February 17, 2011

A Christchurch-based international lighting designer will visit Europe this month and return with a blueprint on how to beautify Christchurch City with lighting in the earthquake’s aftermath.

Kevin Cawley will visit Dusseldorf, Amsterdam and Eindhoven in search of the latest cutting edge technology and see how those cities have married it to create the breathtaking ambience they are known for.

Mr Cawley says there has been a major disconnect between Christchurch’s buildings and the city’s lighting for many years.

“For example, the Cathedral is a beautiful building completed in the early 1900’s, but the lighting poles and fittings around it in the square look like something from Star Wars and the lighting doesn’t fit with the warmth or the period of the building,” he says.

“With so many of our building damaged or destroyed, now is the time to make Christchurch beautiful again. It’s about respecting the visions architects and owners had for the buildings when they were constructed and not changing that vision.”
Mr Cawley says Brussels and other cities have their building and lighting beautifully knitted together and that’s why they are so beautiful at night.

“Christchurch is meant to be like an old English city, but it doesn’t look like that at night at the moment. But it could,” Mr Cawley says.

“I’m passionate about Christchurch and look forward to sharing my blueprint with the City Council when I return.”

Kevin Cawley has won major lighting design awards throughout the globe. His design of the Christchurch Airport Control Tower is the latest of many.

ENDS

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