Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Light Series 2

Light Series 2 Assignment:
We have been assigned to visit an art museum, a restaurant, and a retail store.  We are to identify the lighting situation in each based on brightness, glare, type of lighting, patterns in shadow, etc.

The RESTAURANT I visited was the Cheesecake Factory in Charlotte NC.  While visiting I noticed the lighting in the space varies for what it is needed for.  There is drop down lighting over the tables, the bar, and the hostess desk.  There is also recessed lighting everywhere else.  I really have always enjoyed the lighting in this space.  The patterns along the tables and over the bar (made by the actual fixtures and/or reflections and shadows) are very soothing and gentle but enough to provide adequate lighting for the specific area. The lighting also keeps the restaurant unified with all the same glow.   
The ART MUSEUM I visited is called REDUX contemporary art center - it is a museum and a studio.  The illumination of this room I sketched as well as the others in the museum are lighted by track lighting hanging from above.  The actual walls of the museum do not go all the way to the ceiling, and the ceiling is painted black, to the lights hang to the height of the walls.  In this museum there is no glare, the brightness is very sufficient for the artwork.  The exhibit installation is not only artwork but the walls are painted according to the paintings on the wall.  I have no recommendations for glare or the brightness.  I think it was very easy to view all the artwork. 
There were some patterns of light falling on the wall because  track lights cast  round light spot on the wall (bright in the center and grows lighter as you get near the edge). The only problem with this was since the walls were painted as well as the art work the painting on the walls is not illuminated.  The artwork is the only thing illuminated but there are certain paintings within the wall.  I would suggest a more even lighting.

The RETAIL STORE I decided to explore is TRANQUILITIES on Spring Garden St.  This small store is full of stuff (candles, jewelery, home decor, etc).  The lighting bouces from one thing to another.  The main sources of lighting are lamps and small over head recessed lighting.  There are also small lights attached to shelves everywhere in the store, they are used to highlight items.  The store is lit brightly everywhere.  However, there was so much stuff the whole atmostphere was overwhelming and cluttered.  The majority of the light on the shelves were halogen, which was too bright and washed out the items.  I would recommend reducing the strength of the halogen lights or reduce the number of them.  There was also a lot of pattern created by the light themselves.  The bright lights scattered throughout drew your eye from one to the other, but kept you eye away from the items in the store.  The lighting however works because it is the same all throughout the store, and especially works in the jewelry section because the halogen lights up the jewels.  

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