Leni Schwendinger

Evergreen Webinars: 

Signify Academy, Watch this webinar to innovate an overarching framework for global application of light with urban design. Facets of Night: A Time-based Place

Americans for the Arts, Enlivening Public Space at Night, an International Overview of Light/Art/Festivals From night owls to evening hour commuters, the nighttime plays host to opportunities for engaging the public, but how does programming for the night differ from the daytime? The subject covers public art and programming. Hear from Leni Schwendinger, an artist and expert in nighttime design. Learn about the range of celebrations – from children’s lantern parades to sophisticated fine art installations.

Upcoming Lectures, Events and Think-tanks:

November 2019 – Sydney and Hunter Region, Australia “Get the Night Right”: Placemaking masterclasses with Ethan Kent of PlacemakingX. Listen to Nighttime Economy Radio Interview with ABC Australia and here, on camera Get the Night Right with Urban Lighting

October 2019 – London, UK SALUS Healthy City Design 2019 –Video and presentation download here: International Nighttime Design Impact on Public Health

Recent Events and Talks:

June 27, 2019 – New York, NY, Project for Public Spaces Placemaking Series: Luminous Legibility – Lighting and Nighttime Design Urbanism: A Primer for City Design Advocates (updated) A discussion about the trends and innovative methodologies that are rocking the world of public lighting design. Lighting of our streets and sidewalks and public spaces is essential for a thriving 24/7 world.

May 22, 2019 – Philadelphia, PA, Nighttime Design – New Approaches for Cities to Thrive, Lightfair International (1.5  hour workshop) Nighttime design is a response to the challenges of 24hr globalization focused on creative, locally-based solutions. Networks and technologies are rapidly emerging and adopted. Public space lighting for the dark hours are being revisited. This seminar presents an interdisciplinary urban design practice led by lighting.

January 12, 2019 – Washington D.C., NUMO (New Urban Mobility) Street Design workshop: exploration to develop new street designs to accommodate and encourage new forms of mobility, including micro-mobility.

December 12, 2018 – Night Shift, NYC, by Urban Design Forum Schwendinger presents Nighttime Design, an interdisciplinary approach to placemaking after dark. With New York City’s nightlife economy generating $10 billion annually, the new NYC Office of Nightlife is exploring creative ways to support nightlife business owners, residents, patrons and the 300,000 night shift workers. As the nightlife economy continues to grow, New York City will face new challenges to balance all types of urban life at night.

I want to thank you again for a fantastic presentation last night and for sharing your new research. As I had mentioned last night, it really felt like a shift in the topic with more ears listening and people interested in engaging with the night. Thank you for proposing this great conversation and your support through the entire process.

November 22, 2018  – Nocturnal Cities in Bogota Colombia. this regional Latin American Conference will explore the relationship between city planning, strategy, development and the night time economy with the top minds from municipalities, regions, academics, consultancies and the music and creative industries.

October 29, 2018 – Archtober: NightSeeing in Times Square. Walk with urban lighting and nighttime designer Leni Schwendinger to re-frame NYC’s spatial spectacle at the Crossroads of the World. This interactive journey through Times Square will include little known historic developments in lighting, advertising and technology. Together we will observe the provocative  human behavior engendered by tiny, handheld screens surrounded by Times Square’s famed enveloping screens. Leni invites you to search for dark canyons, past, present and future during this nocturnal, sociable experience.

October 18, 2018  – Walk 21, Bogota Join Schwendinger and city technologists to discuss walking the city at night.

September 28, 2018 – NYC NightCamp .This workshop session brought together 80 engaged stakeholders from the city’s nightlife community. The results of the workshop were aggregated into a white paper. Schwendinger attended as an influencer to engage attendees to consider holistic applications of placemaking after dark.

September 13, 2018 –  IES-SF, Luminous Legibility, Lighting and Nighttime Design Urbanism Schwendinger presents a talk about the trends and innovative methodologies that are rocking the world of public lighting design. This talk will broaden your outlook on what’s necessary to create better, inclusive, resilient, after-dark city spaces. Leni is one of the few people in the world combining urban design and lighting.

May 17, 2018 –  El-Space Forum Design Trust Fellows, NYC DOT staff, and collaborator Industry City will preview the El-Space pilot installation in Sunset Park featuring a brighter and safer ‘el-space’ with new systems for green infrastructure, better lighting, and improved pedestrian experience and parking, underneath elevated highways, rail lines, and bridges.

May 16, 2018 – NightSeeing™: International Day of Light in London; Celebrate the formation of International Nighttime Design Initiative and announcement of Leni Schwendinger, London School of Economics Visiting Research Fellow.

November 16, 2017 – The nocturnal city: wild lights and shadows, or contemplation,  Lightspace.London.  Take an imaginary walk with Leni to explore the interplay of poetry and light that inspires the city’s many shades of night.

October 13, 2017 – Portland State of Mind Luminous Legibility The School of Architecture at Portland State University is proud to present a Fridays@4 talk with Distinguished Visiting Professor, Leni Schwendinger

October 9-14, 2017: Distinguished Visiting Professor Program at Portland State University, School of Architecture residency includes engagement with Prof. Jeffrey Schnabel’s Arch 580 Studio’s students, PSU faculty as well as a public lecture on Nighttime Design on October 13.

August 16, 2017: NYC Department of Design and Construction “DDC TALKS” “Luminous Legibility – Lighting and Nighttime Design Urbanism: A primer for city design advocates”. Join lighting urbanist, Leni Schwendinger, for a talk, and discussion, about the trends and innovative methodologies that are rocking the world of public lighting design.

June 21/22/23, 2017: reSITE In/visible City, Conference Biography to lead a NightSeeing™ LightWalk in Prague, Czech Republic

May 18, 2017: Women in Transportation National Conference Panel: Growing Stronger: a Sustainable and Resilient Transportation System session, New York City

September 29, 2016: AIA New York State Transforming El-Space Across New York State, Saratoga Springs, New York

September 26, 2016: Designing Cities 2016, Illuminating Thoughts on Nighttime Design and an exclusive NightSeeing™ LightWalk, Seattle, Washington

June 2016:  Media Architecture Biennale.  Sydney, Australia

September 29, 2015:  NightSeeing™ – Agile Nighttime Envisioning in Bogota Centro – A bespoke three-hour program which includes a LightWalk and workshop to identify lighting strategy objectives. Partners included local universities, Bogota Chamber of Commerce, Bogota Architectural Preservation Institute, and the Tourist Board, among others.

May 7, 2015: LIGHTFAIR International 2015 – “A Roadmap for Illumination, Place Making and Community Building” Illuminating Engineering Society & International Association of Lighting Designers, Javits Center, New York City

May 5, 2015: Future Cities, Future Light! Lighting Magazine Launch, Standard High Line, New York www.lighting.co.uk

April 29, 30, May 1: Individual NightSeeing™ programs, including workshops, for the cities of Woollahra, Pittwater and Liverpool produced by Future Cities Collaborative and US Studies Centre. Sydney, Australia

April 28, 2015: Sydney Ideas – “Night-time Design: envisioning luminous cities”  co-presented by Future Cities Collaborative and US Studies Centre. Sydney, Australia

November 21, 2014: ASLA Annual Meeting – “Paying Attention to Nighttime: Planning and Design for the After-Dark City” American Society of Landscape Architects, Colorado Convention Center, Denver

September 18, 2014: Sixth Annual What’s New/What’s Next Conference – “Luminous Rooms in the City’” New York Design Center, New York City

September 4, 2014: Artichoke Lumière Light Festival – NightSeeing™ Program, Westminster London

September 2. 2014: Private Arup Event – NightSeeing™ Program, Westminster, London

August 27, 2014: Annual International Conference – Lighting Conflicts “Who Owns the Light” Royal Geographical Society, Imperial College, London

August 1, 2014: Imaginemos la Luz “Night Time Design, A City Practice”  Bogota Chamber of Commerce CCB Auditorium, Bogota, Columbia

October 7, 2013: Panel -“Quarter Million People by Day. Deserted by Night: Creative Approaches to Enlivening Nightlife” International Downtown Association The Jamaica Performing Arts Center, New York City

July 26,27, 2013: 82nd Street Partnership – NightSeeing Program, Jackson Heights and Corona districts, New York City

May 23, 2013: Theatrum Mundi/Global Streets – NightSeeing Program, Akademie der Kunste, Berlin

May 2, 2013: Acuity Hydrel Seminar – “Luminous Landscapes;  an Artist’s Approach to Design”, New York City

April 23, 2013: Private tour with Chinese Lighting Designers – Triple Bridge Gateway, New York City

April 15, 2013: Cleveland Think Tank – Enhancing the Visitor Experience, LAND Studio, Cleveland

January 10, 2013:  South London Cultural Plan: A Lighting Strategy, Test Bed/London

October 26, 2012: WalkShop at Dutch Kills Plaza: Experience the transformation of Queens Plaza and environs, panelist.

October 12, 2012: Archtober, “NightSeeing™  Tour of the Center for Architecture by Leni Schwendinger”

October 4, 2012:  City Modern, a Celebration of New York Design, by Dwell and New York Magazines: Leading Lights Panel Discussion, panelist.

July 6, 2012: Philips Argentina, Lighting Experience, Buenos Aires: “Brilliant, Passionate Cities: The New Sustainable Night”

April 18, 2012: Luminale 2012 / Light + Build , Frankfurt: “NightSeeing Frankfurt: Navigate your Luminous City”

February 29, 2012: The Importance of Taking Risks, Live DesignCast, An Artist’s Approach to Experimental Design, Online by Print Magazine

Playing now: Architectural Digest video: Designers Take Flight

October 26, 2011: 9th Annual Women’s Business Leadership Conference , New York City: “Marketing your Creative Business”

October 4-6, 2011: Print Magazine’s Color Conference, New York City:  “Immersive Color; Shades of Light”

September 22-24, 2011: IALD Enlighten Americas Celebration of Urban Light, New Orleans: “Community Involvement-an Essential Factor for Innovative Public Lighting Success”

May 19, 2011: LightFair International, Philadelphia, PA; Creative Lighting for Public Spaces and Infrastructure

April 12, 2011: Philips Euroluce Press event, “See what light can do”, expert panel, Milan, Italy

March 23, 2011: “Creative Lighting for Public Space and Infrastructure” with special street-corner preview LightWalk at Madison Square, NY ASLA, USA

April 9, 2011: Illuminated City Symposium, Portland State University, USA; Keynote speaker

January 12, 2011: Enlighten Europe, The ARC Show, London,  NightSeeing™ – “Luminous Legibility” and LightWalk

January 11, 2011: American Institute of Architects (AIA)-UK Chapter, London; “Creative Lighting for Public Space”

December 18, 2010: Port Pavilion at Broadway Pier/Tidal Radiance Dedication, San Diego, California

December 9, 2010: Philips Lighting Livable Cities Press Event, Fete des Lumieres; Lyon, France

December 1- June 1 2010: ARC show virtual event videos:Part One and Part Two

September 11. 2010: American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting, Washington DC: “Luminous Landscapes; an Artist’s Approach to Design”,  Moderator: Sustainable Design Products (a vendor panel), LightWalk

July 8, 2010: Press Announcement, New York City Department of Transportation — Selection of Team to Lead Permanent Redesign of Times Square Area — Architects Newspaper: Leni Loves the Lights on the Great White Way

July 5, 2010: Philips Design Inspirational Lecture Series, Eindhoven, Netherlands

June 2-6, 2010: World Science Festival, New York City: Astronomy’s New Messengers: Exhibition and Interactive Artwork

June 3, 2010: World Science Festival and CUNY Science and Arts Series, NYC: Panel on Astronomy’s New Messengers: How we blend science and art.

May 14, 2010: Grow Smart Rhode Island’s Power of Place Summit,”Design Innovation as an Economic Driver” a panel, Providence, RI

March 1, 2010:  ASU Lyceum Theatre at Arizona State University, Tempe: “Creativity and Innovation across Design and the Arts”  Information here

January 28, 2010: Hydrel Seminar, Acuity Center for Light and Space, New York City: “Luminous Landscapes;  an Artist’s Approach to Design”

January 12, 2010: Winter Light Walk, Bryant Park, New York City (link to review in e-Oculus)

November 19, 2009: Build Boston, Boston;  “Business Manager: To Hire, Fire or Inspire?” [Panel]

November 14, 2009:  Office of Cultural Affairs, Dallas  “The Making of SpectraScape, a Visual Presentation by Leni Schwendinger” Link to RSVP hereNovember 12, 2009 SEGD,  “Integation of Digital Elements and Lighting in the Dynamic Design Process”

November 5, 2009: Danish Lighting Center The Lighting Day, Copenhagen, “The Royal Danish Library” (Den sorte Diamant) Søren Kirekegaards Plads 1, 1221 Købenahvn K.; “Reclaiming the Dark Side of Town, an Underpass becomes a Gateway”

October 22 2009  Hydrel Seminar, Acuity Center for Light and Space, New York City;  “Luminous Landscapes; an Artist’s Approach to Design”

October 14-15 2009:  CiHAC, Mexico City; City Beautification/SUSTAINABLE LIGHTING DESIGN FORUM

June 11, 2009: Guangzhou Int’l Lighting Technology Symposium, China; “Color and Light: Humanizing the Urban Nighttime Environment”

June 4, 2009: Architectural League, New York City; New York Designs, Triple Bridge Gateway

April 24, 2009: Acuity Hydrel Seminar, New York City: “Luminous Landscapes;  an Artist’s Approach to Design”

April 7-8, 2009: Color Science workshop, Washington D.C.

January 27, 2009; Glasgow School of Art — an impromptu talk: Thanks to Joanna Crotch and Ian Alexander, architects, a lecture was arranged for me at the Glasgow School of Art Architectural Programme – the most important (international) architect’s training in Scotland and comparable to London’s Bartlett.

It was a large audience of eager, intrigued students some of which are working on lighting and public art for their term projects. They asked if people’s “behavior” had changed with the Triple Bridge – and I had to say that we have not done a survey to see if people are using the bus terminal’s “back door” more often or more happily, or if there is less crime.  Regretfully, our projects rarely have an after-installation survey budget.    I have heard several people on the street talking about the reflector “mirrors” and looking up and pointing and snapping pictures…