Lighting in Design Q2 2019

A focus on façades

A rchitecture that appears neutral during the day and blends unassumingly into its setting can turn out to be a work of art at night. Light can envelop a structure like a second skin. If lighting units are integrated in a façade so that they are concealed or are mounted inconspicuously away from a façade, this produces a particularly striking surprise effect. Selectively configured light structures result in fascinating patterns of light that can redefine a building. But all this to become practically operational needs extra attention so as to address the associated concerns of environment and efficiency, yet depict minute architectural details. The form of façades is determined not only by their material and shape but also by the light and its direction and colour.The appearance of a façade alters during the course of the day due to the changing di- rection of light and the varying components of diffuse and direct light. Different light distributions and the use of lighting control systems give façades an appearance of their own at night. Varying illumi- nances differentiate components or areas of a façade. Grazing light emphasises facade details while wash lighting facades allow them to appear in their entirety. Shining any light beyond the facade surfaces, either to the sides or over the top, should be avoided. Nightscapes today are created by illuminated building façades facilitating orienta- tion, conveying messages, communicating emotions and creating attention. Keeping all this in mind, contemporary lighting solutions for building façades need to create added value for local authorities or have architectural or economic merit by making a location more beautiful and safer, showing a building off in the right light or getting a positive corporate image across. Achieving this demands great aesthetic design sensibility. Enhanced emphasis on façade lighting The number of buildings that have illuminated façades is increasing sharply. Because of architectural, societal and technological changes, lighting design faces new challenges. Saving energy is an omnipresent challenge, façade lighting must, therefore, get to grips with ecologi- cal compatibility issues. All lighting entails increased expenditure on energy. Light that is not properly directed onto a façade is perceived When designing a building in the past, the main exterior architectural concepts were façade decoration and ornamentation. Today, however, façade lighting has a leading role in the decoration and identity of modern buildings. The low consumption of LED lights combined with the low heat dispersion and great flexibility of the materials and the technologies on which they are based allow for the creation of unique stylistic and artistic façades.

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LiD Q2 - 2019