Professional Documents
Culture Documents
And
Architecture
Masters
Thesis
Supervised
by:
Dr
Samir
El
Tawil
–
Presented
by:
Maria
Akl
L e b a n e s e
U n i v e r s i t y
2 0 1 1
Light And Architecture
Masters Thesis
Presented by:
Maria AKL
Supervised by:
Dr. Samir El Tawil
Presented to :
Dr. Shadia Senno
Dr. Mosbah Rajab
Dr. Nahed Ghazal
Dr. Samir El Tawil
Lebanese University
Faculty of Fine Arts and architecture
Branch III
2010-2011
IV- WINDOWS......................................................................................................... 40
Therefore
I
would
like
here
to
say
THANK
YOU
to
all
those
who
have
made
this
possible.
First
and
foremost,
I
would
like
to
thank
each
and
every
one
of
my
professors
at
university,
who
have
held
me
by
the
hand
and
led
me
across
the
architectural
path
all
the
way
HERE.
A
special
thank
you
to
Dr
Shadia
Senno,
Dr
Mosbah
Rajab,
Dr
Nahed
Ghazal
and
Dr
Samir
El
Tawil
who
have
supervised
this
thesis
step
by
step.
I
would
also
like
to
immensely
thank
our
University
director,
Mr.
Ali
el
Ali,
whose
efforts
are
what
are
still
keeping
our
university
going,
and
our
head
of
department,
Mr.
Wassim
Naghi,
who
is
constantly
working
on
improving
our
department
and
who
has
never
denied
any
of
us
help
should
we
ever
ask
for
it.
A
big
thank
you
to
all
my
classmates
and
friends
in
university,
who
made
this
ride
not
only
educational,
but
also
fun,
and
my
parents
and
family
who
always
encourage
me.
It is pretty curious how the world evolved in the past few decades.
Photography, means of transportation, Internet, media and other technologies
assured the fact that all countries are today open to what is going on in other -
even far- parts of the world. Hence any new development that happens in one
place only takes hours, minutes even, before reaching the other end of the
globe.
Henceforth the built and the living are not divided from each other, but one
is part of the other, and the architect has to envisage how the building will affect
the person psychologically, will it change his mood, does this feeling the person
gets walking in serve the purpose of the architecture? In parallel, the architect
should wonder how will human presence affect the architecture of the project,
and he should use this presence to enrich the project not impoverish it. He
therefore has to look into the smallest details of what he is creating: The
volumes of the interior, the colors, the lights, the height of the ceiling, the
materials used for the interior as well as the exterior, the openings and
windows, the types of lamps, paints, furniture… etc.
My interest however has always been the light. It is amazing how the
natural light can affect our mood: we feel gloomy on a rainy cloudy day, we feel
exhausted if we stay too long in the hot summer sun… Also the sun, and the
light in general, affect how we see things, depending on the intensity, the focus,
the color…etc It can change shapes and add or subtract emphasis from one
This stirred my curiosity, how does light really affect the interior and
exterior of a project? How does it change the atmosphere and how should it be
used correctly in order to define the wanted spirit of a room? How should be
used to mold our perception of an architectural shape and the entities inside it?
And how can we, in Lebanon, put to practical use the knowledge about light and
its effects in our buildings and constructions.
Therefore Iʼm writing this essay about the use of light in architecture to
discuss different points that will help me reach a better understanding of the
effect of the light and how to use it correctly in order to benefit from the interior
of architecture in general and museums in particular.
The general plan of the thesis paper will take the following path: The main
ideas to be discussed start with a general introduction of the history of the use
The different effects of light are thoroughly discussed, the effect on human
mood and the psychology of light on one hand, and the effect of light on space
on the other hand.
Windows are very important, they are the opening through which the light
comes in, hence their shape and materials are of crucial importance in the
process of making the light that enters the premises, thatʼs why the types and
properties of windows are cited, and the influence of different materials and
construction techniques on those windows. In addition to that, the effect of the
sunʼs location to how the sunrays penetrate the given window into the room are
also of importance to try and narrow down and specify exactly how the sun and
natural light affect the interior space and its architecture; that includes light itself
and the shading, the effect of which is just as important, so both will be further
discussed in the thesis.
Finally, the use of light in museum and the optimal solutions for a best
result of interior space and exposition of works will end the essay, with some
views of world renown architects about light and its relation to architecture.
The aim of this thesis is not to simply state already established facts about
light, but to try and find a better understanding of the relation between light,
architectural space and humans, and see how to best apply it in our community
as a whole (residential or not) and in museums in particular.
The Greek expressed a respect for the sun and its many powers; this is
clearly visible in the architecture of places of worship and social gatherings. The
ancient Greeks typically oriented the front façade of their temples towards the
east. Important religious ceremonies took place in the eastern section of the
temple, which was illuminated by the early morning rays of the sun. The Greek
vernacular architecture was mainly based on a play between light and shadow.
Buildings were built with thick walls that transferred warmth of the winter sun, or
the coolness of the summer nights inside. The walls were painted white to usher
light into the interior.
Socrates wrote about the sun in his book, Xenophonʼs Memorabilia, saying:
“Now in houses with a south aspect, the sunʼs rays penetrate into the
porticos in winter, but in the summer, the path of the sun is right over our heads
and above the roof, so that there is shade. If then this is the best arrangement,
we should build the south side loftier to get the winter sun and the north side
lower to keep out the winter winds. To put it shortly, the house in which the
owner can find a pleasant retreat at all seasons and can store his belongings
safely is presumably at once the pleasantest and the most beautiful.”
That wasnʼt the case for only places of worship, Many Roman houses had
ʻheliocaminusʼ in their houses. Resembling the modern sunrooms, the
heliocaminus was a separate space within the house where solar heat could be
trapped and then distributed to other quarters of the house as needed. The
Romans are the ones who first started the technology of glass window, which
were used to warm their houses by trapping the solar heat. They also used
solar energy in large public buildings such as public baths.
Also we knew the humanized light of the Renaissance, the sublime light of
the Baroque period and the fluid light that allows us to use glass enclosures in
contemporary architecture, which almost manages to eliminate the difference in
light between the interior and the exterior.
The supernatural light through stained glass windows in gothic times was
one of the most breath-taking phenomena. People would appreciate the
buildingsʼ dominant scale from the exterior. But once they entered, they would
discover a mystical world where sunlight behind stained glass brought scenes
from the Bible to life in front of their eyes. In a world without film or television, a
dark room full of brightly back-lit stained glass windows would rival fire and the
night sky as the most visually exciting things anyone in the middle ages had
ever seen.
“There exists the filthiest, the strangest, the most extraordinary of the many
localities that are hidden in London, wholly unknown, even by name, to the
great mass of its inhabitants. To reach this place, the visitor has to penetrate
through a maze of close, narrow, and muddy streets, thronged by the roughest
and poorest of waterside people, and devoted to the traffic they may be
supposed to occasion.”
Film directors used to say that a good lighting director was just as
important as a good actor for making a film. He said that a badly lit good
expression or gesture is almost worse that a well lit bad gesture and vice versa.
1- a definition of Light
All sources of light have their own particular qualities, some of which are
the result of the light source itself and the some the result of external influences,
such as the weather and the landscape.
The light from the sun, for example, is constantly changing, depending on
the time of day, the time of year, the weather …etc
The quality of any light (whether natural or artificial), can be defined in three
simple ways:
a- Tone:
The tone of a light is defined by its colors temperature. The temperature of
light is synonymous with its color, in the sense that they are both the product of
a specific wavelength. The primary colors of natural light make up the spectrum
of colors that can be seen when the light is split by a prism; at one end of the
scale is ultraviolet (the blue end) and at the other is infrared (the red end of the
visible spectrum).
We light we see is a mixture of all these and is described as “white”, but all
light sources have their own color; meaning that they emit a distinct wavelength
pattern, depending on what they are designed to do.
c- Focus:
Whether the light is direct or not is the result of exterior influences on the
light that is emitted from the lamp.
The “bulb” of the standard lamp is frosted and throws a diffuse light all
around, producing a bland featureless light. However, if a crown-silvered lamp is
combined with parabolic reflector, the design diffuses a very tightly focused
beam, producing a dramatic light capable of giving life and shape to a room.
The number of designed lamps is incredible and each of them has its own
controlled width of beam, and different lamps are to be used in different places
and serve various functions (emphasis, illumination, etc)
The quality of sunlight at noon in the Sahara desert is harsh and bright, with
intense shadows. By contrast, in a deciduous wood on a wet day in the northern
hemisphere, the light is muted and soft with very little obvious shadow, the
whole effect being diffuse and vague.
The search for understanding the relationship between light and mood was
of primary importance to the impressionist school of painters at the turn of the
century. They sought to represent light with pigment, capturing atmosphere
through color. Studying their work has brought important information about the
color of light and its effect on mood.
e- Light as material:
Architects thoughts always seek the material of finished product while they
work out the puzzles of the volume or proportion of space. Different materials,
including stones, brick, steel, glass, wood, tile, plaster, paper and cloth render
different qualities in architecture. Light is an equally and sometimes more
influential element in determining the result. It can even highlight or damage the
value of architectural materials themselves.
However, the fixtures should stay behind the scene, the goal of light is to
create a miraculous situation whereby the right amount of light is floating in the
air comfortably.
The ideas for lighting design usually do not come out of the blue. Because
architecture is a mean of various space functions, a function of light is also
hidden for each of these segmented spaces. Liberal ideas full of creativity
should be employed after thoroughly examining how the space should function.
So light has a direct effect on our mood and feeling, from a scientific
medical point of view. Light acts on the production of cortisol, serotonin, and
melatonin, three important hormones that affect our internal clock and our mood
states, among many other effects. It is important to keep these hormones in
proper balance. Low levels of serotonin (the daylight hormone) cause
depression. Light therapy, be it artificial or natural, has been found to be an
effective antidepressant but only when the light is bright enough.
Light not only affects the psychological state of the person, but also has a
direct effect on what he feels in a certain ambiance.
(1) Mohamed Boubekri; Daylight, Architecture and Health: building strategies, England,
Light, its color and intensity, vary according to the function of the local it is
in. Thus, a hospital room, a classroom and a living room of a residential home
should have different lighting whether it was artificial or natural (variation of
opening types and spaces). Hence, Light is often used by architects as a
metaphor, a mood-giver or a carrier of a meaning in and of itself.
The sensations that come along with good lighting are excitement, alertness
and dominance. However, with poor lighting comes dullness, boredom and
submissiveness. These states affect the social behavioral responses of the
occupants and their ability to make proper decisions. When people are in a
good mood, they tend to perform better in a work place and vice versa.
Most research on the effect of light and mood has focused on the artificial
electric light. Unlike electric light, daylight is a more difficult field to study due to
its dynamic and constantly changing aspect and its properties that are not static
(as are those of artificial light). This changing character of daylight that varies
from one minute to another makes experiments rather difficult, however there is
a general natural preference for daylight over artificial light. This could be
related to its spectral quality (the spectrum of daylight being the fact the white
daylight is in fact the compilation of 7 colors – those of the rainbow) that triggers
hormonal and physiological progresses. These progresses affect our
psychological wellbeing. That however is not a proven fact, but whatever the
reasons are, the fact remains that most people prefer natural lighting to artificial
one.
This brightness and contrast hence affect the way the person perceives the
architectural space and how this space will affect him.
a- Brightness contrast:
Low contrast environment, everything is of equal emphasis
Very high contrast environment – extreme high bright and dark areas
Picture 1: direct lighting on the table gives a strong contrast, is too harsh
for lighting faces and It gives a strong impression of confinement and haziness.
Picture 2: shows lighting on all the walls, with low intensity. This lighting
promotes the impression of spaciousness and increased height, at the same
time gives a pleasant impression to the occupants of the room.
Picture 3: lighting of cove above, low intensity. This lighting is pleasant for
near and distant faces and promotes a quiet impression.
Picture 5: direct lighting on table, and lighting of cove above. It gives a soft
subdued effect and is pleasant for near faces, it also promotes the feeling of
spaciousness.
Impression of
spaciousness: the room
appears larger or
smaller.
Impression of
perceptual clarity:
the room appears
public or private.
Impression of
pleasantness: the room
appears friendly or
sociable.
Indirect lighting of a ceiling creates diffuse light in the room with lighting
effect being influenced by the reflectance and color of its surface.
Vertical:
• The illumination of
architectural details
draws attention away
from the room as w
whole towards
individual components.
• Columns appear as
silhouettes in front on
an illuminated wall.
Some buildings and especially residential buildings, need a level of privacy for
the inside, hence curtains for example are used.
(1) Designing with light and shadow: Kaoru Mende + lighting planners associate Inc.
The choice of the frames of the window, its height, width, and elevation from
the ground, as well as the divisions (if any) inside the window itself, all influence
the way the light reaches its destination and more importantly, the shadow the
window casts. It thus becomes a matter of “vide et plein” i.e. solid and void.
Windows play several roles and have more than one effect on a room and
its occupants. The changing character of daylight adds a dynamic qualitative
dimension to the ambiance of the room that is not easily achievable with an
electric illuminant. Windows allow diffuse daylight and sunlight inside a room
while providing views to the outside, thereby adding a sense of openness,
spaciousness, and orientation. Because of the technological advances of the
last five decades, we are able to design buildings with large glass façades that
permit daylight to enter and allow views to the outside.
The importance of the connection with the outside world can be observed in
the behavior of people who live and work in windowless spaces. They appear to
use twice as many visual materials to decorate their workstations than do their
In mediaeval times wooden shutters were installed on the interior, and these
were left open or closed to regulate the light and air. With the introduction of
glass, used first in small panes in Roman architecture, the window as we know
it today had its beginnings. The concept of small panes of glass, divided by
bronze or later lead divisions, as used in early buildings dies hard and window
manufacturers still offer these as alternatives to fully glazed windows in new
domestic work, however inappropriate they may appear.
Windows can broadly be divided into two main types, first the window set in
the side walls of a building, and second the opening light set into the roof,
generally known as roof lights, the first allow the light coming from the sun to
come inside the room, called sunlight, and the second lets the light coming from
the sky, called skylight to come in. A successful daylighting strategy is one that
maximizes daylight levels inside the building but optimizes the quality of the
luminous environment for the occupants. Daylighting design is not only about
maximizing light levels. Excessive sunlight in an interior can be extremely
uncomfortable for its occupants. The key word in daylighting design is control,
not only of light levels but also of the direction and the distribution of light.
a- Sidelighting systems
Historical evolution:
The daylight penetration from side windows will depend upon the ceiling
height, and in early buildings where the ceiling heights were low, the penetration
of daylight into the building was severely limited . . . with the design of the
important houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the ceiling
heights were raised and daylight was able to reach further into the interiors.
However as buildings became grander, even this was not enough, and the
concept of the rooflight was developed to introduce daylight into interiors far
from the side windows.
The horizontal window is perhaps the most well known of all, starting as it
did in mediaeval times, limited by the construction methods of the day. It is still
much used in todayʼs domestic architecture. Provided the horizontal window is
placed high in the wall the daylighting will penetrate well into the space, but
other features of the window need to be considered.
Yet a further example is the clerestory; found mainly in tall buildings such as
churches, generally associated with other forms of window at lower level to
provide the main daylight. Clerestories are placed at high level to assist in
getting daylight further into the interior and to light the roof structure.
Types of systems:
Side windows: Side windows are divided to low windows and high windows
(clerestory). Traditional side windows light mostly the area closest to the
windows and the rest of the room is less lit, or even dim when the room is deep.
The light is distributed depending on the sky conditions: when the skies are
overcast the daylight is more diffuse than when the skies are clear; the shadows
are, however, much softer. Other factors affect the spread of daylight in the
room, such as the orientation of the window, its location on the wall, the height
of the window and its width. A single side window may cause high discomfort
glare because of the contrast between the brightness of the window and the
darker background surrounding the window frame. A more balanced daylight
distribution may be obtained by bringing daylight from two different sidewalls,
resulting in a deeper, more balanced daylight distribution and a reduction in
glare.
Historical evolution
While rooflights could properly have been said to have started with the
central courtyards or atria of the Roman house, these were open to the sky and
rain; and despite providing daylight to the surrounding dwelling space, would not
have modified the exterior climate in the manner of
a roof light.
By the twentieth century the use of rooflights had been reduced almost
entirely to industrial buildings.
Types of rooflight:
“An interior light space enclosed on two or more sides by the walls of a
building, and daylit from a roof of transparent or translucent material and,
sometimes, from glazed ends or sides. It permits the entry of light to the
other interior spaces, linked to it by glazed or unglazed openings”.
The atrium allows the daylight into central areas, modern atriums are most
commonly covered by a glazed skylight that monitors the light that reaches the
inside while keeping out the rain and reducing the need of air-conditioning.
Atrium has many advantages: it gets daylight into deep plans, giving a
sense of orientation, information of time, weather and keeping the occupants
connected with the outside of the building. Also, atria save energy by helping
the ventilation and admitting daylight.
Lao-Tse had said: architecture is not four walls and a roof, it is the air
that remains within, the space that these enclose.
1- le Corbusier
Le Corbusier had said: Architecture is the wise, correct and magnificent play
of volumes collected together under the light.
Le Corbusier not only brought the “Five Points of a New Architecture,” but
he also utilized light to its extents in the process. Light played a key role to
validate all of Corbusierʼs design and make it effective. He raised his structure
2- louis Kahn
Louis Kahn also uses light as a key factor when designing a structure. A
center for biological research, the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, keeps site
context as an important aspect by angling each part of the towers toward the
Pacific Ocean in forty-five degree geometry. Focused around a central
courtyard each laboratory invites natural daylight to penetrate interior spaces
through this angle. In the center of the courtyard is a central water channel
leading to a reflecting pool ensuring not to miss-guide the viewer from the
Pacific Ocean. Acting like ancient ruins, Kahn wanted the sun to follow the
building throughout the day allowing
natural daylight within by using screens.
Louis Kahn also expressed light through designs that are bold in geometric
forms. One of his early buildings the Yale Art Gallery in New Haven,
Connecticut, he focused on the distribution of light in a low interior space. His
solution was a ceiling formed of joined tetrahedrons and serves as space for
lighting conduits, which Kahn said, is good for illuminating the room as a whole
without minimizing the chance for specific illumination.
3- norman Foster
Norman Foster is another great architect to master the use of light in
architecture. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, located in China, is tiered
and steps each layer of the tower allowing daylight into the spaces and atop the
roof terraces. The lower ten stories are dedicated to an atrium with a mirrored
ceiling that receives sunlight from a giant reflecting sun scoop outdoors
originally made to track the sunʼs path. Due to this aspect of so much natural
daylight within the structure, ample lighting is given to the underground level
due to a translucent floor installation.
Natural elements suck as the sun arenʼt however the only criteria that
affected the evolution of windows architecture in Lebanon. There were as well
social, cultural and economic factors.
During the second part of the 19th Century, as major cities in Lebanon
especially Beirut became trade centers; the presence of foreigners living on a
permanent basis revolutionized the concept of the window. The small protective
character gave way to the big exposing window not only to see but to be seen.
The new facades with large openings giving a view towards the sea or the street
were definitely an evident rupture with the past.
a- rectangular window
It is the simplest and most common shape of windows. It changed and
evolved through the history affected by climate and foreign style. It is used in all
house types and went from small, thick openings constructed roughly to
become an ornamental element with a lot of details.
Storage space which is covered but always open to the outside. Cross-
ventilation was achieved by internal windows or vents between the rooms and
the central space, which originally was permanently open. Furthermore, the very
position of the central living space, be it the liwan or the central hall,
With the evolution of these typologies and the increase of use of interior
space (As opposed to the fact social gatherings, even within the family, used to
happen outside) it became important to use windows not only for heat gain but
also for natural ventilation and daylighting. Larger windows imply solar gain and
improved quality of daylight, this became very popular and soon curtains and
shading devices were introduced for situation with excessive sunlight.
c- small openings
Throughout Lebanese
vernacular architecture,
small openings were used
for purposes that enhanced
environmental strategies of
natural ventilation and
daylighting.
The openings were located either on the upper part of selected walls
(above or next to the windows/doors), depending on orientation. The upper
openings increased in number and in some case were found on different
orientations for the purpose of daylighting, whereas ventilation openings were
placed depending on prevailing winds. The use of these openings was evidently
more flexible in the original rectangular house since the walls had similar
thickness whereas the vaulted houses in all typologies restricted their use to the
central part of the vaults. Within the gallery, liwan and central houses, these
small openings developed to become an ornamented feature within the façade.
The triple arch consists of three arches connecting above slender columns
and either tie to a wall or are supported by half columns. In some cases, the
number is extended to four or five arches. The total is a combination of a door
which opens to a balcony or a rail-protected protrusion, and two windows
forming a parapet. The arches were generally plane and open, until later
periods when glass came in use. Wooden frames were fitted into the columns
and arches with intricate designs and patterns of plane or colored glass.
Article 9, part 1 discusses the “legal” area that should be outside a window or
opening for that opening to be legal. The law defined that area to be 4.5mx5.5
m, given that rectangle touches the opening itself, or the balcony/terrace
adjacent to the opening (if any).
The depth of the room inwards from the opening shouldnʼt exceed 5 times the
height of the room.
The area of the room to lit shouldnʼt exceed 10 times the area of the opening
(thus a 2m2 opening is enough for a 20m2 room)
Article 9, part two states all the rooms that are legally exempt from having
openings from natural daylight, some of which :
Commentary
So as it was clear from the summary of the article, the Lebanese law has
one law and standard when it comes to daylighting, for all the facilities without
taking into consideration the function of said facilities and rooms. In the face of
the law, the minimum to light a living room is the same as the minimum to light a
hospital room, as the same to light a museum. Its is not a full law and doesnʼt
cover all the basics as they should be covered, by dividing the lighting according
to function. Not to mention that some of the rooms that donʼt require lighting are
absurd such as the maidʼs room, or the library. In fact the Arabic word for
“library” is ambiguous, it could also mean book store, but the law doesnʼt take
the trouble to make that clear and thus according to the law, a library doesnʼt
have to be naturally lit! Architects such as Louis kahn have thoroughly studying
lighting in libraries and the law allows to “keep it dark”.
Shy attempts are being done to correct the current situation by studies
carried out by the UNDP and building legislation authorities, but so far no results
are seen.
As a conclusion of the previous, the authorities and laws donʼt take into
consideration the difference in human needs when it comes to lighting,
depending on what the person is doing or isnʼt doing in the room to light, they
are mostly taking a general minimum of light requirement. The commercial
buildings of today are satisfied with this requirement, and that leaves them dimly
lit in the interior, especially that a 4.5x5.5 space is small when there are many
buildings around, more so when all of them are tall, or if the room in question is
on the first floor, be it residential or an office.
So to summarize this, there are two types of light in the museum, Task
Lighting (the illumination of art and exhibited items) and Ambient Lighting (the
general use of light within the museum).
Museum visitors usually prefer to see objects that are displayed under
daylight. The daylight may be provided by side windows or rooflights and may
be highly controlled or partially controlled. The effects of daylight in a space are
much more noticeable from side windows than rooflights but is more difficult to
control to ensure avoidance of glare and poor viewing conditions. Highly
controlled rooflights may however fail to give a good impression of daylight and
It defines the general experience of light within a gallery, the light that
illuminate the gallery as a whole, without taking in consideration the lighting of
the works. Many of the advantages attributed to natural light actually deal with
the psychological mood that it conveys within an interior space. The two most
important advantages of natural light are: the experience of not being confined
within an enclosed space and the changing quality of natural light over time.
b- Task lighting
It deals with illuminating works of art without regard for its effect on the
overall physical space.
When designing task lighting, two of its aspects is most important to take
into consideration: spatial distribution and the intensity of the light.
Spatial Distribution
Properly designed reflected light can provide general control and still
maintain directionality, although it is difficult to provide acceptable light
distribution in all directions at the same time.
Intensity
Humans generally prefer high light levels, while to conserve the pieces
exhibited lower light levels are favored. Therefore, the intensity of the light
directed at the works should be taken into consideration when designing the
light: it should be high enough not to cause discomfort for humans and favor
their well-viewing, yet low enough to preserve the objects.
There are many examples of artworks that have been damaged by daylight,
which has more potential for harm than most conventional artificial sources of
illumination. The museum designer must know both the dangers inherent in
various light sources and the visual advantages of the sources to find a proper
balance between aesthetic and conservation concerns. Ultimately, the
seemingly opposite requirements of good lighting and conservation must be
synthesized to find a solution that satisfies both goals.
3- considerations to be taken
b- Surface reflectance
Surface reflectance can have a major impact on the level of illuminance in
the room. The more the surface is reflective, the more light fills the room, for a
lower quantity of light sources. The reflectance is increased by the color of the
surface, so a white room with white floors, ceilings and walls is of very high
reflectance and luminance.
The color of the surfaces and the materials used on the inside of the room
are thus of great importance in respect to the lighting of the interior and affect
directly the need for light sources, be in natural or artificial.
c- Contrast
Diffuse illumination, where light comes equally from all directions, will allow
an object to be seen, but will do little to reveal the form or texture because of the
lack of shadows. The lack of shadow, and thus the lack of contrast, is then
harmful to the object seen (from the point of view that the object is not well
expressed under these circumstances). The gradation of the reflected light
(brightness) over the surface of an object reveals its 3D nature. Applying light at
an appropriate angle helps express the texture of the object.
Contrast is not just essential for seeing the object, but as expressed in
chapter III (2-a) it affects directly the way the interior itself is perceived, and how
the occupants of the room feel psychologically.
Museums: energy efficiency and sustainability in retrofitted and new museum buildings: European
Commission directorate- General Energy and Transport - University College Dublin, Ireland 2004
Museums: energy efficiency and sustainability in retrofitted and new museum buildings: European
Commission directorate- General Energy and Transport - University College Dublin, Ireland 2004
Museums: energy efficiency and sustainability in retrofitted and new museum buildings: European
Commission directorate- General Energy and Transport - University College Dublin, Ireland 2004
The importance of light has always been acknowledged, but not often is the
light carefully studied in architecture as to provide not only global illumination of
the interior, but to set a mood, an ambiance, and a vision.
As shown in the thesis, light has many roles and can have many different
uses. It has a direct effect on the wellbeing of humans from a physical and
psychological point of view, and affects the way the occupants perceive the
interior space, whether it was artificial or natural light.
Many architects, old and new, have given great importance to the light.
Discussed earlier are some of the most light-oriented works by Louis Kahn, Le
Corbusier and Norman Foster.
Finally one of the institution that require most study on the light are the
museums, because their main aim is to “show”. The main problem in museums
is that a great number of them are a restoration of old buildings and facilities
main function of which was not museum. Careful light study hence has been
done on them and the restoration shows a great deal of wit and use of modern
technologies.
[1] Between the silence and the light: John Lobell & Louis I. Kahn – Boston,
Shambhala (2008)
[4] Designing with light and shadow: Kaoru Mende & lighting planners
associate Inc. , Australia, Images Publishing Group Pty (2000)
[5] Energy and environment in architecture: Nick Baker and Koen Steemers -
London, Taylor & Francis Group (2000)
[6] Human Factors in Lighting, Boyce, P.R, London, Applied Science Publishers
(1981)
[10] The complete home lighting book: James Davidson - London, Cassel 1997
[11] The role of vitamin D endocrine system in health and disease: Reichel H.,
Koeffler, H.P. and Norman, A.W. - New England Journal of
Medicine 320 (1989)
[12] Windows selection: Ian D. Collins and Eric I. Collins, London, Newnes-
butterworths, 1977
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