Ambient luminescence
Light to see with
Focal glow
Light to look at
Play of brilliants
Light to focus on
This is the base layer of light providing general
illumination of the surroundings. The role of am-
bient luminescence is to bathe the complete room,
the objects and the people in it in functional light.
‘Focal glow is the follow spot on the modern
stage,’ said Richard Kelly. It is a directional light
with much higher luminous intensity than general
lighting. It draws attention to what is worth seeing
and creates a dramatic composition to match
This is light to focus on – it loves being the centre
of attention. Although it contributes to the general
illumination, it is first and foremost a decorative
element in its own right. The icing on the cake of
the lighting ensemble.
It facilitates orientation and safety – and enables
activity. But it does not need to be cold and aus-
tere: it can make a good contribution to a pleas-
ant atmosphere.
the chosen hierarchy of perception. In doing so,
it puts objects, surfaces, structures and spaces
centre stage. The luminaire itself recedes into the
background as a mere lighting tool. The effect is
what’s special.
Its visual appeal comes from the design of the lu-
minaire AND its effect. Decorative light sculp tures
create brilliant effects on illuminated materials. So
they don’t (just) point to information – they are
information themselves.
L I G H T I N G D E S I G N
Light can do so much more
than just shine
Good light is less a question of quantity and more a question of the forms, functions and
qualities that lead to an excellent outcome through virtuoso interplay. This is how we
interpret the American lighting designer Richard Kelly (1910-1977). He is considered one
of the great pioneers of qualitative lighting design in architectural lighting and coined the
terms ‘ambient luminescence’, ‘focal glow’ and ‘play of brilliants’.
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