Coming to Light: Principles for Successful Lighting Design of Footbridges

Lighting design in footbridges is a relatively new discipline that is highly dependent on technological developments in the lighting industry. With the widespread adoption of the light-emitting diode (LED) and the almost infinite range of lighting solutions based on it, lighting requirements for footbridges now go far beyond the inherent desire to provide sufficient light for crossing safely. This paper explores the principles that distinguish a “good” lighting solution: which criteria can be used to evaluate lighting design? It examines the question of which individual aspects need to be evaluated and designed in order to achieve a good lighting solution. The paper illustrates and discusses the design process in an explanatory manner, based on selected works from the practice at schlaich bergermann partner.