Architecture of the air

Nasirul Haque Khokon has done the light design for the new bridge linking Banani and Gulshan residential areas.

Light and sound shows involving architectural structures are increasingly becoming popular in the modern urban aesthetics. In Bangladesh however, this idea is quite new, due to so many reasons. A weeklong light and sound show on the newly constructed bridge over Gulshan Lake, linking Banani and Gulshan residential areas, was an opportunity for Dhakaiites to witness this idea.
Gifted light designer Nasirul Haque Khokon was the director of the installation, which began on December 7, 2008 with the inauguration of the bridge by the Chief Adviser, Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed. The weeklong show gave the new-built bridge a major exposure and highlighted the design of the arch-bridge. In fact the adjacent area went through a recent beatification by the construction firm, Abdul Monem Ltd working in cooperation with Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
Nasirul Haque Khokon talked to The Daily Star recently about his designs. He also designed the laser-light and sound show at Lalbagh Kella, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Dhaka as a capital city. Nasir has been involved in light designing for almost two decades.
"I started as a theatre activist with the troupe Nagorik Natyo Samproday. I participated in a workshop. After the workshop, newcomers had to stage a production on their own -- from direction to acting to technical aspects of a play. It was difficult to find someone who'd do the light designing, and I was interested. Apparently I did well, as the seniors encouraged my work a lot. And that's how I got into it. After years of experience, I can honestly say that I love my job."
About the light and sound show at Gulshan-Banani linking bridge, Nasir said, "In a riverine Bangladesh, bridges have a special connotation for our people. It's not only a means of communication; it's a symbol of connecting people. The newly constructed arch-bridge has more facets than that. For the city dwellers, the beautiful bridge can be a recreational venue. While designing the lights, I kept all these aspects in mind. For the music part, I used flute and santoor. Authorities of the construction firm seemed quite impressed with my work, and they are considering making the light and sound show a permanent feature of the bridge."
Contemplating the cost and electricity use in these trying times, the designer said, "As we all know, Bangladesh is not an affluent country, and cannot afford a whole lot of electricity use for beatification purposes alone. Keeping that in mind, we've tried to come up with a design that is pretty cost-effective. We've used LED lights, which consume less power. There are many beautiful architectural structures in Dhaka. Lack of proper lighting, literally keeps them 'in dark,' and we overlook their impressive designs at night. I have plans to design lights for some of these structures."