Xmas light ups

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Singapore 25^th November 2011

With Xmas nearly upon us, just a few more weeks to go, most cities around the world have lit up their main shopping belts with Xmas lights. Singapore lit up a week ago I believe and it will last until the first week of the New Year. Mainly driven by commerce, it seems these light ups start earlier and earlier! I went to a function last night in the Orchard Road area not realising it had already started! It comes hand in hand with sales and promotions leading to stress and carpark fights for many who go out on the weekend or shopping nights (suddenly the shops stay open longer and later…) to get their Xmas prezzies. It is a bit over my head…yes I do like to go shopping for Xmas, sort of part of the whole Xmas routine and ambiance isn’t it, but not in a frenzy like some do…relax people, it is supposed to be fun!

While I have never landed a serious job to design Xmas lighting, I have been approached for proposals over the years both in Australia and Singapore. Never got selected… Somehow the budgets are always tight, our fees too high (?) and maybe I am too “architectural”? They say they want, but the reality is general they don’t want to spent. The sort of Xmas light ups I would be interested in are the ones that are designed to last. With that I mean a design that is developed to be reused several years, but has the ability and flexibility to look different every year while (re)using the same basic structure. I know many cities are looking into this option but to my knowledge very little (if any) have actually spent the extra money needed to develop a creative multi-year Xmas decoration that can used over and over again. In my humble mind this could save a lot of money over time, but the fact of life is that very little cities, town councils, get (or apply for) sufficient budgets. Unfortunately, together with local politics surely, this generally results in the same old unimaginative Xmas light up…

In Light Watch some recent pictures from Xmas light ups I found on the web from different parts of the world. Do share some of yours. Would love to see how your city’s Xmas light up looks like!

Singapore