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Between Light and Lighting
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Architecture of Israel #
105
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May
2016
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page
english
What does light mean to you, apart from
the first part of your name?
A festival of feelings and motion… Light
has a theatrical dimension, the capability
of generating ambience and experience.
Since light isn’t a tangible object, one has to
respond to it, rather than feel it.
What does one need to become a lighting
designer?
First of all, like any other profession -
technical knowledge and rich experience. In
order to extract and support the architectural
creation, one should start with a careful
analysis of the natural sources of light;
discover the shade obtained, and determine
what is needed to highlight or hide. Only
then, using the designer's language, can
one establish the required hierarchy of light.
Meaning...
Unlike daylight when you can see almost
everything, at night, you see only what is
illuminated. Lighting marks boundaries,
accentuates textures, and brings depth to
space. A lighting designer is expected to
maneuver between those two situations, in
order to create something that will allow a
different experience of a place at night as
opposed to day time.
Are you referring mainly to aesthetics?
Not at all. Although essentially visual,
lighting has important functional aspects.
Like “tinting” objects displayed in a store
highlight
the seam between
light and lighting
The relationship between natural and artificial light is undoubtedly one of the most important factors
in architecture - a matter requiring a great deal of involvement in the design process. Alongside
aesthetic aspects, light constitutes a primary functional factor and is, in fact, what distinguishes
between a building in Oslo and one in Tel Aviv. Internalization of this and in light of important
developments in the field of LED in recent years, lighting design has become a cardinal factor in
architecture, mainly interior design. This found extensive expression via the trend of sustainability,
where natural light and computerized shading devices are central. All these have situated lighting
advisors in the foreground of design. The following interview with lighting designer
Orly Avron
Alkabe
s
, focuses mainly on artificial lighting control as a design factor.
to make them more attractive; highlighting
dishes in a restaurant to improve their
“taste”; and separating or connecting
spaces, while giving each space a different
meaning, whether it's a bedroom, a work
station, or a pedestrian path.
Narrative design is popular mainly in
commercial projects. What is the role of
lighting in this respect?
Lighting describes and illustrates the story
of a place. We use lighting to create an
atmosphere that is pleasant or threatening,
cozy or claustrophobic, interesting or banal.
And the role of shadow?
Shadow is the silent partner of light, but it
has no less an effect. Illuminating an object
from the side, for example, will highlight its
contours and create shading that gives the
place an extra dimension.
In the past, lighting fixtures - chandeliers,
were considered furniture. Is this only a
matter of fashion?
The recent technological revolution has
made it possible to reduce the size of
lighting fixtures - making them more
“technological”. However, unlike furniture,
which is accessible and tangible, a lighting
fixture is remote, and its effect is more
experiential than sensed. Light today is
meant to generate atmosphere, which in
turn provokes feelings.
Today, most lighting devices are
imported. With such a prodigious effect
on architecture, is there a different
attitude to lighting in Israel than, say,
Europe?
Israel is flooded with sunlight, and people
are used to high levels of light. The dialogue
with our clients is often about changing
that. In the past, people just wanted “a
flood of light”, today they understand the
significance of proper hierarchy, particularly
when it comes to establishing depth.
I suppose that every architect is aware of
most of this, otherwise he wouldn’t be an
architect… What is your role?
First of all, to understand and decipher the
architectural concept. The lighting designer
must keep in mind that his role is to
complement the design without taking over
the designer's job. For this, we maintain
an ongoing dialogue both with the client
and the architect, who ultimately sets the
architectural tone.
Before we see how things are
implemented in the projects themselves,
have you a list of do or don’t?
I'm not sure I can suggest tips, but this is
what I tell myself: Do the job with passion -
look at each project as if it were the first and
last; listen to the architect and clients and
conduct a dialogue with them; be precise,
don’t compromise; renew each and every
time; and keep up to date with state of the
art and technological solutions.
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Shira Shenton