At night, the light is mostly concentrated, the strong contrasts dominate, and the colours are violent. At night the landscape drawn by artificial light turns into something else. This also applies to the flat landscape of the low Venetian plain, which is rapidly changing. The same sheds of the shopping, which by day look like enlarged shoeboxes, at night appear less sloppy and banal.
Certainly, the architects have learned something from Las Vegas, with the help of some lighting design expert and under the impetus of the latest legislation for saving energy and limiting light pollution. So there are fewer mercury vapour lamps, tubular fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps around; less orange, yellow, or green lights. More connected smart LED lamps, more white light and downward-headed light.
Seen at night the places of contemporary commerce outside the city seem a little bit fantastic. They make you think about Gotham, Batman and the heroes of Marvel Comics. From trivial places, they turn into mysterious places. They acquire evocative strength when there is no one left; they become something when they are nothing anymore. Until the dawn.
All the photos were taken during the summer 2019 in the land of the metropolitan city of Venice (Italy)
