When people mention “floating”, they will think of the Chinese painting in the East, full of artistic conception. When this fluid and ethereal form is refracted to the building, it creates a smooth exterior form of the building without a sense of gravity, making the bulky building lighter and more futuristic.
Light, as the image of architecture at night, has many possibilities in terms of expression, some are reserved, passionate or dynamic, all to better fit the architectural and cultural background and humanistic demands, light creates such a way for architecture. The magic displayed in the extraordinary nighttime image has made it stand on the stage of an important era and become an indispensable and important role.
As a form of architectural expression, the “floating” light should be more appropriately explained by using light to create a lighter abstract floating visual sense that enables the building to de-gravity even at night, which is in line with the daytime performance of the building.
The application of lighting makes the seemingly rigid building materials appear softer, and the whole building has more flexible colors.
The combination of light and material complements the surrounding environment, making the building more distinctive.
Under the background of lights and reflections in the water, different architectural forms integrate virtual and real, which can create a dynamic floating picture.
So how does this floating light come about? To better understand this concept, this article combines several projects to capture its artistry.
Centro Botín Art and Culture Center
The first to introduce is the Centro Botín Art and Culture Center in Spain, designed by architect Renzo Piano and invested by the Botín Foundation. It is a space dedicated to art, culture, and various activities of the Botín Foundation.
Spanish artec3 lighting studio is responsible for the lighting design of the case and is deepened and implemented by Italian iGuzzini lighting.
They solve the glare effect of lighting on people through excellent anti-glare design, improve visual comfort, and the perfect light color better reflects the color and texture of building materials. The rigorous optical design makes the light on the building surface more uniform so that the artwork-like building can be displayed flawlessly in front of the world.
What the building presents to us during the day is the hull covered with the same circular pearlescent ceramic discs, through which it captures the shimmering light of the ocean, bringing joy and light to the grey and cloudy Santander.
At night, the floodlights mounted on the Multipro poles spread the light evenly on the vertical surface of the pearlescent ceramic shell, while the bottom surface of the pearlescent shell is buried by the low-power special elliptical light distribution mounted on the ground. The lights are evenly brightened. Through multiple simulations and light output ratios, the brightness and light color of the entire shell is evenly balanced, making it look like it is flying on a glowing halo, like an aircraft that has escaped gravity. Soaring freely over the Atlantic Ocean.
So far, this huge city port has become a gathering place for people at night. There are charity receptions and concerts organized by the foundation, creative arts, music and dance for adults and children, and various activities and lectures for citizens. , festivals and ceremonies.
At night, people walk towards this aircraft floating on the halo along the quiet lights of the seashore, looking for their happiness and freedom, everything is so harmonious and beautiful, the blue harbor, the buildings connecting the land and the sea, the soft and quiet lights and people who play. Nature, architecture, light, and people coexist harmoniously, and light has become an indispensable link to guide all of them.
Estonian National Museum
The Estonian National Museum is located in Tartu, Estonia’s second-largest city, the “Cultural Capital”. Paris-based DGT Architects won the bid, not designing on the original site, but on a nearby abandoned Soviet air base.
Since the building utilizes the original airport runway, the rectangular layout is integrated with the runway, and the whole building is like a long slope-shaped roof rising from the land along the slight slope of the runway, forming a covered space. The interior and exterior of the space are separated by light-colored glass, forming a space where the exhibition area interacts visually with the outdoor natural landscape.
While viewing the exhibition, people can feel the ever-changing nature of the natural world. The direct natural light from the south-facing glass and the influx of indirect natural light from the north-facing glass inject natural vitality into the building.
This man-made line surrounded by Tartu’s beautiful natural landscape of forests, lakes, and rolling hills has become a Tartu landmark.
iGuzzini lighting illuminates this stunning elongated building as if it were born from the earth, and at night the entire interior of the glass box is washed by its linear lighting system.
The perfect Wall Grazing optical system is designed to create uniform lighting for the entire vertical surface of the building, avoiding obvious dark areas on the building surface, and the perfect light color reveals a warm color through the glass, making the entire glass box printed with special patterns crystal clear elegant lighting.
The roof at the entrance is lifted, and the underground lighting system with special light distribution spreads the light evenly on the giant roof. Strict glare control avoids the glare effect on people at the entrance.
And cleverly avoids the formation of reflective spots on the glass, and the uniform optical connection allows the entire roof to float above the halo without gravity, creating an infinitely extending rising visual sense for the entire building, elevating the architectural vision and expanding to the boundless sky. Lead the minds of tourists into infinite free space.
This light of art makes the building express the architectural intention of deviating from gravity, light, and upward, and perfectly interprets the profound meaning that the building wants to express.
This is a museum that records the history of national suffering. The architectural design makes people forget the heavy tension and creates a sense of respect and ritual for history and culture.
Lighting brings a light, elegant and transparent image to the building, which has the historical significance of awakening national pride and facing the future with a positive attitude. People visit exhibitions, watch performances, and study freely here.
At night, this crystal clear glass light box lies on the quiet hills and lakes of Tartu, like a powerful light box floating on the field, bringing light to the citizens of Tartu and guiding people to face the future. Turned into a “light soul” in the wilderness.
