Belgium / Columbia - Creative lighting design practice Painting With Light collected third prize in the 2012 City.People.Light Award for its creative lighting of the C-MINE development in their home town.
The Award was collected by Painting With Light's principal light designer Luc Peumans and Luc Dullers, deputy Mayor of the City of Genk in Medellin, Colombia.
The competition, hosted by Philips and the Urban Community International Association (LUCI) and now is its tenth year, attracted world class entries from around the globe.
The Awards recognise the efforts of cities and communities to transform and develop their environments with the creative application of lighting and visual elements. Awards are given to the cities that best integrate an appreciation of contemporary urban living needs with notions of the 'city', 'people' and 'light'.
C-MINE was a massive undertaking for Painting With Light, involving meticulous thought, imagination and over 800 lightsources - many customised specifically for the project.
Peumans was able to combine his experiences in the different but symbiotic worlds of entertainment and architectural sectors to produce a magical result
The former Winterslag coal mine, a huge landmark with an epic place in the region's industrial heritage, has been tastefully redeveloped to offer locals and visitors an historical overview and numerous activities for the present.
Looking to the future, it combines a visitor attraction and public event spaces with a new industrial park attracting a host of new creative companies and industries. Its facilities including a multiscreen cinema, two theatres and a large square for live entertainments and special events plus several indoor event spaces.
At the heart of C-MINE are two massive and magnificent mine lift shaft towers which stand proudly as a reminder of the past and the community and commerce that it brought to the city.
The lighting brief for C-MINE was demanding! Peumans' concept had to look amazing; integrate old and new architecture and buildings seamlessly into effectively a new space; be energy efficient and also satisfy the demands of no less than four architectural practices ... all working on different aspects of the overall project!
