Source: The Advertiser

 

Adelaide has a chance to constantly shine, if you'll pardon the pun, by making the Northern Lights a permanent feature. The changing, brightly coloured illumination of North Terrace's architectural gems has the potential to become a must see for all visitors to Adelaide, forever transforming the image of our city at night.

 

Even the most hardened of cynics seem to have been impressed by the light displays shining on our beautiful collection of buildings from the State Library to Bonython Hall Adelaide Festival's opening night. In the weeks since, children have looked on in awe and camera shutters flashed open while adults of all ages have admired the imagination and talent that lies behind the works.

 

South Australians have rightly grown to take enormous pride in our festivals, especially the world renowned biennial Festival of Arts. However, we should occasionally pause to ponder the lasting legacy of such festivals. Yes, they provide a two week high, a temporary boost to the coffers of the local economy and tourism industry and, hopefully, add to our profile and reputation around the world, but how often do they leave behind something of truly lasting benefit? This time, the potential exists to secure such an ongoing benefit by investing in Northern Lights as a permanent feature.

 

Imagine the opportunity to change the displays on rotation every month or, perhaps, with the change of each season. Each change could inject new life and fresh interest into the lights. They could be themed for special occasions, such as major sporting events, multicultural festivals or celebrations of indigenous culture.

 

 Perhaps we could enjoy exquisitely designed lighting patterns of red, blue, yellow, black, white and teal projected onto these heritage buildings ahead of a Crows v Power Grand Final Showdown one day. The versatility and potential vibrancy of the lights make their potential enormous.

 

Of course it will come at a cost. Promoting and beautifying our city always does. And I've no doubt there will be the naysayers, not least those who will be critical of the energy used in the illuminations. But the lights would be ripe for sponsorship, especially by a green friendly energy company who could power them from clean or renewable sources. 

 

Regardless of sponsorship, the cost of making the lights permanent and operating them year round, even if only for two or three nights a week, would pale against the many grand plans our visionaries in the City Council and elsewhere have failed to get off the ground over the years. It could be achieved well before anyone agrees on grand, new designs for Victoria Square, Victoria Park or the Riverbank Precinct along the Torrens. And I imagine it could be achieved at a fraction of the cost.

 

Yet the Northern Lights could give us something relatively unique to steer visitors and potential visitors towards, helping to bury perceptions that Adelaide switches the lights off and dozes off at night. 

 

A year round stream of visitors could stimulate new bars, restaurants and cafes along the south side of North Terrace, bringing life to an otherwise dead part of the city. Importantly, it could also provide the linkage between the east and west ends of Adelaide that a soulless Rundle Mall of closed retails stores will never achieve at night.

 

The 2008 Adelaide Festival has given us one of the best opportunities yet to grasp a clever, innovative and inspirational idea for our city. Let's not switch off the lights, let's embrace them and make them a feature for our city.