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You Run Jin Xi | Landscape Lighting Design of China National Academy of Painting

◇ Huizhou Gatehouse — The Main Entrance of the Academy

Ode to Secluded Light

Too dim, and the mood fades; too bright, and the spirit grows restless.

Only between dimness and brightness lies the profound wonder of charm and verve.

Background Information

Located at No. 54, North West Third Ring Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China National Academy of Painting is a public welfare institution of Grade I directly under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is mainly responsible for artistic creation and research, undertaking thematic creation and major research projects.

The China National Academy of Painting has undergone three transformations. Its predecessor was the Chinese Painting Creation Group of the Ministry of Culture, founded in 1977. In 1981, with the approval of the State Council, the Chinese Painting Research Institute was established on the basis of the "Creation Group". In 2006, to meet the needs of the prosperity and development of China's art cause, with the approval of the Central Institutional Organization Commission, the Chinese Painting Research Institute was renamed as China National Academy of Painting.

—— Excerpted from the official website of China National Academy of Painting

The garden of the China National Academy of Painting is elegant and simple. During the day, the shadows of trees sway, full of vitality. According to development needs, when the weather is fine, academic gatherings will be held in the garden at night, which requires practical and artistic lighting. The previous lighting facilities were relatively basic with insufficient illuminance, so lighting upgrading is needed.

Light Research

What is the past, present and future of the garden? Who will use it, and how? "Light" will emerge from the answers to these two questions.

First, let's talk about the garden. The garden covers an area of 5 mu, with three gates: east, west and south. The main gate on the west side is a Huizhou-style gatehouse, flanked by pines and bamboos, solemn and elegant. The gatehouse is a fine work of the mid-Qing Dynasty, a five-bay, six-pillar, five-floor gatehouse, backed by five layers of horse-head walls. The wood carvings on the architraves are rich in content. Among them, the wood carvings on the architrave of the central bay, from top to bottom, are: Pair of Dragons Dancing (Heavenly Way), Guo Ziyi's Birthday Celebration (Filial Piety), Five Lions Playing with a Pearl (Family Prosperity), and Heroes Gathering (Serving the Country and Governing). On the central pillars of the central bay, there are two descending tigers each (warding off evil spirits for the house). On the architraves of the secondary bays and the end bays, there are scenes such as Three Heroes Fighting Lu Bu (Military Achievements), Qin, Chess, Calligraphy and Painting (Self-cultivation), and the Eight Immortals (Freedom). These images are the embodiment of an ideological system dominated by Confucianism, supplemented by Taoism, with profound ideas, orderly arrangement, auspicious implications and vivid images. It is unknown when exactly this gatehouse was moved to the Academy. When facing the gatehouse on site, one can still feel the atmosphere of ancient Huizhou. As the main gate of the Academy, the "light" for this gatehouse should be formal, grand, and appropriate.

◇ Ancient Huizhou Gatehouse

◇ Details of the Ancient Huizhou Gatehouse

Passing through the Guanhe Tower, you enter the garden. There is a winding water system in the garden, with rocks, plants and trees scattered along the bank, echoing with corridors, stepping stones and arch bridges, connecting various office areas, with many ancient architectural sketches distributed among them. The first thing that catches the eye is an ancient pavilion by the lake, which has turned dark red over time, looking solemn and elegant from a distance. Its style is different from the common pavilions in gardens. After in-depth understanding, we learned that this pavilion was originally the ceremonial gate of an ancient Huizhou courtyard, with exquisite style and craftsmanship. It has a hip-and-gable roof with upturned eaves, and a round caisson inside the pavilion. The wood carvings in the bracket layer are rich in content and exquisitely carved. In front of the ancient pavilion, there is a row of wooden railings on the ground. Originally, it should have two layers: the lower layer for pedestrians, and the upper layer for a stage. When it was moved here, only the upper stage remained and was placed here to be used as a pavilion. There is a couplet on the central pillar of the central bay: "Moved to a good place, we are fortunate to meet the auspicious divination; built by the field, we are blessed to align with the great origin of heaven". Judging from the content, it may be related to the relocation. For future gathering activities, the pavilion (stage) may continue its function, with opera performances, and the open space by the lake can be arranged with tea seats. The ancient pavilion should be illuminated with dramatic light to present its simple and smart beauty.

◇ Ancient Pavilion in the Garden

◇ Details of the Ancient Pavilion

In the northeast corner of the garden, there is the Ming Dynasty "Baita'an Pagoda". There was once a nunnery here during the Republic of China, hence the name. This pagoda is a brick-and-stone overturned-bowl style pagoda, with a total height of 25 meters. On the Sumeru pedestal, there are six layers of bluestone inverted lotus carvings. The four sides of the pagoda body all have Buddhist niches, with carved stone Buddha seats inside. The thirteen-ring wheel of law is built of ring-shaped stone materials. The pagoda top is built of bronze, with a two-ton bronze canopy and vase at the top, which is very exquisite. The pagoda is a Buddhist building; the garden is not a scenic spot; and because it is adjacent to residential buildings on the north side, it is easy to cause interference, so the light should be Zen-like and soft.

◇ Baita'an Pagoda (Ming Dynasty)

◇ Details of Baita'an Pagoda

On the south side of the arch bridge, there is a pair of Tang Dynasty stone sheep, lying guard at the bridge head. Light should be used to express their simple and serene charm. In the west lake, there is a stone statue — Magu Presenting Longevity Gifts, a fine work of the Qing Dynasty. The image is quiet and elegant, with fluttering ribbons, holding a longevity peach in the left hand and a ganoderma lucidum in the right hand, standing in the center of the lake. Natural and simple light should be used to express the charm of the immortal.

◇ Stone Sheep (Tang Dynasty)

◇ Magu Presenting Longevity Gifts (Qing Dynasty)

Garden paths should be mainly equipped with low-level lighting, which not only meets the functional requirements, but also avoids destroying the spatial composition. The plants are dense and diverse, as supporting roles, their light should echo with the buildings, lake and paths, and should not be emphasized alone.

Then, the users. We have considered the extreme cases, so the general needs must be met. Among the users, there are senior artists and elders in the art circle, so road lighting is the foundation, which must be absolutely safe. Potential safety hazards such as the height difference of the ground, low branches extending into the road area should be carefully illuminated. Aesthetic lighting is the core, which should fully present the simple and quiet beauty of the garden. However, as the background for night activities, the light of the garden should be dim rather than bright, because it needs to make room for the brightness of the dramatic light and the light for people to see each other's faces when communicating; at the same time, in the relaxed and pleasant gathering activities, it provides multi-level visual staying points for the artists and guests, and can actively mobilize people's imagination space.

Conclusion of Lighting Research: Safety as the foundation, aesthetics as the core, and brightness must be restrained.

Light Concept

You Run Jin Xi (Secluded Light Moistens the Night)

"Secluded" is more than the physical dimness. It is a state between brightness and dimness, uncertain and subtle. It gives people a good first impression at first, but to see clearly, one needs to observe actively, during which imagination and emotion participate in interpreting the object. Due to the subtle differences in knowledge system, experience and current psychological state, everyone will see different beauty. This is a wonderful experience generated by the specific light formula. In general, we hope that tonight, the subtle light can moisten people's hearts, but in a silent way.

Light Technology

Through comprehensive research and judgment on the night light environment, the state of the carriers and people's physical and mental activities, in terms of the quantity of light: for "viewing", the gatehouse <10cd/m², the whole garden <3cd/m²; for "usage", the whole <5lx, and the local safety reminder parts 10-25lx. In terms of color temperature: the low places close to people use warm light; the high places far from people use cold light. Specifically, roads are 2700K, buildings are 3000K, and tall trees are 4000K. Except for the low-level directional lighting for illuminating the ground, all the rest use projection lighting at different distances, which can make the light look more natural, create attractive shadows, and in addition, the equipment can be hidden during the day, and less equipment is used.

◇ Light Imagery