LONDON, Nov. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Thoughtless, ill-considered lighting is everywhere...and it's ruining the interiors and exteriors of some great buildings. And now a new competition is set to name and shame those organisations with terrible illumination. The Bad Lighting Awards 2016, presented by Lux Review and PennWell Corporation,will cast a badly-aimed spotlight on retailers, restauranteurs and other high-street names who are getting it wrong - in the hope that they will improve.
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'We believe passionately that lighting really matters', says chairman of the judges Ray Molony. 'It's a big part of our experience on an evening out, for instance. It can make people look great - or terrible. It can enhance food and interiors. But so many organisations are getting it wrong. We hope that the Bad Lighting Awards will encourage people and organisations to look at their lighting afresh - and then change their ways.'
The Bad Lighting Awards was launched in 2015, when the overall winner was the London department store Harvey Nichols.
'The lighting of Harvey Nichols -both indoor and outdoor - is truly terrible. This landmark of London's West End deserves better than a hotch potch of different floodlights in different colours mounted randomly. Inside, things aren't much better,' says Molony.
'Ideally, exterior lighting should emphasise the architecture and pick out details which are not seen during the day. The whole should be harmonious and pleasing to the eye. In interiors, lighting should be glare-free, and not create shadows on people's faces. In retail, the merchandise should be the hero.'
The categories in the Bad Lighting Awards are facades, retail, restaurants, hotels, public buildings and street lighting. The judging panel consists of a hand-picked team of lighting designers and architects and winners will receive the distinctive 'cracked light bulb' trophy.
'We hope the winners will turn up to collect their trophies,' says Molony, 'as our panel of experts will suggest ways in which the offending projects can be improved.'
The competition is organised by the international lighting website Lux Review (www.luxreview.com) and the presentation ceremony will take place at the annual LuxLive lighting exhibition in London on 24 November.
The LuxLive 2016 exhibition is Europe's largest annual lighting event. It attracts over 7,500 visitors annually and features 200 exhibitors and 100 talks on lighting. It takes place at ExCeL London on 23 and 24 November 2016. Anyone can nominate an entry by emailing editor@luxreview.com
