PLDC pre-program day
Copenhagen, 30th October 2013
PLDC is on us! I arrived this morning in Copenhagen under a partly sunny sky, which was quite a nice change from the gale force winds we had over Europe on Monday. Wind blasts up to 12 Beaufort were measured which not surprisingly uprooted trees and caused significant damages throughout Europe, Denmark included. I am checked in at the venue hotel (Bella Sky) which is linked to the Bella Conference Centre where the conference and events will be held over the next few days. One of the exhibition halls is converted in a manufacturers display area including lounges and F&B areas and will be occupied by all the sponsors of the event. Thanks to all of them! I guess the hall will become a meeting place where people meet in between the conferences.
In the afternoon I attended a reporting on the progress of the non-visual effects of lighting, a subject mostly unknown to many lighting designers let alone the general public. Light as we know by now has also a very strong biological effect on humans and understanding how light impacts on our biological clock, our health, prevention of sicknesses and overall well-being is becoming a science nearly as important as the visual effects of lighting. Certainly something to watch over the years to come, including how the LED lighting quality holds out, as initial feedback is not necessarily good!
Later on I joined one of the tours which brought us to Malmo (yes across to Sweden) where Johan Moritz led us around some of the city train stations and city squares which he supervised as the cities lighting designer in charge. It was amazing to see how much money and efforts including artworks were put into the fray to make Malmo definitely one of the leading cities when it comes to urban lighting planning. As Johan explained it was the greater Malmo image and attraction that was at stake rather than the individual lighting projects. If you spend a billion Kroner on a railway station, spending 2 million Kroner on art and lighting does not seem a lot. A great and enlightening tour. I really enjoyed having a peak in how a lighting designer makes a different in a cities master and lighting strategy planning!
When we returned it was time to join the crowd at the official warm up opening party and catch up with some friends and colleagues long (some not so long) not seen! I look forward to the next few days.
Light Watch 4-184: In sequence, snapshots from the building of the sponsor stands in the exhibition hall, Joachim Ritter introducing the participants to the a pre-conference on the non-visual effects of lighting and our tour to Malmo with pics from the lighting at Malmo Central station, Triangles Station and Hillie Station and finally the last but not least the opening party…
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