Lighting in Design

Kelly made a distinction here between three

basic functions:

Ambient luminescence

is the element of light

that provides general illumination of the sur-

roundings.

Focal glow

typifies directed lighting used to at-

tract attention, accentuate and create hierarchies

of perception.

Play of brilliants

is light as an aesthetic end in

itself and adds light effects for a special ambi-

ence in the room.

Designing with light

Though Kelly’s concept of the three lighting func-

tions dates back more than half a century, it has lost

none of its relevance despite the ongoing evolution

of lighting technology away from the incandes-

cent lamp and towards LED technology. Simple

perception-orientated differentiation translates into

a complex lighting concept that meets the current

requirements of shop lighting.

The ideal lighting concept combines all three

light categories in a well-balanced relationship.

Ambient luminescence delivering pleasant bright-

ness to the room is provided by lighting tools such

as downlights and wallwashers.This light forms the

basis for a shop concept as it facilitates general

orientation and creates good visual comfort. The

choice of colour temperature sets the tone for more

scenic illumination: Neutral white light creates a

fresher, dynamic atmosphere suitable, for instance,

for the presentation of sports fashion.Warmwhite

light, on the other hand, produces a more formal,

distinguished ambience frequently favoured in the

nterior designers face special challenges with

the complex requirements behind the effective

illumination of fashion, so what is it that defines

a good clothing shop concept, which see clients

return time and time again?

The appeal and quality of the products and

their value must be projected optimally so the

importance of the right lighting concept is clear:

lighting tools should respond to frequently chang-

ing collections and decorations, accurately render

the colours of fabric, and draw the attention of

the customer to where it is wanted. Modern LED

technology provides a great solution and the lat-

est generation of lighting tools delivers a quality

of light that matches the standard of conventional

light sources, yet is significantly longer lasting and

more efficient.

The language of light

Around 80 percent of the information we receive

about the world around us comes through our

eyes. Careful thought therefore must be given to

a sophisticated lighting solution for use in fashion

stores. Our visual perception is influenced not so

much by the quantity of the lighting, as by its qual-

ity. One of the great pioneers of qualitative light-

ing design, Richard Kelly (1910 -1977), developed

a perception-orientated lighting concept in the

1950s which, to this day, provides the basis for

good lighting design. Kelly broke away from the

rigid constraints of using uniform illuminance as

the central criterion of lighting design. He replaced

the question of lighting quantity with the question

of individual qualities of light.

The Opton retail spotlight with warm white

LED light in 38Wand 28Wversions and 6-de-

gree narrow spot with up to 3105 lm covers

the full bandwidth of lighting requirements of

this Italian menswear fashion label. Despite

a significant distance between ceiling and

products, the spotlight with its unusually

narrow beam for LED lighting and its high

lumen packages illuminates the products

with high-contrast accent. Black lacquered

and mounted on tracks, the system’s design

becomes a stylish architectural feature.

Kiton Showroom

LiD

11-12/14