"Meaning of Light" course
Aalborg university, MSc. in Lighting design, semester I
(grade obtained: 12)
- architectural lighting - experiential design - seeing, understanding & communicating light - qualitative & quantitative methods -
Project 1. Play of Light and Shadow
Meeting the Shadow
“The shadow goes by many familiar names: the disowned self, the lower self, the dark twin or brother in bible and myth, the double, repressed self, alter ego, id. When we come face-to-face with our darker side, we use metaphors to describe these shadow encounters: meeting our demons, wrestling with the devil, descent to the underworld, dark night of the soul, midlife crisis.” (Connie Zweig)
The Space
Brandston (Brandston, R. (2008). Learning to See. A Matter of Light) encourages lighting designers to always seek being creative. He says that rules are a substitute for thinking, and so we shouldn’t discard ideas or experiences because of our own imposed fears.
Together with the project team, we went for the one place that we couldn’t find on the map, which instantly made us imagine a world that isn’t there, a lighting design that is what we wish it to be.
Together with the project team, we went for the one place that we couldn’t find on the map, which instantly made us imagine a world that isn’t there, a lighting design that is what we wish it to be.
The Process
We wanted to rethink the relationship between light and shadow (reality/illusion). The dynamic properties held by shadow and darkness stimulate our senses and imagination, as described by Tanizaki (Tanizaki, J. (1977). In Praise of Shadows). Shadows were used experimentally, to reveal the space and the spatial relationship to us, and to activate our depth perception.
The Design
According to Kelly (Kelly, R. (1952). Lighting as an Integral Part of Architecture), using a focal glow, ambient luminescence and play of brilliants, one can make a lighting design easy to see, the space feeling safe and respectively stimulate the spirit.
We had 3 sources of light:
1. a spot light (for focal glow)
2. a light bar in the back (for ambient luminescence)
3. candles on the stairs at 90 degrees (for play of brilliants)
We had 3 sources of light:
1. a spot light (for focal glow)
2. a light bar in the back (for ambient luminescence)
3. candles on the stairs at 90 degrees (for play of brilliants)
Two of Descottes’ (Descottes, H. (2011). Architectural Lighting. Designing with Light and Space) principles on light that I want to highlight here are Color and temperature and Direction and distribution.
The staircase – defined by its surrounding light painted materials – was softened through the application of light hues of pink and blues, highly saturated. In this way, a new identity was attributed to the space through light, to convey a surreal mood. The change in direction and distribution accentuate the presence and form of the manlike figures and expand our perception of space.
The staircase – defined by its surrounding light painted materials – was softened through the application of light hues of pink and blues, highly saturated. In this way, a new identity was attributed to the space through light, to convey a surreal mood. The change in direction and distribution accentuate the presence and form of the manlike figures and expand our perception of space.
For our final exhibition, we have put all our efforts together in order to give a new meaning to a space that we would otherwise perceive as a staircase. Understanding it requires a special effort on our part: it demands a totally new orientation to seeing.
Light – gives us a sense of the reality around us - of the known and the familiar
Shadow – gives us a distorted sense of reality; surreal, of ever-changing colors and sizes
Shadow – gives us a distorted sense of reality; surreal, of ever-changing colors and sizes
Two planes of reality or two parallel truths. Not only something that is elided to, but something that is physically represented to the subconscious. The installation is intended to create the effect of being immersed in a dream. Here, one is able to drift from one reality to another, all existing within a single paradigm of equivalence.
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Project 2. Movement of Light
- Observations on the dynamics of light in my Copenhagen apartment - a timeline -
According to Kahn (Kahn, L. (1985). Between Light and Silence), the meeting between the unmeasurable (Silence) and the measurable (Light) happens where inspiration happens. Inspiration therefore serves as basis for the vision meeting the specifications of a lighting design. The grey walls of my apartment, especially, captured my attention the most; it became illusive that I was not just observing them, but that the light was presenting the walls to me in so many captivating ways, throughout that day. Therefore it is important to us, as lighting designer, to acknowledge that everything belongs to light and that we should also honor materials for the ways they speak to us about light.
From the sun’s path across the sky, I could observe and learn the various phenomenological possibilities it provided within the space, with a keen consideration to height and two of its visual effects.
As Descottes (Descottes, H. (2011). Architectural Lighting. Designing with Light and Space) says, although the sun is million miles away, we find comfort and a sense of intimacy in every sunrise and sunset on the horizon. Sitting close to the balcony, I could feel the increasing glow of the light on my clothes and body, which brought down the physical notion of space.
Throughout the day, the sight of the fast-moving clouds contributed to this almost theatrical and pleasant ambience always changing, a new sensation of time within the space.
The scientific and phenomenological lessons drawn from our observations of the sun can be applied to architectural lighting design to create spaces that people immediately relate to and understand on a primitive level.
As Descottes (Descottes, H. (2011). Architectural Lighting. Designing with Light and Space) says, although the sun is million miles away, we find comfort and a sense of intimacy in every sunrise and sunset on the horizon. Sitting close to the balcony, I could feel the increasing glow of the light on my clothes and body, which brought down the physical notion of space.
Throughout the day, the sight of the fast-moving clouds contributed to this almost theatrical and pleasant ambience always changing, a new sensation of time within the space.
The scientific and phenomenological lessons drawn from our observations of the sun can be applied to architectural lighting design to create spaces that people immediately relate to and understand on a primitive level.
