Landscape architects from the UPWr awarded for Botanical Garden illumination

Expansion with excessive lighting is an anachronism – say the landscape architects
The illumination of the Wrocław Botanical Garden is based on respect for the life cycle of flora and fauna
The award-winning project aims to show visitors the importance of shadows and darkness

LIT Design Awards is the most important design competition for the creation of lighting in public spaces, parks and gardens. The LIT design awards seek to reward creativity and innovation in lighting products and applications. Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz from the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Prof. Zygmunt Kącki - Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław - and Kinga Sadowska, a graduate student in Landscape Architecture at the UPWr, were awarded at LIT 2022 for their illumination project for the Botanical Garden, which is more than 200 years old.

Less is better

– Entries are judged in a range of categories from the lighting of indoor spaces, such as hotels, to the illumination of historic sites. The jury is composed of 48 best specialists, scientists, journalists and editors of lighting industry magazines. The competition application itself involves a very detailed presentation of both the idea of the illumination concept, its significance for the illuminated objects and for residents or tourists, and also a presentation of the project itself – says Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz, adding that she started work on the illumination of the Botanical Garden together with her students as a practical assignment. - But it is certainly a unique project, as the place itself is very special not only due to its flora and fauna, but also its historical surroundings. Apart from its significant historical importance, Ostrów Tumski, where the garden is located, is also one of the most illuminated places in Europe. This is undoubtedly partly due to the gas lighting in this part of the city, which is very rare and has survived in very few cities on this continent, even partially. So our work had to not only take into account the conditions imposed by the garden itself, but also take into account and blend in with the general feel - emphasises Dr. Zienowicz.

The aim of the illumination project for the Botanical Garden in Wrocław was simple - to share with the visitors the importance and beauty of darkness, i.e. to teach them respect for the night.

– We wanted to show that expansion with excessive lighting is an anachronism, hence the minimum amount of light, especially on the paths, which is where the visitors move around the park. The garden is an urban ecosystem, and the right amount and spectrum of light is a great opportunity to draw attention to this in line with sustainability goals – says Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz, adding that the illumination allows for appropriate education – an evening stroll through the Botanical Garden does not only raise awareness of nature and build sensitivity, but also show residents of the city the value of darkness. This is because the lighting has been adapted to the daily rhythm of flora and fauna and our human biological clock – the illumination, which can be viewed until mid-February, aims to support the development of biodiversity conservation practices in urban areas, but also to emphasise the importance of the day-night cycle and the changes that come with it.

Illumination and life

The Winter/Autumn Illumination of the Botanic Garden took place for the first time in autumn 2019 as part of the Difficult Landscapes conference, with the intention to encourage a discussion on the issue of protecting landscapes and the environment from light pollution. The first edition lasted only three days, but the following ones in 2020 and 2021 lasted from four to eight weeks and took place during the winter period: December-January. The current winter illumination of the Botanical Garden will last until mid-February 2023. To celebrate the Christmas season the garden has many festive elements, prepared by the Botanical Garden's staff, and colourful lighting in line with the idea of "Light for Children", "A Garden for Children", but in the area of the Oder River oxbow lake the design concept is visible in full. And what's important – it turns on around 4pm, and it is switched off at 9pm. It will also be turned on occasionally in spring and summer.

– Our installation is one of the first attempts in Poland to develop a model approach to the illumination of green spaces with respect for the life cycle of flora and fauna in urban areas. We introduced new standards for lighting solutions that allow for shadows and show the appropriate balance between light and darkness. For us light is a medium, and without interfering with the structure of the area it offers the possibility to transform fragments of the landscape into spatial arrangements that only when illuminated show their uniqueness and distinct nature - emphasises Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz, adding that the illumination is also an example of how urban gardens and parks can remind us of the night-time dimension of a city.

Shadows matter

In 2021 a total of 350 RGBW LED light fittings were used for the illumination, as well as 50 custom-made signal fittings. They consumed a total of 15 kW of energy in one day, which translates into an operational cost for the entire installation of around 3 EUR per hour.

– We wanted to bring a sequence of views out of the perspective of total darkness in an artistic manner. The design is created by nature itself, which has been conceptually captured in the corridors and rooms of the landscapes. Some of them have been visually linked to the panorama of the surrounding Ostrow monuments, which enhances the perspective of the design but also builds structural links between the plans and the illuminated elements. The illumination of the Botanical Garden is an example of creating emotional ties between humans, the city and nature. For us, it is also an example of how the 'monumental' display of heritage sites in every city can be confronted with illumination, emphasising the concept of 'closeness' to nature, which does not create such distances as majestic structures – says Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz.

For the evening illumination of the Botanical Garden, trees that are least sensitive to light were selected, i.e. so-called long-day trees such as oak, beech, magnolia, pine and spruce. Light sources emitting wavelengths with the greatest potential impact on plant development processes were excluded. The illumination was based on the cross-sectional profile of the Botanical Garden, where the range of light wavelengths least interfering with intra- and interspecific interactions was assigned to individual organisms. The illumination takes place during the time when the world of flora and fauna is barren and humans are in most need of artificial light in order to eliminate seasonal depression known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In 2021 the landscape effects and their impact on visitors were assessed - students from Wrocław universities participated in the study, creating maps of impressions rated by a scale of intensity of feelings and sensations, and a questionnaire targetting visitors to the Botanic Garden was also prepared. All respondents indicated a sense of pleasure and safety while walking there, but at the same time the research showed that more than 55% of respondents had not come across the issue of 'light pollution'. We are currently planning further research, and even experiments, in agreement and in cooperation with Prof. Zygmunt Kącki, Director of the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław. The management of the research team includes Prof. Aleksandra Lis from the Department of Landscape Architecture – specialising in relations between humans and the park and garden. 

– The planning and modernisation of urban lighting infrastructure, in addition to its high quality, today also requires consideration of the impact of artificial light on plants, animals and humans. Overlooking this knowledge at the stage of the green transformation of cities is a recipe for failure of any illumination project. A lack of knowledge regarding the issue of light pollution, especially among respondents over the age of 40, indicates that landscape architects need to act as shadow missionaries. More than 90 percent of Europe's population lives under a light-polluted sky – says Dr. Magdalena Zienowicz, adding that being awarded in the Lighting Design Awards 2022 is not only prestigious, but above all shows appreciation for the direction that landscape architects working with such a difficult medium as light are taking in order to show people the importance of darkness and shadow through light.

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