Lighting design
Designs the natural and artificial light of a space (how much there is, where it comes from and its color) so people can see, find their way and experience the place as intended.
What problem it addresses
The same room looks different depending on how it is lit. Even light everywhere lets you see, but flattens the space and doesn't say what to look at.
Principles
Ambient light
Soft, continuous light lets you see the whole space without hard shadows.
Focal light
More light on what matters and less elsewhere guides the eye.
Sparkle
Small bright points, like candles or crystal chandeliers, bring the place to life.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Design light in layers: first the ambient, then the focus, and finally the sparkle.
Avoid
Filling the ceiling with identical lights that leave everything at the same intensity.
Don’t fall for it
Check how the space looks by day, at night and as the light changes.
Connections
Authors and works
- 1952
Richard Kelly
In an article that year, he proposed thinking of architectural light in three layers: ambient luminescence, focal glow and the play of brilliants.
Sources
Original sources
- Kelly, R. (1952). Lighting as an integral part of architecture. College Art Journal, 12(1).
Last reviewed: