Light painting technique

Have you ever thought about the technique of light painting? Is it possible? And how do they do that? To find out, don’t miss the opportunity to attend the “Light Line” workshop with engineer Ruairi O’Brien, a workshop that combines Arabic calligraphy and light painting. Ruairi O’Brien is an architect, lighting designer, artist and teacher. He is an associate professor and head of the Department of Architecture and Visual Design at the German University in Cairo and founder and director of the Eric Castner Museum in Dresden, Germany. He has exhibited his artwork, lighting projects and architectural works internationally in several cities including Cairo, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Dresden and Washington.

SWISS CLUB – ACTIVE FAIRY TALE GARDEN CHOICE COURSE/STUDENT COMPETITION

In collaboration between the GUC Cairo and the Swiss Club Cairo and on behalf of the SCC board, an award ceremony for 11 final projects of the GUC students took place on January 31, 2024. The redesign of the green oasis now creates an active open-air zone in the club’s unique historic city garden, accompanying an attractive, modern approach to cross-generational activities, interesting outdoor experiences and an adaptable space for various occasions.

Architect Chairperson H.E. : Prof. Ruairi O’Brien

09.01.2024

Potsdam On the Road in the Light 2024

Press conference at the Kunsthaus

THE MINSK

10th anniversary of the winter cultural event with a focus on light in Potsdam

On Tuesday we were able to present our lighting composition for this year’s Unterwegs im Licht event at the press conference in the state capital Potsdam. Numerous journalists accepted the city’s invitation. On January 20th, 17 facilities will be able to experience a new custom Soundless Music lighting composition by Ruairí O’Brien from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For the 10th anniversary, a colorful journey through the optical light color spectrum will be experienced. Combining art and science, Ruairí O’Brien has created a composition that also tells of the additive color mixing of light colors and the fascination for the multicolored possibilities that can be created from the three colors red, green and blue. You can also read about this here:

15.12. 2023

The House of Sustainability

Tharandt Saxony (2014)

The town of Tharandt has the oldest academy of forestry in Germany, founded as the Royal Saxon Academy of Forestry by Heinrich Cotta in 1811 together with its arboretum, the Forstbotanischer Garten Tharandt. Today the Academy educates students from all over the world in (tropical) forestry, resource management and sustainable land use.

The design for a „House of Sustainability„ is part of a larger architectural feasibility study we undertook for the forest town of Tharandt.
Our work included conceiving and organizing a series of citizen participation meetings and surveys as to how the town could develop its potential as an important international tourist attraction and simultaneously increase the attractiveness for the locals.

One of the main focuses of our work was to suggest an appropriate use for the prominent site of the destroyed „German House„ (the towns former cultural hall and cinema).
This site is situated on the main approach road from Dresden and can be seen as being an important „Welcome Sign“ and expression of the „Spirit and Identity“ of the famous „Forest Town“ for visitors and citizens.

The „House of Sustainability“ concept was to provide a forum space and „Info Center“ for local participation in climate change topics and an exhibition about „sustainability and holistic thinking“. The construction was in timber and could be used as a winter garden by citizens on a daily basis.

After my recent participation in the COP28 in Dubai I think that we need to establish a series of „Sustainability Info Centers“ in all cities and towns to communicate the importance of people participation in climate change issues and to educate / inform in a dialog school kids and youth.

Article about Microarchitecture published

In the newly published Kästner Handbuch there is also an article about Microarchitecture

This week, on October 4, 2023, the Kästner Handbook was published under the direction of the Erich Kästner Haus. In it, Ruairí O’Brien also contributed by writing an article on Microarchitecture for the Handbook.

If you are interested, you can find the book via the following LINK. The article offers insights into the world of Microarchitecture.

29.09.2023

House of Egyptian Architecture invites

House of Egyptian Architecture Honors The Creativity of Students and Community in Darb Al-Labanah

In a collaboration between Al Qalam Foundation, the local community of Darb Al-Labanah and the House of Egyptian Architecture, an exhibition will celebrate the creative energy and dedication of students and the beauty of Darb Al Labana’s “Artist Zone”.

On Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 5:00 p.m., the House of Egyptian Architecture will open its doors to the public to showcase the work of students from Professor Ruairi O’Brien’s undergraduate studio of “Milky Way.”

21.09.2023

Preparation for artistic light concept

Soundless Music light composition by Ruairí O’Brien for on the Way in Light 2024

After a successful meeting for “Potsdam Unterwegs im Licht 2024” the preparations for an exciting light concept in the center of Potsdam together with the partner P3 Projekt are close to completion. The Soundless Music light composition by Ruairí O’Brien will bathe the city in a fascinating light spectacle on January 20, 2024. Learn more here.

Participating institutions 2024:

Bäderlandschaft Potsdam GmbH (blu)
Potsdam Educational Forum
Brandenburg casinos
Extavium
Film Museum Potsdam
Garrison Church
House of Brandenburg-Prussian History
Brandenburg State Parliament
Museum Barberini
Natural History Museum Potsdam
Potsdam Marketing and Service
Potsdam Museum - Forum for Art and History
St. Nicholas Church Potsdam

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

08.09.2023

Potrait of the artist – Ruairí O’Brien

20.06.2023

First Year End of Semester Exhibition

14th-21st July 2023 Venue: German University of Cairo D-Building Ground Floor Studios

Our current FIRST YEAR architecture students have reached the end of their second semester.
There is a very important threshold between the Fundamentals and the Higher Semesters which the students are now crossing.
The tradition calls for us all to celebrate this progress together with an EXHIBITION of the work achieved.

EXHIBITION AGENDA and LOCATIONS:

Opening words: D7 06 @ 14.30 pm
Prof. Michael Eichner – Program director
Assoc. Prof. Ruairi O’Brien – Head of Visual design department

Exhibition Spaces and Teaching Teams:

D7 06 – Visual Design
Assoc. Prof. Ruairi O’Brien
Inst. MSc. Manar Karam
Manar Karam, Abdelrahman Ghoneim, Mennatallah Gamea, Sherif Samir, Ashraf Osam, Mai Tarek, Amira Mohammed, Rana Mohammed, Mennatallah Hamed

D7 03 – 3D Model Makng
Lecturer Dr. Ibrahim Samy
Inst. MSc. Merna Hany
Mona Abdel Aziz, Lamiaa Abdel Aziz, Neveen Farag, Mai Tarek, Amira Mohamed, Rana Emad, Sherif Soliman, Menna Gamea, Dina Zakaria

D6 02 – Building Technology I
Prof. Hisham Gabr
Inst. Dr. Sara Samy – Inst. MSc. Aliaa Maged
Joy Maher, Mona AbdelAziz, Yara Gala, Pillara Mohamed, Marly Essam, Martina AbouAllam, Theodora Ramzy, Neveen Farag, Lamiaa AbdelAziz

D6 01 – Introduction to Architecture
Lecturer Dr. Shaimaa El Fayed
Inst. Sara Samy, Inst. Ahmed El Hozayen
Abdelrahman Ghoneim, Aghathon Mories, Amira Mohammed, Heba Ezzat, Mai Tarek, Marwa Mostafa, Mona Abdelaziz, Neveen Farag, Reem Ashour

D6 Entry Area – History
Visiting Lecturer Dr. Mougib ElRahman Aboamer
Inst. Yosra Malek

15.03.2023

Architects and Lighting designers can learn from studying the human body to improve buildings and cities.

In 1999 I was asked by the Hygiene Museum in Dresden to work on a concept to present the “Gläserner Mensch” (Glass Human) and the “Virtual Mensch” in a new permanent exhibition they were planning.

The “Gläserner Mensch”, a transparent life size model of a human figure which enabled the viewer to see the inner workings of the human body through a transparent outer skin, was first shown to the public at the 2nd International Hygiene Exhibition in Dresden, Germany in 1930, the first International Hygiene Exhibition was in 1911. The Hygiene museum was founded in 1912 by Karl August Lingner, a Dresden manufacturer of hygiene products, as a permanent public venue for healthcare education. It must have been a spectacular event, entering the darkened space to see a silhouette of fellow visitors standing around the glowing figure, organs, heart and veins, lighting up from within at the touch of a button, a further milestone in humankinds desire to depict and understand the wonder of the human body, a marriage of Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomy drawings, his Vitruvian Man (1490), Michelangelo’s marble stone David (1504) and Fritz Lang’s Maria from Metropolis (1927).

…

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/architects-lighting-designers-can-learn-from-studying-ruair%C3%AD-o-brien?trk=public_profile_article_view

15.03.2023

MODERN INTELLIGENCE WITHIN THE VERNACOULAR

Exploring, Celebrating, Re-Vitalizing and Protecting Heritage Architecture ad Cities withi New “micro-architecture input”

… in this Years bachelor studio of Ruairí O’Brien at the German University in Cairo.

The importance of HERITAGE Protection in Cairo is undisputable.
But how do we Protect Heritage?
This question is hotly debated worldwide.
What role does the Vernacular play in this?

To enrich the debate, we are delighted that Professor Ahmad Hamid, Author of “The Birth of a New Modern – Hassan Fathy and Continuity in Islamic Arts and Architecture” will present his thoughts on this matter to my students currently working on their bachelor project in the historic Darb Al-Labana area of Islamic Cairo.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226670338758916&set=a.10207805505269869&type=3&theater

13.03.2023

3 X 3

LIGHT COLOR SPACE

3×3 – Three experts talk on 3 interrelated topics and how they work together to create the ARCHITECTURE and the BUILT ENVIRONMENT we live, work and play in. The event will give insight as to how LIGHT and COLOR can be used to create exciting human responsive SPACES.

Lighting Design Elective
Bachelor Artists Quarter Darb Al Labana
Assoc. Prof. Ruairí O’Brien

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10226666100572964&set=a.10207805505269869&type=3&theater

06.03.2023

“Soundless Music” – Lichtkultur sehen und verstehen

Lecture by Ruairí O’Brien at the Licht2023 in Salzburg

Developing an understanding and awareness for what constitutes good quality lighting among architects, urban planners, politicians, decision makers and most importantly the users of our built environment, requires greater enlightenment and energetic input from the lighting design profession. In this lecture using examples from my work, I discuss “seeing and understanding” the role lighting design could play in establishing a future “Licht-Baukultur” in our built environment.

25th European Lighting Technology Congress, March 26-29, 2023, Salzburg / Austria

Ruairí O`Brien : Soundless Music – Lichtkultur sehen und verstehen

Monday, 27.03.2023, 11:20 a.m., Europa Saal, 2nd floor

www.licht2023.at

24.02.2023

09.12.2022

Energy saving can be “designed”!

Cities are “the place to be” and deserve good LIGHT.

The revitalization/development of city centers needs LIGHT, it is a question of quality and not quantity.

Cities and buildings need better and more intelligent lighting concepts …

We should try to protect and promote sustainable “City LIFE” by using the current debate about energy waste to rethink the quality of lighting in our cities.

Light attracts and creates moods for interaction and exchange, our cities need to be attractive to be (economically) sustainable.

“See more with less light” and enjoy city life – this is possible with holistic creative concepts and dynamic intelligent lighting technology. Achieving the right balance of light and dark in cities is first and foremost a creative task. Energy saving can be “designed”!

First, ask a lighting designer….

This is a call to urban planners, politicians, decision makers, offices and citizens to take the chance to discuss openly with lighting designers about “LIGHT CULTURE” and energy, the culture of good and sustainable light in our cities and towns.

The drawing is from a lighting concept for the revitalization of an unused industrial building, ” Spinnereimaschinenbau” in the city of Chemnitz, Germany (2018).

16.05.2022

International Day of Light

Today we celebrate the Unesco international Day of Light, as every year since 2018.

Among other things, it aims to raise awareness of the role that lighting design and the targeted use of technologies play in achieving greater energy efficiency or limiting energy waste and reducing light pollution, which is also key to maintaining the visibility of the night sky.

International Day of Light is held on May 16, the anniversary of the first successful use of the laser, in 1960, by physicist and engineer Theodore Maiman. The laser demonstrates how a scientific discovery can bring revolutionary benefits to society. It is celebrated with many different events around the world, where all participants can develop an understanding of the role of light in science and culture.

More information can be found here.

06.05.2022

Installation works New Work – lighting concept

Photos of our office extension project, which is close to completion, from the joint inspection with the management of the future user. We accompany this project not only architecturally, but also with a lighting concept for modern working environments of today, tailored to the individual requirements of each area. In the next few days, the installation of the luminaires will be completed, but there is still some work to be done before the object can be handed over to our client in the fall.

We are looking forward the newly created space being used and offering our client a workplace where people like to stay and work well.

22.04.2022

International Dark Sky Week – April 22 – 30, 2022

For us as lighting designers, the protection of darkness and thus a responsible use of light is very important. In lighting design, the motto is: Less is more. That’s why we support this year’s “International Dark Sky Week” to draw attention to the problems that light pollution causes. Light pollution can disturb wildlife, affect human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view of the universe.

So get informed about light pollution and support International Dark Sky Week.

24.01.2022

Unterwegs im Licht 2022, Freitag

Since last Friday, until tonight, our urban “Soundless Music” light composition for Potsdam Unterwegs im Licht 2022 is running. The photo shows Potsdam’s Nikolaikirche in a blue dress of winter light, with which our composition started on Friday evening. Over spring-like green light moods on Saturday and summer-like yellow-orange light scenes on Sunday, the four days of Unterwegs im Licht 2022 end today with a thoughtful backdrop of dark red tones, which are accompanied by light moods from ALL MAIN COLORS of the color spectrum for the FINALE at 9 pm.

Photo by Alexander Rentsch.

Link to the issue:

https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/4722010-3479097-unterwegs-im-licht-in-potsdam.html

https://www.stadtmagazin-events.de/events/unterwegs-im-licht-im-naturkundemuseum-potsdam/?occ_dtstart=2022-01-22T09:30

„Soundless Music”

The illuminated Potsdam city center 2022

This coming weekend our “Soundless Music” LIGHT concept will be presented in the City of Potsdam.

Starting Friday and ending Monday we have developed a lighting concept that sets the city each evening in a color composition that expresses in “Soundless Music” the universal process of THERMODYNAMICS.

If you want to know more click here.

The HOUSE of LIGHT

Daylight design in architecture

For this year’s first Design Studio at the German University in Cairo, Ruairí O’Brien worked with his students on the importance of daylight in housing.

LIGHT is an energy, life and mood-giving force in architecture.
The special properties of the morning, midday and evening sun can be used to model and shape the architectural volume (the importance of northern light). Light can be used to shape walls, position openings, and form roofs.

For example, energy conservation also begins with providing excellent daylight to building occupants and reducing the need for artificial lighting. Understanding how light and shading can be used to create thermal comfort for occupants is critical to building success.

The architecture of light is about beauty and the intelligent use of resources.
Daylight can be used for free and its tremendous value is widely underestimated in the building industry. Architectural design begins with an understanding of this resource.

IMPULSE + DISCUSSION

GUEST SESSION – LIGHTING

Prof.’in Mary-Anne Kyriakou

Dr. Emrah Baki Ulas, University of Technology Sydney

Ruairí O’Brien, Architekt und Lichtdesigner

“Die Lichtdesigner Community ruft im Allgemeinen und was den Klimaschutz anbelangt, den Kampf für die gute Sache (Licht) auf. Wenn der Kunde es aber möchte und dafür bezahlt, machen wir vor allem schönes Licht, wir beleuchten – unabhängig von den Kosten für die Umwelt, die Architektur oder den öffentlichen Raum, die wir ausleuchten. Sind wir als Community damit im Reinen? Oder ist es uns einfach nicht so wichtig?” Ruairí O’Brien

“The lighting design community in general and as far as climate protection is concerned, calls the fight for the good cause (light). But if the customer wants it and pays for it, we make beautiful light first and foremost, we illuminate – regardless of the cost to the environment, the architecture or the public space we illuminate. Are we as a community at peace with this? Or is it simply not that important to us?” Ruairí O’Brien

ZOOM + MEDIATHEK

Donnerstag, 18.11.2021

Zeit: 08:15-09:30

Weitere Informationen finden Sie Unter:

https://www.detmoldconferenceweek.online/sessions

Under The Waterline

^10th CAIRO VIDEO FESTIVAL

October 2021, on 10 different locations in Cairo

Selection & Program: RUAIRÍ O’BRIEN

Artists and filmmakers help us all understand the hidden codes of city life, and of existence itself. They are the icebergs – there is more to them than what we can see at first sight; they are our “eyes on the street.” The chosen venue for the program is also a supporting expression of the text above and of the videos chosen.

For for information see here: https://www.cvf.medrar.org/under-the-waterline/

Informations-Licht-Skulptur Slaughterhouse Five in der Presse

The current issue of the magazine “diesseits”(www.diesseits.de) of the Humanist Association Germany published an article about Kurt Vonnegut and his book “Slaughterhouse-Five” that is well worth reading. For the illustration of the article a photo of Ruairí O’Brien’s memorial wall and information light sculpture Slaughterhouse-Five in the Messe Dresden was chosen by the Radaktion. Link to the issue: https://diesseits.de/aktuelles-heft.

Lichtkunst im öffentlichen Raum

University of Berlin, on 18.05.2021

UNESCO International Day of Light

Zum internationalen “Tag des Lichts” 2021 präsentieren wir den folgenden Kurzfilm von Ruairí O’Brien. Der Film ist der erste aus einer Reihe von Kurzfilmen, an denen er über das “Licht von Kairo” arbeitet. Dieser erste Film der Serie konzentriertsich auf einen Tag und eine Nacht im Kairoer Stadtgebiet von Maadi am Nil. Der nächste Kurzfilm wird sich auf das Gebiet “Downtown” konzentrieren.

To celebrate the “Day of Light” 2021, Ruairí O’Brien has put a short film online.
The film is the first from a series of short films he is working on about the “Light of Cairo”. This first film in the series focuses on a Day and a Night in the Cairo city area of Maadi on the Nile.The next short film will focus on the area of “Downtown”.

Internationaler Tag des Lichts / International Day of Light 2021

We celebrate the Unesco International Day of Light with “Light of Cairo”, a “micro” film.

Day and night impressions filmed celebrate the simplicity and grandeur of light in our everyday life. In 2001 I stated, people have a “right to darkness” and began recording light scenes during “Light Walks” in cities.

The film will be presented in Vimeo and YouTube on the 16.05.2021

Finde more about the IDL 2021 Event Programme worldwide under: https: //www.lightday.org/events

Less Light to See More

The image above shows a screenshot from the Arte cultural magazine “Twist” with the theme “Design Total!” from May 2, 2021 (excerpt from a light poetry performance by Ruairí O’Brien).

The program, to which we link below the text, traces, among other things, the fascination of lighting design and introduces (from about the 21st minute) two lighting designers for whom less is more: Ulrike Brandi (internationally renowned lighting designer, including the Elbphilharmonie) and Ruairí O’Brien. In the interview, O’Brien makes the case for a “lighting culture” and clarifies his lighting design approach of “Less Light to See More”.

We thank the Arte magazine for the beautiful contribution.

“Twist” vom 02.05.2021 können Sie hier ansehen: Design durch die Zeit | TWIST | ARTE – YouTube

Living and light spaces – challenge to a new kind of lighting design

Light 2021 Online Forum

Wednesday, 24.03.2021

Time: 15:45 – 17:05 Uhr

For more information, please visit: www.licht2021.de

Now and Here – Restaurant, Bistro, Appartmens at the Post Square

5 years anniversary of our planning of the house at the Postplatz. On the occasion of this anniversary, we have reimagined our Postplatz project.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.

Potsdam Unterwegs im Licht 2021

Today actually Potsdam – Unterwegs im Licht 2021 would take place. Because it must be cancelled due to the current Corona situation, we enjoy once again the impressions of last year and hope for a new Unterwegs im Licht 2022.

For more information, please visit: www.ruairiobrien-lightart.com