Deqing is a county in the prefecture of Huzhou, China. One of its most popular tourist areas is Moganshan; a mountain offering of magnificent views, one hour drive away from Hangzhou, where foreigners built their villas before WWII, as well as one of Chiang Kai Shek’s Guonmindang fortresses.
Green Spaces
In 2010, the Deqing county government have created a so called green space concept. Green spaces are planted in the city which can be parks or other public spaces. These offer a place for rest for the city residents besides calming the mind in midst of hectic city buzz.
The basis and the objective of the lighting design is to support the green space concept through offering a sense of space as well as guidance during the night through illuminating the views and the surrounding area.
The lighting concept: Harmony of Nature
The name of the lighting concept is Harmony of Nature. It alludes to the confluence of lighting and the environment. The lighting follows the various shades of white light as they are perceived in our environment: from cold to warm. The different shades of white light are also knows as colour temperature.
The harmony is achieved through a careful combination of different colour temperatures. When viewed together, the colours accentuate each other. Together, balanced warm and neutral white produce a pleasant sensation in the visitors. When the colours are natural, park visitors can feel connected to nature at the site.
The hierarchy in the environment is elevated through choosing the right character, rhythm, intensity, direction and colour temperature for the light. “Natural light is not always simply white… it can vary from very warm to rather cold,” says the light designer Hendra Firdaus from VALOA design.
Visual Pleasantness and Views
When speaking about visual pleasantness, there are two keys to success – controlling the glare and the placement of the lighting fixtures. In order to accomplish visual pleasantness, one must always get a glarefree view into the environment and the horizon, possibly so that the most important things to see are the illuminated vertical and horizontal surfaces, and by no means the source of light. This is accomplished through examining and analysing the directions in which the person walking at the park looks and the views which open up in front of them.
As we see, the most important walkways and paths are located by the river bank. These spots often have an unobstructed view to the other side of the river, which is considered the most important view. According to the design manual, the lighting fixtures are always placed “behind” the onlooker, whenever possible. We have also taken into account that no target between the onlooker and the opposite shore is excessively illuminated.
Project information
Lighting design: Hendra Firdaus & Roope Siiroinen from VALOA design
Project carried out by Chinese lighting company Zhongtai Lighting Group.
The river bank area of Deqing: ± 60 hectares divided into different stages
Building the 1st stage: ± 20 hectares, building commenced at the end of 2010 and completed at the end of 2011.