Transnational Tanteidan Forum 2006 in Singapore
In 2001, the Transnational Tanteidan Forum started in Tokyo, moved to Europe and the US, and, now in its fifth year, the forum was held in the tropical island-city of Singapore. Once again chapter members gathered for the yearly event to get reacquainted and share lighting experiences.

Façade Lighting
The theme this year was façade lighting. The façade, said to be the face of architecture, is sensitive to light at night. Illuminations can add to a building’s charm and highlight it’s features, but can also leave a damaging expression. Architecture, the face of a city, creates a nightscape unique to each city and area. How façade lighting affects the nightscape of a city was the topic of this year’s forum. 

The night started with our top presenter, Singapore member, Ms. Toh Yah Li. Yah Li introduced the different areas of Singapore, focusing on the CBD district and the skyscrapers along the waterfront. The reflection of this group of skyscrapers in the bay is distinctive of the Singapore nightscape, but the light permeating from the windows of high-rise public housing is also a classic view of Singapore. 

Next on the program were Hamburg lighting designers, Mr. Christof Fielstette and Ms. Ulrike Brandi. The pair presented on the illumination of the city hall and other historical buildings with classic stone facades, but as a city situated on the waterfront, the relationship between light and water was another point of discussion. 

Ms. Aleksandra Stratimirovic, formerly of Belgrade, Serbia, but now traveling between Stockholm and Belgrade, presented this year for the first time on her hometown. With many connections to architects and designers in the area, Ms. Stratimirovic, has started Lighting Detective activities in Belgrade. Her presentation included many images of a neat little town, with no hint that the country has been a battleground for many years. While there are areas of shadowy darkness, many of the main buildings are intensely illuminated in bright white light. Lighting Detective members are anxious to see how this city will be transform.

Ms. Katja Bülow presented Copenhagen, a city very protective of historical buildings and with strict laws governing facades and signage, a tactic to preserve the beauty of the city during long Scandinavian nights. 

Mr. Kaoru Mende, of the Tokyo Chapter, presented the Tokyo nightscape in three categories: commercial, residential, and offices. The intensely lit facades from various districts in Tokyo, Ginza, Omotesando, Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Asakusa, dwarfed the other cities in the sheer amount of light produced. 

After the individual presentations, Dr. Erwin Viray, assistant professor, Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, moderated the panel discussion. European participants were most surprised by the amount of direct sunlight in Singapore. In northern Europe, they are constantly faced with the challenge of how to incorporate more light into buildings, the opposite of Singapore, where they continually seek shelter from the intense sunrays. Again, geography plays a huge role in the lighting culture of each city.
 

It was another beautiful autumn day in New York City for the 4th Annual Transnational Tanteidan Forum. It all started 4 years again in 2001 with the first forum held in Tokyo. The network of Transnational Lighting Detectives has since grown throughout the world and once a year the core members gather to stage, what has become, the annual TN forum. Presently, the core members consist of 11 members from 6 different countries. This year’s forum was presented by the New York Chapter and held at the Manhattan AIA Center for Architecture. 

Main Street Lighting 
This focus this year was again on public space, with the main theme: Main Street Lighting, a continuation from last year’s theme of Daily Transportation Facilities. Main Streets are a feature of most cities and the purpose of these surveys was to see how each core member’s city was illuminated. 200 plus architects, lighting professionals, and others gathered and passionately listened to the following 6 presentations.

The first presentation from Jason Neches, New York Chapter, featured Manhattan’s 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Times Square. The valley-like form of these streets from being enclosed by tall skyscrapers is the most recognizable characteristic, but light from signage and window displays on the lower portion of the buildings creates most of the scenery along the streets. 

Aleksandra Stratimirovic, from the Stockholm Chapter, repeatedly used beautiful blue moment pictures in her presentation of Stockholm. The plazas at the beginning and end of this main street featured light sculptures, landmarks in this city of melancholy winters.

Copenhagen Chapter member, Lisbeth Skindbjerg Kristensen, presented survey results from the famous Stroeget District of Copenhagen. The main form of street lighting in this area is through an efficient system of suspending lights over the streets from wires attached to buildings called Catenary Lights.

Singapore Chapter member, Reiko Kasai, centered her presentation on the current redevelopment of downtown Singapore street, Orchard Road. Presently, the street is lined with a monotonous line of sodium based streetlights, but she and others are anticipating what kind of changes will be made as redevelopment continues. 

The Hamburg Chapter put a twist on the theme and featured the Elbe River and Lake Alster of this beautiful harbor town. There are of course main streets, but the busy Elbe River is more of a lifeline in everyday Hamburg. Light from buildings along the shore and docked boats present a unique view of a “main street.”

Leader of the Tokyo Chapter, Kaoru Mende, focused on Ginza Central Boulevard. Students from his Musashino Art University studio also participated in thoroughly surveying this main street. Survey results and research included the history of Central Boulevard, streetlight design survey, and a facade survey, but the highlight of the presentation was an 8-meter long scroll of 8 blocks along Central Boulevard. From this scroll the characteristics along the street, trendy new lighting methods, and light distribution were easily distinguishable.

The theme this year was “Daily Transportation Facilities”, meaning public transportation used everyday to get to and from school and work. The core members from six different countries reported on what kind public transportation was used in their area and the lighting environment of these facilities. 

Kaoru Mende presented details and pictures of how Tokyoites endure the grinding morning rush day in and day out. Pictures of squeezing more people into an already packed train got a good roar from the crowd. Also, scenes from around main stations, such as Tokyo and Shinjuku, lined with shops and billboards, relayed how stations in Japan are closely tied with commercialism. The white, unified atmosphere created by long 110W fluorescent lights covering many ceiling is definitely a characteristic of Japan. 

Recently, architects and designers have been commissioned to design new stations along the Minatomirai Line and other subway stations around Tokyo, adding innovative lighting elements such as indirect lighting or luminous walls. Other presentations included reports on the spacious main concourse of New York City’s Grand Central Station and the midnight sun backdrop of Stockholm’s Central Station. 

We realized that in Japan, stations are just a place to pass through on our way to somewhere, however other countries take pride in their public facilities. Because stations are a place that we pass through everyday they should be comfortable and inject a little spice into the atmosphere.