Floodlighting for public buildings
Light architecture is a discipline in its own right. It is employed to create attractive light spaces in the urban area especially.
Floodlit buildings are often to be found in urban centres, where they make a major contribution to the skyglow over the city.
In rural areas, too, floodlighting is often used for historical buildings, including castles and churches, industrial buildings like power plants, and tourist facilities such as cable-car stations. Such lighting installations have major impacts over considerable distances on the natural environment and the diversity of species.
Light sources, luminaires and operation
The best light sources for floodlighting are high-pressure sodium lamps and light-emitting diodes producing a warm white or amber-coloured light. LEDs can also be used to bathe a facade in coloured light.
The lighting system must be carefully installed to ensure that the cone of light is limited to the actual facade. The best results are obtained with top-down floodlighting.
- Floodlighting
Care should be taken not to illuminate reflecting surfaces, including light-coloured walls, metallic surfaces or glass.
The period of illumination should also be limited, possibly on the model of the noise protection regulations in force in various countries, e.g. with the lighting switched off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
One of the objectives of the "Life at Night" project is to establish a code for energy-efficient and eco-friendly lighting for listed buildings. A prototype of an ideal floodlighting system is also being developed and tested on 21 selected churches. For more information on "Life at Night", go to the following website and to Projects >>