Abstract
A PAPER by R. O. Sutherland published in Light and Lighting of December gives a history of the progress made in architectural lighting during the last ten years. He states that this kind of lighting received great inspiration from the French Colonial Exhibition in 1925. As a result of the illumination shown at this festival, ornamental features in the form of tiles and richly decorated panels in moulded glass were popularized in buildings, especially those used for catering and entertainment purposes. The floral character of this lighting soon gave way to a more restrained treatment. Plain sheet opal glazing was largely substituted for moulded glass. This made it economical to have large areas of lighted panels. Once the idea of converting an architectural element into a lighting feature was established, it rapidly became a typical method of architectural lighting technique. A photograph of the lighting of the Egyptian Hall in the London Mansion House, and of the lighting in the library of the University of Cambridge, show how the architectural treatment is emphasized in a simple and dignified way by the illumination. To Londoners and visitors to London the lighting of some of the escalators on the underground railways is of interest. The barrel ceiling is lighted from standards placed at 8-foot intervals, each containing a 100-watt lamp in a suitable reflector. The illumination is ample for the needs of the traveller, and is sufficient for the vault sides to be used as advertisement space. In the lighting of the gallery of the Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon, the acoustic panels at the back of the auditorium are also utilized as light reflectors.
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Architectural Lighting. Nature 139, 145 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139145b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139145b0