The main goal of the project, Master Plan of Lighting, was to create a concept, which contributes to the night-time comfort as well as tourism in the subregion of Pirkanmaa. The city centre of Tampere and the illuminated features in the municipalities persuade visitors to see and to experience the beauty of light and the environment. The region of Pirkanmaa extends its travel season to last year round, with light as the main theme.
The Master Plan defines the thought-out regions based on themes and functions as a guideline for further design. The primary objective is to form coherent visual night-time concepts, which establish a managed look and mood. Here and there, light highlights and draws architecture and history, and in places, light has the primary role in creating some new experience, which cannot be seen in daylight.
The Master Plan is commissioned by the city of Tampere and ordered and coordinated by the project Luminous Pirkanmaa. The area and site definitions for the central Tampere region have been compiled by a collaboration between a steering group comprising local government officials and the team managing the project. The sites in the subregions have been defined by a group of experts comprising local government officials from each municipality. VALOA design has been in charge of the planning. The plan has, as carefully as possible, considered the existing development plans and future goals. The plan is, nevertheless, based on the current situation as well as a realistic view on the possibility to carry the plan out even in a short period of time, regardless of other construction projects.
Recent comments on the Master Plan in the meeting of the city scape advisory board in Tampere:
”We thought illuminating public buildings, illuminating buildings instead of street space, bringing artistic content into lighting during various events, as well as using lighting to define the hierarchy of the city space were a brilliant basis…”
”Lighting is an important topic, and the conversation should involve more of the city-dwellers. Lighting could also be used as an instrument of sorts for strengthening the sense of community…”