1. RULES OF STREET LIGHTING
Roads are tunnels through which observers travel. The correspondence of the visual hierarchy with the functional hierarchy, the aesthetic and topographic quality, and the orientation in the street system must be recognizable. The differences between functional communication arteries and representative streets should be visible through different heights of light sources, distances of masts and their proportions.
2. RULES FOR BRIGHTENING FACADES
In representative central parts of cities, building facades located there should be subtly brightened during the night hours of peak traffic. Recognizability of the city’s character is an important feature that helps the observer in orientation.
3. RULES OF ACCENTING
Individual specific objects play a very important role in creating the identification of cities. For example, vertical, cold lighting of buildings, contrasting with horizontal, warm street lighting, guarantees good readability. Historical buildings should be lit, if possible, with fixtures that are little or not visible to the observer.
4. SITE RULES
Squares are places where streets meet, city life is concentrated and a unique atmosphere prevails. They play an important role in urban space. Therefore, these squares should be provided with appropriate lighting corresponding to its use, which will take into account the surrounding substance, small architecture, vegetation and observation directions.
5. PRINCIPLES OF STREET ARCHITECTURE
The proportions of the road, neighboring buildings with elements slowing down traffic (“sleeping policemen”), vegetation and the proportions between the width of the street and the height of the “street buildings” determine the character of the street. By highlighting these elements with light, we make them easier to perceive and recognize at night.
6. PRINCIPLES OF OBSERVATION DIRECTIONS
Typically, the observation axis ends with a typical, characteristic element of the city: a decorative element emphasizing the importance of the place, an element of the night structure of the city center. This element should also be staged at night to ensure visual communication, emphasizing the character of the city and maintaining its identification.
7. RULES OF MAINTAINING PROPORTIONS
Considering the proportions of street lighting in the context of the night image of the city depends not only on its function (related to road traffic), but also on the surroundings of the buildings and their architectural style. In the case of non-existent buildings, pedestrians are an important reference scale. In densely built-up areas, e.g. in banking districts, where the proportional balance between individual people (pedestrians) and skyscrapers and lampposts is impossible to determine, the architectural style and functional function must be a guide.
8. PRINCIPLE OF NATURALITY
Very interesting places that shape the image of the city are water landscapes, buildings by the water, parks with old trees, and areas where the city has become one with nature. These natural situations are also a separate element of urban space and therefore must be treated separately in lighting concepts. These areas have a high emotional potential, thus contributing significantly to the revitalization and emphasizing the importance of the city, integrating into its night image and emphasizing its identification and regional character.
9. RULES FOR CITIES ENTANCES
In order to give the city center a unique identity at night, its boundaries must be defined and emphasized. After the abolition of defensive walls in cities and the liquidation of entrance gates, there are no clear and visible entrances to cities. Here the question arises: where do our cities begin? With careful observation and analysis of the center, you can notice in every urban agglomeration certain elements such as bridges, characteristic buildings or architectural entrances that form the beginning of the city. These elements should have a different light color or intensity, and appropriately adjusted ambient lighting should be extended to the border points.
10. RULES OF THE CITY’S NIGHT IMAGE
The night image of each city should have a unique character, its own identity. For this purpose, it is important to find characteristic elements of the city and highlight them with light. Most often, these are monuments of cultural heritage that serve as showcases of the urban agglomeration. A pictorial representation of these hallmarks, emphasizing their shape, creating a contrast with the surroundings or emphasizing the specific location of the object are the most important rules here. It is important not to underestimate composition in the relationship of objects to each other.
