Caution urged over use of colored lighting on high-rise façades in Guangzhou

　　Reporters learned yesterday from the Guangzhou Municipal Planning Bureau that the "Notice on Planning Management Requirements for Strengthening Night Lighting of Buildings in Key Urban Areas (Draft for Comments)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice") was recently released. According to the Notice, night lighting should be designed with control systems following three control modes: major festivals, general holidays, and regular periods. Floodlighting on the façades of high-rise buildings should be primarily white or warm-colored light, with colored light to be used with caution. At the same time, it should fully reflect regional characteristics and local culture, and possess notable identifiability.

Guangzhou CITIC Plaza is the world's tallest pure-concrete-structure office building

　　Light pollution should be avoided

　　The Notice stipulates that nightscape lighting should be designed simultaneously with the main project, and the architectural design plan should be submitted for review together with the application for the construction project planning permit. It must be implemented, undergo completion acceptance inspection, and be put into use simultaneously with the main project construction.

　　Previously, neon lights had affected residents' lives and traffic, leading to public complaints. In response, the Notice requires that nightscape lighting should fully consider human physiological and psychological needs, avoid and reduce light pollution as well as obstruction to cityscape, traffic, and fire safety, and should be coordinated with the surrounding environment. According to the Notice, nightscape lighting design should follow the principles of scientific arrangement, harmonious aesthetics, and energy conservation and environmental protection.

　　Since lighting requirements differ between ordinary days and holidays, the Notice stipulates that the control system of nightscape lighting should be designed with three control modes: major festival days, general holidays, and ordinary days. The adoption of new technologies, new materials, new light sources, and new processes is encouraged, and green lighting is advocated.

　　Should reflect local culture and characteristics

　　It is understood that the scope of application of the Notice covers areas with multiple landmark buildings and historic buildings, such as the front and back waterways of the Pearl River, the new city central axis, and Baietan. Therefore, the Notice stipulates that nightscape lighting design should fully reflect regional characteristics, local culture, and possess notable identifiability. For nightscape lighting design of historic cultural relic buildings, attention should be paid to highlighting the exquisite detailed structures of historic buildings, and opinions from the cultural authorities should be solicited.

　　The "Notice" also stipulates that night landscape lighting design should take into account the daytime architectural landscape, and its external bracket structures shall not affect the daytime landscape effect of buildings (structures). The intensity, color, and shape of night landscape lighting shall not be similar to regulated or special-purpose lighting. Facade floodlighting of high-rise buildings should mainly use white light or warm-colored light, with cautious use of colored light. Buildings primarily featuring glass curtain walls are recommended to adopt internal transmission lighting methods.