PLDA workshop on "Activating Public Spaces"

PLDA Scale Workshop in Goa/IND 2011

Asia has waited for it and here it comes – a PLDA workshop in India!
During the preparatory meeting in February 2010 six projects were selected by six internationally renowned lighting designers who will be guiding the workshop groups. The participants will select the project they wish to work on and will then design a concept and realize the same within one week. It will be an interesting and intense week for participants, workshop heads and organisers, and the possibility to show what lighting design can do to help activate public spaces!

Anne Militello, IALD/USA and her group will be working on a garden dedicated to the Portuguese Francisco Luis Gomes, the former prime Advocate for India who was also a representative in the Cortes, the ‘Lisbon Parliament’. The little park features a statue of Gomes, built in 1929 and a lot of vegetation as well as a bandstand, which was formerly used for small-scale shows and performances. The existing lighting brings no illumination to the park, with the result that it is only enjoyable during the daylight hours. Anne and her group will bring “back the music and celebrate the colours of nature”.

Christopher Mok, IALD Associate/Hong Kong selected an area around a statue of Bhagwan Mahaveer located in the Children’s Park. Bhagwan Mahaveer taught the main aspects of the culture of compassion, non-violence, calmness and understanding of the viewpoints of others. The statue is surrounded by benches, bushes and trees. The group will create a magical space paying due consideration to culture and beliefs.

Jytte Basler/D and her team will be working on the playground in the children’s park. In the daytime the playground is filled with children playing on the swings and merry-go-rounds. During the night time, the park is dark and the atmosphere a little scary. The only light available is provided by a few high-pressure sodium lamps dotted throughout the park. The group will create a playground for the children to enjoy in the evening. 

Kevan Shaw, PLDA, IALD/UK and his team will be working on a pier behind the famous Kala Academy. The pier is a beautiful structure made of wood and iron. During the day interesting shadows are cast on its wooden surface but at night the pier virtually disappears in darkness. The existing lighting does not flatter the structure and fails to give the illumination required to promote a feeling of safety. The team will have the chance to provide an example of how to make this pier a piece of art during night time.

Martin Lupton, PLDA/UK and his group will be working on a section of an avenue along one of the main roads in Panjim. Tall trees provide the right amount of shade for the hot and sunny daylight hours, offering strollers a recreational space with benches along the path. After dark the trees turn the sidewalk into a dark zone. The existing street light is an attempt to make people feel safe – a target that is unfortunately not achieved. The group will be offered the possibility to create an example of how designed lighting can make people feel safe on the streets, even when the sun has long gone down.

Tapio Rosenius, PLDA/E has chosen to illuminate the Old Goa Medical College, a building featuring typical Portuguese colonial architecture that dates back to 1842. Bright, tall, powerful and beautiful are words that immediately come to mind when viewing the building during daytime. Dark, small and frightening on the other hand might be terms to describe it during the hours of darkness. The team will come up with a concept for this beautiful, classic building to enhance its appearance at night taking into consideration both its current use and its history.

Registrations at: http://www.lightsingoa.com/