Philips Lighting and LUCI have announced that this year’s international city.people.light award has been won by the city of Seoul, South Korea. Representatives from the city were presented with the city.people.light trophy as well as prize money of 5,000 euros.
The jury, chaired by Carola Wingren, a member of IFLA (International Federation of Landscape Architects), said: “This is an impressive project to rehumanise this urban area. This effort to bring nature back to the city combined with an harmonious and almost entertaining landscape design gives this previously lost and forgotten place an almost fairytale night-time image. The lighting design plays with light and dark as well as with the transparency of the water. The subtle use of colour adds to the overall quality of this relaxing and recreational urban environment, thus clearly improving the quality of life for those living here.”
Second prize was awarded to the city of Riga, Latvia. The jury felt that this project was a perfect example of how to outline a landmark for both orientation and identification purposes whilst cleverly integrating the object into the urban environment. The use of lighting as a tool to create a city brand in a sustainable way was also acknowledged.
Third prize was awarded to the city of St Gallen, Switzerland.
The International city.people.light award was set up jointly by Philips Lighting and the Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI) in 2003 to reward the towns or cities that best demonstrate the added value that lighting can give to an area’s cultural and architectural heritage and night-time identity, whilst at the same time respecting the environment.
Urban lighting has become more than simply a means of ensuring security and promoting visibility and is now regarded as an essential component of town planning and a major part of a town’s cultural identity, whatever its size.
