Jimmie Wing visited Ta-Wei Lin, the celebrated Taiwanese lighting designer, whose inspired schemes have won accolades all over the world. He finds that the inspiration not only comes from the man himself...

"Be careful when you climb those lamp posts," cautioned Ta-Wei Lin's mother, when he called home from New York City to tell her he'd been hired as a lighting designer. That was nearly fourteen years ago. She thought he'd been hired to change the lamps; it was some time before she realised the real nature of her son's work as a multi award winning international lighting designer.

Born and raised in Ilan in North Eastern Taiwan, Lin has studied industrial design under Massimo Morozzi and Andrea Branzi at the Domus Academy in Italy, received an M.S. in Interior Design from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in NY and a Bachelor of Architecture from Chung Yaun Christian University in Taiwan. After graduating in 1990 he received a job offer from Brandston Partnership Inc (BPI) then known as H M Brandston and Partners. Included in Brandston's impressive portfolio are the Statue of Liberty and Petronas Towers in KL. At Brandston, Lin worked on a range of major projects including the Rockefeller Centre and Museum of Natural History. In 1993 Lin returned to Taiwan. and opened a branch office HMB&P/CWI Lighting for Brandston in Taiwan. Chou Wei International (CWI), 'Chou' referring to Lin's mentor and partner, Chou Lien, who has held key positions with Brandston. At that time the concept of lighting design in that country was virtually non-existant.

"The first question they asked us was 'Why do we have to pay for lighitng design? Manufacturers don't ask for a design fee,'" recounted Ta-Wei Lin.

Fortunately at about the same time Taiwan's real estate market began to boom. As high end apartments were constructed, the necessity for specialised consultants and designers became apparent. In addition to landscape architects and interior designers they realised the significance of lighting design and Ta-Wei's fledgling group were included in the new teams of professional specialists. "They thought that we'd be good for their promotions but at the same time we really created nice lighting environments."

In 1993 there were only two such companies specialising in lighting design in Taiwan. (The other being Chroma 33, headed by J. K. Yao who lit Taipei's record breaking Core Pacific City and who has just won the IALD Radiance Award for CKS Airport in Taiwan). Now, there are about six lighting design firms in Taiwan. BPI/CWI Lighting started with government projects who preferred to have independant lighting consultants.

"We do more government projects because Brandston has a longstanding reputuation on entire city master plans. After an almost ten year cooperation, CWI became independent in 2001. CWI's concept is not the use of lighting equipment, it's how to apply lighting concepts, a lighting environment. If lighting can be achieved using a certain amount of light then why do we have to do more... I remember when I first got back to Taiwan a company would have a building almost finished and say "Hey, can you light this for us?" And then you'd have a lot of limitations but now, before their competition can, or before they send out a proposal to owners, they include us in the team."

Apart from the award winning Chung Tai Monastery (which won the 2003 IALD Award of Excellence) CWI design lighting for parks, stadiums, universities, office buildings, historical buildings, temples old and new and high end residential apartments in both Taiwan and China. Recalling lighting an ancient Confucious Temple, Lin comments: "It took us three years to finish the whole project because historical buildings need a totally different idea including where to put the lights so as not to destroy the old structures."

Ta-Wie Lin's most recently completed project is the magnificent Bei Gan Pedestrian Bridge. He has also received an award from Italian NERI, their 40th Anniversary competition for design of lamps.

"I emailed them and asked if I could design something for Asia. They said no problem, so I went to Beijing to get ideas and inspiration. But China is getting too modern - a lot of old Huton (traditional Chinese allies) had been demolished. At Tienamen Square, floodlights shot directly into the eyes. I was a bit shocked at the harshness and thought we needed something subtle so I designed a bracket which is a combination of a dragon and a phoenix. There are five different types of lanterns with a different reflector and function. One is 'Shanghai' (more modern), 'Huton' is very low key and 'Shu-Jou' uses some alabaster stone or glass and Hsian with a kind of bronze texture and then there's 'Beijing' (all with different spills). The one I like very much is the neighbourhood one on which you can hang a bird cage or dried meat from!"

One of his most unusual assignments was lighting the OMMA Rem Koolhaas designed Chin-Sui service area (actually a highway toilet) a few hours south of Taipei where very recently local Taiwanese were overheard commenting on what a beautiful 'rest stop' it is.

Of all the projects that Ta-Wei Lin has directed and worked on, the one for which he has (so far) received the highest award is the same one for which he will not accept full credit - the Chung Tai Monastery Temple interior spaces.

He was at first reluctant to take up this project as CWI had not been selected for the exterior lighting. However he was encouraged by his partner and mentor Chou Lien and the Chung Tai monks who had also been his students at Sh-Jyan University. In fact many of these monks and nuns have college degrees and PHDs, and are professionally trained in architecture, interior design and computing. Lin decided to do this project because he wanted to learn more about Buddism from the Grand Master Wei Chueh- the Abbot of Chung-Tai Chen Monestry.

As well as being reverential and awe inspiring, lighting had to be cost effective, present no danger to birds or insects and be easily maintained by the resident monks. The end result is beyond awe inspiring, indeed so overwhelming that the Buddhas have been known to inspire tears of joy in observers. By the time the project was complete Ta-Wei Lin had become a changed man, attributing much of the accomplishment to Chung Tai's Grand Master, resident monks Chein Bo Shi and Chien Yu Shi (pictured), plus many other monastics and Chou Lien with whom he and his team had collaborated.

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