Landscape lighting, who is it for?

Urban lighting management units often encounter such confusion: after a landscape project is completed, the leaders and the masses all agree, but when it comes to experts and scholars, there may be opposite voices. How to avoid this situation? The author believes that the first thing to do is to solve the problem of who to see a landscape lighting for.

Landscape lighting is a product of differing opinions. Some people like quiet monochrome, some people like lively full color; the same monochrome, some people like white, some people like single color; even if they are both white, some people like warm, some like cold. Landscape lighting is also open and belongs to public consumer goods, which is closely related to the quality of citizens' night life. Its construction effect and quality have attracted strong attention from experts, scholars and citizens and tourists.

In recent years, domestic landscape lighting has become more and more intense. From first-tier cities to some small towns, from east to west, landscape lighting is blooming everywhere. Then, when a variety of colors, lighting elements and lighting methods are presented in front of people like a kaleidoscope, whose aesthetics can become the judging criteria, the masses and experts? Who should the construction department listen to about the quality of landscape lighting?

public aesthetics

Some people think that the audience of night scenes are mostly ordinary people, and they are made for ordinary people to see, and the aesthetics of the general public should play a decisive role. Chinese people have always liked to be lively, to get together, and to be colorful—let’s call it popular aesthetics—so colorful, running, jumping, and dazzling are what the Chinese like, and they are in line with Chinese aesthetics. This aesthetic thought guides the construction of landscape lighting across the country to a large extent.

However, the public does not have a strong inclination towards aesthetics in essence. In terms of aesthetics, the general public is not picky, but what to see. Secondly, the general public does not have a strong desire to express their personal views on landscape lighting, the ability to express is average, and there is a lack of corresponding channels for expression.

Elite aesthetic

Opposite to public aesthetics is elite aesthetics. Elite aesthetics, as the name suggests, is the definition and preference of the elite for beauty. Social elites generally have advantages in cultural level, thinking ability, and expression ability, and their aesthetic ability is relatively independent, and they will not follow suit. Classics, restraint (implicit), discipline, concern (for the humanities or nature), and tolerance are the general characteristics of elite aesthetics.

The elites are good at thinking and critical thinking, have strong expressive ability, strong desire to express, and have a wide range of expression channels, and often have the right to speak to social phenomena.

The essence of landscape lighting aesthetics should be elite aesthetics

There is a big difference between mass aesthetics and elite aesthetics. In the construction of landscape lighting, there are often two completely different construction opinions, which makes the design unit at a loss. In essence, this difference comes from the fierce conflict between the public aesthetics and the elite aesthetics. The public attribute of landscape lighting means that the most concern and headache of the landscape lighting construction department is the public evaluation issue. The elites who have the right to speak in society have the greatest impact on the construction sector. Therefore, the essence of landscape lighting aesthetics should be elite aesthetics. Landscape lighting products should be made for the elite first, and then shared with the general public. Considering the design effect from this starting point will largely avoid the pressure of public opinion in the later stage.

Landscape lighting construction, especially major projects, landmark projects, or ecologically sensitive projects, should actively invite truly professional and responsible experts to participate in the inspection. In the design review and project acceptance of landscape lighting construction projects, it is necessary to carefully study and absorb expert opinions, further improve the lighting grade and effect, design and build from the perspective of elite aesthetics, and create landscape lighting products that meet elite aesthetics. The effect reflects the will of the social elite. Of course, when it comes to projects that are closely related to the masses, a questionnaire survey should be carried out if necessary, or public opinions should be solicited publicly, so that the lighting effect reflects the will of ordinary citizens. Building this stage through landscape lighting allows all social strata to express their own voices, thus winning the overall harmony, general recognition and wide acclaim of the implementation process and the final effect.

Features of Landscape Lighting Products That Meet Elite Aesthetics

As mentioned earlier, classicism, restraint (implicit), discipline, concern (for humanities or nature), and tolerance are general characteristics of elite aesthetics. Accordingly, landscape lighting products in line with elite aesthetics should have at least the following characteristics:

1. Most of the classic lighting methods such as projection and wall washing are used, and the direct-view lighting system is rarely used to avoid the light interference problem caused by the direct-view lighting system;

2. Mainly white light lighting, supplemented by single color light lighting, and a very small amount of full color slow color changing system (color light has a strong emotional expression);

3. Care for humanity and nature, advocate energy saving and as little landscape lighting as possible, use light in moderation, oppose light pollution, and oppose the damage of light to the ecology;

...

Cultural tourism lighting products should be inclined to public aesthetics

Landscape lighting can be considered as cultural tourism lighting, and the purpose can be considered as promoting night travel and consumption, which is cultural tourism lighting in a broad sense. The "cultural tourism lighting" in this article refers to a narrow scope, which is generally local immersive and situational landscape lighting. According to "Lighting Engineering 4.0: Construction and Management Practice", "the cultural and tourism night tour light show is in tourist destinations such as characteristic towns, theme parks, scenic spots, etc., in order to enrich tourists' night activities, thematically create environmental art by time and partition. Cultural performances such as lighting, light and shadow shows, and performing arts are based on culture as the main line, performing arts as performance, and technology as the support to create a unique humanistic, environmental, and spatial aesthetic experience.”

Different from ordinary landscape lighting products, the audience of cultural tourism lighting products are mainly ordinary consumers. The purpose is to tell stories, attract attention, build brands and promote consumption through lighting. Cultural tourism lighting products fundamentally require landscape lighting to be gorgeous, rich and exciting, often requiring the cooperation of light, sound and electricity to create an immersive experience and attract all the attention of the audience to obtain spiritual pleasure. Therefore, cultural tourism lighting products must meet the public aesthetics, so as to obtain maximum economic benefits.

The media facade linkage light show can have both characteristics

The characteristics of the media facade linked light show products are between ordinary landscape lighting products and cultural tourism lighting products, such as Hangzhou Qianjiang New Town Light Show, which has played a huge role in promoting tourism. The local management department tries to create a 4A scenic spot. And promote it as a brand. Therefore, the media facade linkage light show products should not only meet the characteristics of ordinary landscape lighting products, but also take into account the characteristics of cultural tourism lighting products. The satisfaction of these two characteristics can be achieved by setting different lighting modes, time-sharing and partitioning. The basic lighting on weekdays should mainly reflect the personality of the building, and should also be maintained to ensure the lighting effect.

in conclusion

In short, ordinary landscape lighting products are first made for the elites, and should meet the aesthetic needs of elites and reduce the impact of negative public opinion; cultural tourism lighting products should be inclined to the aesthetic needs of the public to obtain maximum economic benefits. The media facade linkage light show products should adopt different lighting modes to take into account the needs of both.