Light defines our experiences in the rituals of everyday life. Grounded by the knowledge of our collective memories of light and the culture of the milieu, light reveals life in the present. The patterns in light with which we are familiar have relevant meanings. Our relationships to light are personal, proceeding to the universal. What we see is realized through form, shaped by the essence of how light is admitted (focal glow, ambient luminescence or play of brilliants) and crafted in environments. If thoughtfully considered, light in architecture can render beauty, harmony, and balance between the outside and inside worlds, enriching the quality of daily life and the connection to nature. Light can give architecture special meaning, “extending the value of architecture beyond mere functional use”. (pg. 6) With the integration of light in architectural design, the experience of space in environments becomes more sensitive to the meaning of light and place, nature, climate, time and task.
LIGHT AND PLACE
All places are unique in the way they capture light. Light reveals the place itself and any distinctive qualities inherent in the architecture. “The spirit of a place can be conveyed by responding sensitively to its light.” (pg. 8) The engagement of light in a place can create a deeply meaningful, psychological space. Like the penetrating light reflected through the panes of stained glass in the meditation hall at Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, CA, the personal experience of the space was memorable.
Embedded in the spirit of place is the link between light and culture. In Japanese culture, the beauty of a dwelling depends on the variation of shadows mystified in the space. The play of shadows, heavy shadows against light shadows, is orchestrated architecturally as a ritual through the placement of shoji panels that transmit muted light to create a shadowed interior. In this way the shoji panels become important in defining the spirit of the place. The panels express the spatial structural of the dwelling as well as how they are related to light. “The role of light is defining when it is revealed through the experience of a building.” (pg. 14)
LIGHT AND NATURE
The poetic use of light imitating nature adds a meaningful layer through association to a given place. The abstract or literal use of light in this way creates a visual connotation suggesting the presence of a deeper spiritual connection. As in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House (1908-10), a window for example on a north wall created patterns in light that mingled with patterns of light in the landscape. Light rendered the space alive.
LIGHT AND CLIMATE
The engagement of light and climate affects the thermal comfort of space as well as the spirituality experience of the space. The interaction of light and climate affects the culture realm since climate affects people, their rituals and habits. The character of the light can provide a counterpoint of thermal conditions or visual associations spiritually honoring the light. For example, finishes that look warm in tone and as well as feel warm can help to mitigate the psychological effects of cold temperatures.
LIGHT AND TIME
Light celebrates life as a revolving vehicle of time. As seen in Claude Monet’s approach to light in his Grainstack paintings (1891), he revealed the constant shifting of light and color in nature. These shifts are cues that evolve in the landscape. Change is reflected in the light of day. The beauty in his work is the awareness of the changing light. The treatment of darkness is different than the treatment of daylight.
LIGHT AND TASK
“Much of our experience of light comes from working in it.” (pg. 30) Our understanding of the luminosity of light is recognized while attempting to work. We are keenly aware when the quality of light does not fit the task at hand, especially in reading. The Finnish architect Alvar Aalto is regarded for the light quality in buildings he designed among libraries. In the Viipuri Municipal Library (1927-35) his care for lighting lead him to research the appropriate quality of light for reading studying the reflection and distribution of daylight of electrical lights. He determined that diffused light from daylight was best for reading quality, which arrived from all directions, hence free of shadows.
The complex nature of light as discussed in relation to place, nature, climate, time and task calls us to mindfully see the ever changing nuances of light as it defines a space and connects us to nature. Our challenge as designers is to comprehend and appreciate the changing nature of light in a luminous space and treat it with sensitivity to the needs of individuals experiencing the beauty of architecture.
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