The Role of Architect in Dealing with Public Lighting
Abstract: The light is an integral part of live public spaces over time without daylight. The light forms and shapes public space; it helps create a certain atmosphere and is the primary means of the perception of settlements in the evening and at night hours. Until recently, public lighting was only a matter of technical infrastructure created by technical engineers, electrical engineers or the cities themselves through the department of technical services. As opposed to them, architects and urban planners focus on the settlement as a whole in relation to a wider landscape, perceive its function, operation, as well as architectural, urban, and social values which must be respected. Almost every city or municipality today plans the investment in public lighting. Due to the fact that it costs a large amount of money and the management of cities often find themselves in a decision-making paralysis affected by a large number of solutions on the market and deceptive marketing of individual producers; more and more Czech cities and municipalities want to tackle systematically the issue of public lighting with experts, i.e. with the architects and urban planners. They are able to lay down the fundamental principles and rules of the reconstruction of outdoor lighting. This creates a new conceptual material for outdoor lighting solution which includes not only the technical solution, but also the visual and aesthetic view. The article presents an outline concept of public lighting in the Czech environment following the example of materials from abroad - i.e. lighting masterplan and the role of architects in the planning of public lighting.
