10,000LUX
Background:
The creators of this project believe that sustainable living in urban environments is only possible on a community scale. It can only be fully realised when the occupants of a community (of whatever size) utilize their collective spirit, knowledge, and motivation to bring about transformation and development as a whole. To facilitate this, focal points are needed in day-to-day life to provide people with markers and reference points, rather than living in a purely repetitive cycle. In this sense, the importance of festivals throughout human existence demonstrate that the human spirit, and indeed human nature, craves such markers in time, not only to satisfy more pragmatic needs (communal meeting, dancing, singing, etc) but also spiritual ones (sense of place, of community, etc). Key to creating the environment for community activity to take place are the development of urban spaces, and following the creation of events in those spaces - both are inextricably tied, and reliant on each other for their own success.
This approach suggests that sustainable living is concerned with far more issues than simply the amount of power or water consumed on a per-capita basis, or what material your sofa or new apartment is made out of. It is more about creating the environment where discussions can take place, and indeed be instigated, directed, and developed on all levels. These discussions in turn can be harnessed and adopted and devolved on a community level, spreading organically with an effect far greater than the initial sum of its (conversational) parts.
We are living in a time where digital media dominates our lives, and as one of the many side effects, an individual's need, desire and motivation to physically interact with their immediate community is being eroded. An outcome of this is that the physical environment and community suffers, as it transitions to a more polarized and segmented organisational model (public 'places' to meet become bars and cafes where various 'tribes' gather together and tend to exclude 'outsiders' - whether consciously or not).
In many parts of Europe, and in Brussels in particular, such segmentation of society is already well established along nationality, ethnicity and socio-economic lines.
The darker, colder part of the year is when this situation feels at its most acute. The loss of light and cold temperatures seem to manifest in a self-induced city hibernation. In winter, an average 8 hour day will provide less than than 5,000lux (the measurement of light intensity), so our proposition, and hence the name of our event, is to provide at least double the expected daily amount of light into a persons life. 10,000LUX will be an 'iconic' event, in perhaps one of the city's most culturally diverse areas - Place Flagey in Ixelles. Not by design, but rather by 'divine' coincidence, the square is also the center for the Human Cities festival - a most appropriate location viewed by the project's designers as the 'crossroads of Europe'.
How the project began:
Recently arrived to Belgium, Australian expat Shawn Cooper was in a bar chatting with his new Belgian friend Mathieu Maes, himself also an import to Belgium around 15 years ago - about the city; its good and bad points, its features, its place in Europe, and its potential as a dynamic place to live. They both mused on the public places in their local area, Place Chatelain and Place Flagey and how both these spaces seemed incredibly under-utilized - despite Flagey recently emerging from massive redevelopment. As foreigners to Belgium themselves, their conversation continued into the transient nature of much of the inner Brussels population, of loneliness, of isolation, and how in the Belgian winter the darkness and weather only amplified these situations. In addition, it became apparent to Shawn that whoever he spoke to locally would always comment on how they would love to travel to Australia 'some day', but the tyranny of distance seemed insurmountable - ah ha! Lets bring a little of Australia to Brussels, and mixed in some local inputs to see what might happen. And so, the seed of the idea was born.
Result:
The 10,000LUX project is the result of many further hours of discussion, debate and creative thought. A small team has developed what is presented here; a basis, a starting point, a framework for an actual realized space and event to be built upon. Our aim is to create one MORE space in the city during winter, rather than one LESS.
We are proposing the creation of a new large scale temporary structure whose physical form has its cross section derived from a wave, and taking the form of a large ring in plan referencing the sun, radiating light waves, and a welcoming/enclosing community environment. This structure will play host to a 'festival of light', installed for 8-10 weeks in the middle of winter.
It has been developed in such a way that the designers feel the concept can be transported anywhere. Future satellite events may not use a purpose built structure, and instead be housed in an old warehouse, an empty office block, a disused train yard - but they will all share the same common goals - to bring communities together in winter to lift spirits and encourage interaction. It is envisaged however that the project will act as a prototype for development of satellite events using the same built structure system, program and overall concept. Similar issues addressed by this first event are mirrored in many other communities, so this concept has been developed with the specific self-imposed requirement that it be easily transferred from place to place
Core concepts:
- Creating something as unexpected and incongruous as a summer/beach/Australian-esque, light filled giant 'tent' in the shape of a donut, with the cross-section of a wave into a dark, cold, stone and concrete square at the crossroads of Europe, is somehow strangely appropriate and warmly (no pun intended) welcomed by the community.
- Creation of an object, event, experience such as this has the ability to positively influence behaviour, daily patterns, well-being, general health.
- Creation of a new, custom conceived space allows participants to leave previous 'baggage' or pre-conceived notions of an existing space behind, allowing their minds to
be more open and receptive to the possibilities contained within. This construct serves to dislocate a person from their everyday reality, providing newness, invigoration and stimulation.
Relevance and coherence of the entry towards the Human Cities project:
The proposed concept is a grand gesture in object creation for public spaces. Not simply a seat/bench/fountain or tree, but instead an entire experience, and like all good experiences, it is fleeting, ephemeral. The temporary nature of the concept will heighten the experience - 'not to be missed', 'gone tomorrow', 'once a year', are valid catch-cries to develop interest, buzz and involvement from the local community.
Siting/location:
It is proposed that the inaugural 10,000LUX light event be installed at Place Flagey, for a number of reasons;
1. The designers live in the vicinity of the square and so have a vested interest in creating a project that effects and is affected by their local community.
2. It is felt by the designers that Place Flagey and the public spaces of buildings (or lack thereof) surrounding the square are not 'winter friendly', thus severely limiting community activities and usage during the colder parts of the year.
3. The striking visual presence of the proposal coupled with the content to be found inside will be sure to act as a magnet to Flagey and the area in general, thus boosting the local economy and reputation of Flagey as a leading cultural hotspot of Europe.
4. Flagey was redeveloped we believe to welcome/accommodate/facilitate such a project, and since its opening such an installation has not taken place.
5. Flagey is the heart of the Human Cities festival in 2010, and as such this proposal will act as an iconic and symbolic image
Sustainable aspects:
A public space, whether it be Place Flagey or elsewhere is fundamentally only sustainable if it is embraced and used by the community. Use creates life, life creates interest, interest creates attachment, attachment creates feelings, feelings create bonds, bonds create sustainable spaces. As such, this project is a dynamic, iconic and multi-layered opportunity to develop the bond between the community and Place Flagey, which in turn will be a model for other spaces in need of 'friends'.
On a more pragmatic level;
- The design of the structures will allow reuse in various locations over many years
- The design of the movable/temporary/internal spaces and objects will have a focus towards sustainability
- Materials will be locally sourced where possible, and local tradesmen and companies used to construct, run, and dismantle the event
- Light manufacturers will have the chance to showcase their latest in environmentally friendly lighting technology
- Power consumption for the event will be offset by green power purchase and/or carbon offset purchase through a percentage of profits
- Power supply companies will be given the opportunity to showcase their green technologies and green power options for consumers
Social aspects:
Bringing people together in such an unusual environment will be sure to create an increased sense of community, it will lead to new meetings, new friendships, laughter, fun and interactions. These interactions and the subsequent memories created will have a direct impact on how this public space is perceived by those who visit and the wider public in general
- The feeling of overall well-being should increase for those who experience the spaces/environment/event
Ethical aspects:
It is the designers responsibility to address the needs of the 'client', in this case the client is a broad spectrum community, with many and varied needs, desires and
hopes. Rather than create an event with an exclusivity
factor where entry requires the right connections, membership of the right 'tribe', or the right amount of money, we are proposing a space which invites all of society to participate, thereby enriching the conversation.
- Funding through sponsorships and government grants will allow free access to the majority of the space/event
- A single level event space allows for the mobility impaired to have ease of access and movement
Light therapy aspects:
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
A growing amount of research seems to suggest that lack of light in the northern hemisphere during the winter months has a definite effect on the psychological well being of many people. As days become shorter and light becomes less intense, a persons desire to 'hibernate' is increased - a phenomenon most closely associated with the hibernation cycle of animals.
In humans this desire can manifest itself in a number of symptoms including; depression and feelings of gloom for no real reason, lack of energy, anxiety and the inability to cope, introversion, loss of libido, and rather primitively - cravings for carbohydrates and sweet foods (extra body fat stores to help survive the hibernation!)
Apart from this 'disorder' many people feel ‘down’ during the darker, colder months of the year, with flow-on effects to their personal and working life. Our proposal is specifically targeted at injecting light into peoples lives, to raise levels of happiness and overall well-being - with obvious benefits that come from that. Phototherapy is an effective way to treat the disorder and by extrapolation, we believe reduce general feelings of depression or sadness to even more 'normal' uneffected members of the community.
The project plans to employ various lighting technologies installed throughout to provide a range of environments, from mild general effect lights to medically supervised light therapy treatments.
Theoretical questions:
A project such as this of course creates many questions, as well as providing various answers. In particular, we are interested in;
- Do public spaces function better than originally intended when/or due to an object/event such as this is installed? Why is this, how does it manifest and what elements are key to making that situation arise?
- Can the provision of such artificial spaces, and the various components (furniture, zones, technology) increase social interaction between a community?
- Do installations such as this trigger a greater number of community/grass-roots level projects or activities than one would normally expect?
Program:
360 degree ring broken down into 5 segments (pie pieces)
Overall outer diameter - 72metres
Overall inner diameter - 44metres
Width of internal space - 14metres
Height - approx 8m
The internal spaces will be light & warm. It is proposed that the segments will be broken into following themes:
1. FREE Beach zone. Amenities, cloak rooms, beach sports - i.e. volleyball. Beach huts, palm trees, sand dunes, Still & moving projections onto walls - beach scenes, morning to night sun tracking sunrise & sunset. Summer themed movies...
2. FREE Pool zone. - heated pools, spas, ponds, tubs. This zone would have a raised floor/deck of approx 1m
3. PAY Therapy zone. - Various light therapy treatments for mild to acute SAD sufferers, SE Asia island style massage, beachside bars, aromatherapy, spas, saunas
4. PAY Beach bar/club. - cocktails, music, projections
5. FREE Exercise zone - Gym equipment, aerobics classes, personal instructors
The external areas will be open to the environment. The center of the ring would contain:
- Snow maker and open snow play areas
- Hot tubs (Japanese outdoor thermal spa style)
- Public and private bars
- Projections onto inner face of structure’s skin - surfers riding waves, birds in flight, snowboarding, skiing, wind surfing, etc
Structure:
A repetitive structural skeleton with insulated high performance fabric stretched between, comprises the primary structural form. The fabric is to be double/triple skin and potentially 'inflated' with hot air. A raised floor will be built for all internal areas to allow different floor finishes and to also enable easier running of services. Gentle underfloor heating would be provided throughout.
Multiple access points through the structure will allow transversing the square, thereby maintaining the public use nature of Flagey, but with the intention of exciting and creating interest in passers-by.
Technology:
What would a giant light-filled wave be, without being able to surf? Free WiFi will be provided throughout to encourage people to come to the space and linger. A security blanket of sorts for those who might feel vulnerable alone in public.
Our aim is to also have an intranet which encourages chance meetings or connections with like-minded individuals or groups - a 10,000LUX social network - that will start with the event, but then continue well after. A parallel construct of the event is how the real and virtual, or imagined worlds co-exist - so this site-specific intranet will be broadcast to the world with comments and images from those present being viewed by a global audience.
Live webcam feeds from, for example, an Australian beach, a backyard BBQ, a beach holiday resort - would be projected onto the skin of the structure, forming virtual connections between people that would normally never know about each other. In this sense, the structure can also be seen as the entrance to a metaphorical 'worm hole' that might very well connect directly to the opposite side of the planet.
Sounds:
A key part of the immersive experience will be the inclusion of various soundscapes and music options. localised music in the form of live bands, DJs, and even headphone concerts will add a further layer to the event.
Food & drinks:
As part of enticing people of the space and for them to linger, it is important to have quality options for eating and drinking.
- To expand the Australian touch to the event, a showcase of quality food & beverage products from Australia would be incorporated
- Casual cafes and restaurants
- There would be BBQs & Grills
- Asian fusion food options
- Coconuts to transport people to far away places in their minds...
- and of course some special 'winter' ice creams
Activities:
The space will have numerous opportunities for willing and able people, as we also view this space as a type of winter park - allowing those living in cramped conditions to get out and enjoy public space, as they might do in summer.
- opportunity for Arts, Music, and cultural workshops will involve local groups, teachers and activists to orgainise and participate
- beach activities/sports - sandcastles, volleyball, beach cricket...
- The Flagey Market. We plan to incorporate it into the space so it becomes far more enjoyable in winter to go!
Opening times:
To maximise the potential benefits of the space to the local community, and to take advantage of the fact that light therapy when administered in the morning can have a greater beneficial effect, extended opening hours from 6am to 2am are proposed.
Development of the concept:
A specific requirement of any further development of the 10,000LUX concept, will be the cross-disciplinary team needed to design and bring the project to life. This proposal presents the basis of ideas that would inform the direction of such development in the knowledge that the project can only be enriched by such a collaborative effort.
Collaboration not only in the design of the structure, but also in the activities that will take place, the objects that would be created, the mini-environments that will be imagined, and the various interactions that will be facilitated.
Project team:
Shawn Cooper - Australian, based in Brussels
Shawn is a traditionally trained Industrial Designer, but an autodidact at heart. Born in 1971 near Sydney, Australia he grew up the son of a builder - giving him the main foundations of his creative careers in exhibition design, architecture and interior design, building, and graphic and media design. An entrepreneur, idea generator and pragmatist, Shawn thrives in the multi-disciplinary world, where many and varied influences and experiences can synthesize into outcomes often unexpected. Before arriving in Belgium in 2008, he lived in Tokyo, Japan for 6 years where we co-founded fusionbureau design studio.
Mathieu Maes - Belgian, based in Brussels
Mathieu is an artist, writer, design creative and business man. He was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1976. Adopted by a Flemish family, he grew up with his sister, a younger prodigy violinist, between France, Belgium and other European countries, finally settling in Brussels in 1995. He works successively in various fields of activity such as mens fashion, the European Commission and the designer furniture business. Maes is strongly committed in the struggle against racism and right-wing extremists. As an artist, his painting and writing works have become primarily private since 2005, with his paintings and drawings being held in collections around Europe, the United States and Africa. He also co-created the association, 'Macamada', for the promotion of young dramatic authors in Europe. He was vice-president of 'Repliq', the dramatic authors association of the SACD in Brussels, for one year.
Johan Rooms - Belgian, based in Tokyo
Johan investigates the grammar of visuals. Born in Belgium in 1970, and graduate of KU Leuven, he obtained a Master's Degree in Humanities with Distinction, specializing in linguistics, literature, art history and semiotics. Johan was manager of a Belgian art center for several years and was involved in theater, contemporary dance, music and exhibitions, all the while further refining photography skills. He then moved to Denmark and obtained a post-graduate in film & television studies, working in the Danish film industry and teaching multimedia courses at several colleges. He continues to explore new media, digital applications, autonomous systems, data visualization, interactive design, usability, database driven art, rich internet applications. He is interested in reading the city as a draft text, shaping crowd dynamics.
Wayne Kumamoto - Australian, based in Tokyo
Wayne is a graduate of RMIT University’s Interior Design degree program with first class honors. Born in Australia in 1969, he is currently based in Tokyo, and is a founding partner of fusionbureau design studio. He works as a creative producer & designer, and has an ongoing interest in the international collaborative design process as an essential key to producing successful outcomes, for corporate, government and institutional projects. He is actively involved in promoting international cultural awareness and encouraging international professional ethics as a key priority through the dynamic essence of design and its associated conversations. His work crosses the boundaries of the prescribed work a conventional designer is imagined to do. Augmenting the idea of space with the continuous presence of architecture, interior architecture, design education, design critique, installation art, art direction, advertising and multimedia.
