mirrors the development of Chicago itself. Once a winding, marshy stream, the river first became an engineered channel to support the industrial transformation of the city. Over the last decade though, the role of the river has been evolving thanks to the Chicago Riverwalk project – an initiative to reclaim the Chicago River for the ecological, recreational and economic benefit of the city.

As part of the initiative, the Riverwalk needed an improvement on its previous lighting scheme, which was dominated by stark, security-style lighting. The new lighting, designed by Schuler Shook, was designed to be a drastic departure from this, instead creating something more playful, interactive and altogether more welcoming.

Schuler Shook was part of the team led by Ross Barney Architects and Sasaki that was selected by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to create something special along the river. The firm typically works with the CDOT on the majority of its projects where creative and innovative lighting solutions are required. Giulio Pedota, Principal at Schuler Shook, was assigned the project internally, partially due to similar work experience that he had with the CDOT, particularly on the Navy Pier Flyover, a pedestrian bridge east of the Riverwalk.

After receiving the architectural and landscape design concepts from Ross Barney Architects and Sasaki, Schuler Shook developed a lighting design that was both ‘innovative and elaborate’, according to Pedota, inspired by the ‘striking’ concepts that the architectural team drew up.

“The architects had developed the concept of a series of ‘rooms’ along the river, with a unique theme for every room. Naturally, the lighting design had to respond to and reinforce these themes,” said Pedota.

“The design team wanted the Chicago Riverwalk to be an attractive civic space in Chicago, where people could explore the variety of opportunities to escape, relax, play, dine, watch live performances and see the city from a new angle that hadn’t been available before.” The initial lighting designs for the various room themes included imaginative and eye-catching lighting effects such as fire, illuminated artwork, unique pedestrian poles, tree lighting, floating illuminated buoys, lighting projections to mimic moonlight, interactive lighting effects and a dramatic set of stairs for the River Theatre.

Working along the tight space of the Riverwalk made the project fairly challenging from a technical point of view, as Pedota explained: “The design team needed to work within a tight permit-mandated 25-foot-wide build-out area to expand the pedestrian program spaces and negotiate a series of under-bridge connections between blocks.” Alongside this, the CDOT required that all fixtures be easily accessible for maintenance, meaning that some of the typical lighting design ‘magic’, such as hiding fixtures under benches, or concealing them in other architectural details, was not allowed.

However, the biggest obstacle came when having to account for the river’s annual flood dynamics of nearly seven vertical feet. Faced with a site located in a flood zone, the lighting design called for all fixtures to be robust and rated for submersible applications, while all electrical components such as wiring, wiring splices and junction boxes needed to be rated for submersible applications too. Such precautions were ‘field tested’ a few days after the project was completed when the site completely flooded, but fortunately the decision to take these extra steps was justified, as the fixtures remained lit during the flood.

The portion of the Riverwalk that underwent renovation was divided into five different themed blocks or ‘rooms’: The Marina Plaza, The Cove, The River Theatre, The Water Plaza and the Jetty, each with their own unique look. However, as the city wanted to minimise the number of fixture types and reduce energy consumption, Pedota and his team responded with fixture consistency from ‘room’ to ‘room’, and the use of highly efficient fixtures to deliver appropriate illumination levels for safety and comfort. He continued: “Considering budget was limited, the design team was constantly monitoring the cost and participating in value-engineering efforts, putting significant effort to retain the performance requirements of the project without sacrificing the aesthetic aspect of the design.”

Alongside the city planners’ needs, Schuler Shook had to factor in some key lighting considerations from the architects, as Pedota explained: “For the most part, the architects wanted to ensure that the lighting equipment was very well integrated into the architecture, for aesthetic purposes, but also to ensure that fixtures were protected from potential impact or harm caused by visitors.

“To achieve this, fixtures [from MCI Group and LED Linear] were integrated into the handrails and benches, or were installed flush with the pavement or planter walls, or were recessed in continuous floor slots to conceal fixtures from view.

“Another aspect that was important to the design team was celebrating the historic aspect of the site. To achieve this, the existing arcade piers and ornamental capitals were illuminated with in-grade fixtures [from Hydrel] to uplight these historic architectural elements.”

As there are no IP68 rated handrails in the industry, the illuminated handrails had to be custom-made in order to meet the submersible applications. To achieve this, the handrails were fitted with 3000K, IP68 LED tape with a frosted lens to protect and diffuse the light source.

In The Cove, patterns of projected tree-branches are achieved with CMH150W/T6, weatherproof, theatrical fixtures from Hydrel fitted with glass-gobos and pole-mounted at street level. While in the Water Plaza, the colour-changing LED fixtures highlighting the stone of the waterfall, along with the colour-changing fountain fixtures designed by Fluidity Design Consultants, create amusement to all the visitors, especially children. In The Jetty, the LED Linear ‘fish lights’, as the architects called the colour-changing LED lights, delineate the boundary where water meets land.

Bridges linking these three ‘rooms’ were illuminated with linear LED fixtures [from MCI Group] with opal white lenses, yielding 1.8 fc average at grade. To provide safety and comfort and to improve facial recognition, fixtures were angled five degrees to provide 1.0-1.5 vertical fc, measured at eye level. The linear LED fixtures used throughout the project use 5-watts per linear foot to delineate the paths, illuminate the ramps in the River Theatre, and provide safety and comfort.

Due to concerns the Landscape Architect had with heat from fixtures uplighting the trees, 12-watt, low-heat LED in-grade fixtures were utilised to illuminate the trees. In addition, fixtures were meticulously integrated within the stairs, at a safe distance away from the trees to avoid damage to the root systems.

The transformation of this site, from its former, utilitarian appearance to the bright, welcoming new look, is something that Pedota cited as ‘incredible, both from an architectural point of view and from a lighting perspective’. He said: “We were very happy with the translation from the conceptual approaches to the final results as seen in The Cove, The River Theatre, and The Jetty.

“In The Cove, the idea was to create a moonlight effect through the trees, very much like we do when recreating exterior scenes in theatrical lighting. This effect was going to be the general lighting of this room, and our first impression when we saw the final effect was magical! It was recreating an exterior effect in an exterior application, which made it more realistic and at the same time unexpected, given the scale of the effect.

“In The River Theatre, the series of ramps were enhanced and reinforced through a series of linear LED fixtures recessed on the riser of the stairs, guiding people up and down the staircases. This, in itself, was visually stimulating. It creates a sense of order to this entire site while providing safety and comfort.

“Last but not least was The Jetty. The colour-changing LED tape integrated at the edge of the zigzagging piers is a direct result of hearing the city’s desire to create a visual attraction after dark among the flowing wetland gardens. Because this effect was tested prior to the final installation, the design team was very happy with the results of this lighting feature. It transforms the site with its infinite, colour-changing capabilities.”

And while Pedota admitted that it would have been nice to have had more funding available to effectively execute all of the original ideas that both the architects and Schuler Shook came up with during the conceptual phase, he believes that this adds to the constant learning curve of lighting design. “We are always learning from our projects and the people we get to design with,” he said. “That is a process, and it shouldn’t be changed, or there would be nothing left to learn.”

Regardless of any budget-driven changes or restrictions imposed upon the project from the city, Pedota remains very pleased with the final outcome, and particularly with the reaction from the Chicago public and its visitors.

“What stands out is how quickly this new space in Chicago has been accepted and welcomed by people,” he said. “Everyone is drawn to it, and that speaks volumes for how well integrated all aspects of the park are, from the lighting to the materials used to the beautiful landscaping.

“Getting to light something that is for everyone to enjoy and on such a grand scale really stands out for us.”

www.schulershook.com

by dbell

Harbin Opera House, China

Known as the ‘Ice City’, Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province, houses an expansive, impressive opera house. Set amongst the city’s untamed wilderness and frigid climate, the building boasts a crystal-like purity and transparency, blending in with the surrounding nature and topography.

The lighting for this remarkable structure, managed by Beijing United Artists Lighting Design, was designed to complement the architectural concept that the building grows out from the local environment and responds to the aforementioned untamed wilderness, while also revealing the purity and clarity of the space, creating an enriching experience for visitors in the process. To help them work towards this concept, the lighting team devised a motto of ‘lighting the rhythm of the frozen music’.

Beijing United Artists came on board with the Harbin Opera House project having previously worked with MAD Architects for the Ordos Museum in the Gobi desert, and Dongning Wang of Beijing United Artists, believes that this prior relationship helped create a harmonious working environment. He said: “During our work together on the former project, we had built up trust with MAD and found an effective way of communicating with each other by using the language of light.”

This trust between MAD and Beijing United Artists helped the lighting designers in the bidding process, with MAD insisting throughout that Beijing United Artists was the right firm for the job. “It was a long and tough journey,” explained Wang. “But based on the Ordos project, we were the first lighting design team that the architects were thinking of and proposed to the clients. They liked our ideas so much that they acted quite stubbornly and proposed us to the client again and again.”

Such insistence landed Beijing United Artists with the interior lighting design for the project. However the team still created a full, comprehensive lighting strategy for the whole project, from the interior to the exterior, the façade and the landscape. “We did this because we believe that to achieve a good and responsible design, you should consider the project as a whole, not just the one part that you are being told to do,” said Wang. “One thing that we are still very proud of is that we provided an interior lighting design that is seamless with the exterior, to the extent that it's hard to tell that it is done by different lighting consultants.”

Working with the concept of revealing the purity and clarity of the space, the team at Beijing United Artists devised three ways of lighting the main atrium in one piece of roof, developing a hierarchy. From this hierarchical aspect, the designers made a careful lighting plan with a ‘less is more’ concept to be more adaptive to the functions of the varied spaces, and the movement of visitors.

At the lobby entrance, a ‘welcome mat’ of light; in the middle, a super indirect light; and on the wooden shell at the end of the lobby, a vertical glow. All light fittings are completely hidden in the architecture, creating a pleasant rhythm of light unobstructed by technical details, and unplagued by hot spots or sharp corners.

The wooden shell is the focal point of the lobby; washed lighting from above gives the whole lobby a warm, inviting atmosphere, while on the canopy outside, spotlights were placed in slots, directing light on the ground to avoid reflection and allow people inside to see out.

To achieve the desired ‘purity’ in the space, it was important for the designers that guests see the light, but not the fixtures. The concept designer worked with a software expert and an industrial designer; together, this team calculated the illumination of each space, while making expert recommendations on where fixtures might be hidden. Through their efforts, visitors can explore the beauty of the space without awareness of any lighting fixtures.

To create a twinkling effect on the pyramidal glass roof, the designer selected a quarter of each faceted unit, attaching it with dotted film. Sunlight adds a twinkle to each pyramidal unit, creating different glass reflections throughout the day. At night the filmed glass is grazed from below by LED light bars, seeming to glow from within and attracting visitor attention from far away.

Within the smaller theatre, guests are reminded of the exterior of the building by a panoramic window behind the stage. This seamless connection to the outside world mimics the gleaming ripple effect of the lake outside. Narrow-beam in-ground features, carefully placed at the aisles along the walls, create the gleaming ripples of light on the walls. The irregular wall texture works with the light to create drama, rhythm and pleasing shadows.

In the big theatre, the architect called for a glowing ‘diamond’ for the owner’s VIP area above the mezzanine. Custom RGB LED fixtures are hidden behind the acrylic diamond panel and transition from starry white to warm amber, changing according to the event or the seasons.

This starry, twinkling diamond approach is replicated in the corridor connecting the basement parking plaza and the main lobby. Fibre optic lighting minimises the visual impact, but creates a dream-like grand entrance at the steps.

Although impressive, this isn't what the lighting designers originally had in mind, as Wang elaborated: “We initially designed a huge ‘cloud’ or ‘snowflake’ pendant lamp over the grand steps linking the lobby to the parking plaza. We carried out intensive studies on lightweight, fireproof materials, along with other feasibility studies, but in the end we had to make a compromise due to some of the state’s fireproof regulations. It’s a shame as MAD were very fond of the idea too, but we had to lose it and go for the fibre optic solution instead, which we like, even if it’s not what we originally designed.”

In spite of this, Wang remains happy with the final outcome of the project, even if it was more demanding than other projects that he has been involved with. He said: “For me, I feel that it is the toughest project that I have ever worked on! I want to thank the architect, Ma Yansong from MAD architects, for his pursuit of perfection, as this encouraged us to create an equally perfect lighting solution.

“Generally, we are very happy about the final effect. Whether looking at it from outside or inside, or moving from A to B inside, it presents most of our initial plans, in that we tried to create a hierarchical richness and a rhythmic mood to complement the music.

“Now, the light gives the space a poetic elegance and reveals frozen movements in time. Thanks to the open-mindedness of the people at MAD architects, they treated lighting as a very important design element when they were composing architectural design ideas. Now you can see that the lighting has become one of the most vital and poetic design treatments for the space.”

“From my personal point of view, I think it is the best combination of hierarchy and rhythm, and it is the purest lighting that I have ever done.”

Since its completion, the Harbin Opera House has gained a lot of plaudits for its stunning lighting design, most notably at the IALD Awards, held in Philadelphia during this year’s Lightfair International trade show, where it won the Radiance Award – the grand prize of the event. Such recognition was warmly received from Wang: “It is a great honour to win this internationally recognised award, and I was thrilled to step on stage to receive it.”

Wang added that while the award win was a great personal honour, he was hopeful that such recognition would have a knock-on effect for the Chinese lighting design profession as a whole. He said: “The award is a very important recognition for my more than fifteen years in lighting design. Along with my team, we were some of the very first lighting designers in China’s recent lighting history. Back when we started out, there were very few people or clients who would think of lighting design as an independent design discipline, let alone pay for our work. It took a lot of strength and belief from us to get through.

“Fortunately, due to more and more outstanding architects like MAD, and other great projects involved with more international cooperation, we have become more and more confident. I’m hopeful that this award will raise awareness of the IALD in China, and my winning experience will bring more attention to my Chinese peers in the lighting industry, as this will help the lighting industry grow very healthily and rapidly.”

www.i-mad.com

by dbell