How did the Creative Light Design School come about?
Viktor Prokopenko, the head of the Chair of Optoelectronics organized the Master`s Program “optoelectronic systems of information display and light design” together with his colleagues. Then Vladislav Bugrov, the head of the Chair of Modern Functional Materials, offered to transform this program into the School, which is based on the new Chair of Lighting Technologies and Optoelectronics. Light Design is a new discipline in Russia because nowadays street lighting is a work of architects and lighting engineers. We suppose that it is wrong because a light designer has to be knowledgeable in different fields.
What's special about teaching Light Design?
Light Design requires interdisciplinary approach. That is why our teachers specialize in architecture, design, art and lighting engineering. We also collaborate closely with creative association "RULD". Our study program includes lectures on light culture, history of light development, interior and stage lighting.The concept of design is a combination of two things, the first one is application, the second one is aesthetic function. For example, luxurious chandelier with bad lighting is not a design.
What do your students research?
Among the graduation papers of our students there were following topics: the influence of light, sound and color on a human, children's playground lighting, colored lighting of a city and many others. Every year we organize “Light Design” conference where light designers, engineers, businessman and officials discuss up to date issues, which our students use as a topics of research.
What is more important for a light designer, to be an engineer or an artist?
Most of our first Masters were engineers. To be honest, it was difficult to make them designers because they underestimated aesthetic aspect of light designing. However they can invent new devices or update some imperfect mechanism. It is their advantage.Next year we will enroll architects. On the contrary, they are not engineers, so we will have to give them technical knowledge.
What do you think about the light culture of St. Petersburg? How can students of Creative Light Design School influence the lighting of our city?
In general the light standards are upheld. However architectural ensembles are lighted more than parks, gardens, streets and others pedestrian zones. I think that city lighting have to be human-oriented. Creative Light Design School are going to organize Outdoor light culture festival to present the experimental city lighting projects, which make different parts of our city more peculiar.
2015 is International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies. How will Creative Light Design School participate in it?
We started with participation in “ARCH Moscow” exhibition, in the framework of which we organized the workshop together with RULD and Moscow Architectural University. We are also going to organize Summer school for third- and forth-year students in August. Furthermore we will take part in Professional Lighting Design Convention (PLDC).
Ulyana Malysheva
News portal editorial office