Personal
Experiences with Lighting Conditions
As
natural lighting conditions are such an integral part of (sighted) human
existence, it is easy to take them for granted. I am one who, until this point,
has generally not been immediately aware of the conditions that I will
describe. Although some conditions I am very much consciously aware of, this
writing assignment has forced me to recognize and identify conditions of
natural light that are around us all of the time.
For
me, identifying a personal experience of light and place is easy because the entire
environment of the place was awesome and magnificent. The place is Hagia Sophia
in Istanbul, Turkey. I visited Hagia Sophia in 2004 and when I entered the
building, I just had to stop and look up. I was completely taken aback by the
enormity of the structure and marveled at the technology that was required to
erect it. The natural light that streams into the interior is remarkable. There
are (what appears from the floor to be small) windows placed all the way around
the bottom of the large center dome, two rows of windows below the large dome
on two of its walls, windows around the bottoms of all of the half domes, and a
series of tall windows in rows behind what was the pulpit when Hagia Sophia was
a Christian church. There is also a grid of enormous chandeliers; however, as I
was in the space during the day, the light cast by these was very secondary to
the natural light from the windows. The windows that are around the bottoms of
the dome and half domes allow sunlight to stream into the space and bathe the
mosaics, materials, and architectural details in light. The windows act as spot
lights that direct the light to the specific details that one should notice. As
the sun moves overhead, the spot light changes, as does that which is
highlighted. The reflection of light from the interior materials helps to illuminate
the space in a warm glow. And although the overall effect of the light is warm,
the overall space maintains a sense of coolness. I have not seen the interior
of the Hagia Sophia at night, but it must be a very different and equally
dramatic experience. I imagine that the chandeliers create a darker, warmer,
more intimate (quite a feat for such a huge space) lighting condition in which
more shadows are cast and might even take you back in time.
One
of the most common natural lighting conditions is dappled sunlight through
leaves of trees. Although I feel very comfortable in and enjoy this condition,
this is an example of one that did not come to mind immediately. I think it is
because it is so common and familiar. Many built environments mimic the natural
dappling of sun as a means of allowing natural light and controlling heat. This
is especially common in regions that are hot and sunny. Screens can be quite
elaborate, creating interesting patterns of shadow, which, in these
environments, becomes an important design element. Dappled sunlight is also
emulated in outdoor built environments by pergolas, gazeboes, and arbors. The
structures of pergolas, for instance, cast enough shadows to have a cooling
effect outside just as trees do.
I
have lived in three different geographic regions of the United States, the
southeast, the Rocky Mountains, and southern California. The light in these
regions is very different from one another, yet sometimes exhibits
similarities. In the southeastern US summer sunlight is bright but very hazy; the
haze results from the high amounts of moisture in the air. Because of the
humidity and haze, there are few summer days with bright blue skies or when one
can see distant mountains (or distant anything). When the air is saturated, it
can sometimes appear that there is a film over your eyes. The thick light of
summer adds to the feeling of oppressive heat. The summer sunlight in Colorado
is very different from that of the southeastern US. Summer sunlight is very
clear and bright, and can get a bit glary. The sunlight is very intense and can
be very hot (but it’s a dry heat), in part because of the altitude. The skies
over the Rocky Mountains are very clear and blue because of the lack of
moisture in the air, so too is the light. The sunlight in southern California
could be described as a mixture of the previous two conditions. Sunlight can be
very bright and clear when there is little humidity or smog, or it can look
very hazy because of smog conditions.
In
my family in late summer when we have a day with lower humidity, it is common
for us to say, “It looks like fall outside.” The light and shadow that are cast
at the close of summer whet our appetites for the cooler, crisper days of
autumn. Fall light is much clearer than summer light, the shadows are longer
earlier in the day and the sky is a beautiful clear blue. These conditions are
caused by the Earth’s shift toward its winter solstice and less humidity in the
air. It is beautiful light; probably my favorite!
