Croatian Roundabout Project Wins at Lighting Design Awards in Chicago

Pula roundabout project wins (Photo: Danijel Bartolic)

An impressive lighting design at the biggest roundabout in Croatia has been awarded at the 35th International Lighting Design Awards in Chicago.

The impressive lighting installation at the roundabout in Pula, designed by Dean Skira, picked up a Special Citation for Collaborating on an Iconic Civic Landmark at the 35th Annual International Association of Lighting Designers (ILAD) International Lighting Design Awards at Chicago’s Revel Fulton Market.

The Pula roundabout covers 15,000 square meters and actually serves as an efficient rainwater drainage system to resolve the community’s flooding problem. The outer ring constructed by architects is based on an elegant, circular construction of 340 white poles that release water vapor from the drainage system.

Pula roundabout project wins (Photo: Danijel Bartolic)

The lighting design colors this vapor with light beams of many nuances and intensities, creating a spectacular sight. During the daytime, the white circular structure adds harmony to the chaos of the traffic pattern; at night, the vibrant and unique lighting image welcomes tourists to town.

(Photo: Danijel Bartolic)

A control system allows a variation in lighting scenes and is connected with the meteorological station. This allows the lighting and fog effects to be adjusted with real-time wind strength and the time of the day.

(Photo: Danijel Bosnjak)

“This lighting and sculpture installation radically transforms a utilitarian space into a dynamic landmark,” said one judge. “Celebrating function is a feature of the work.”

Dino Krizmanic and Leonid Zuban were also credited with Skira for working on the project.

(Photo: Danijel Bartolic)

77 projects from 11 countries were on display at the awards, including interiors, workspaces, museums, historical sites and places of worship.

The IALD Lighting Design Awards program, established in 1983, honors lighting projects that display high aesthetic achievement backed by technical expertise. A panel of award-winning lighting designers, architects and interior designers review the projects in a three-day, anonymous review process.