THEORY STUDIES: ARCHETYPICAL ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING PRACTICES IN CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR DESIGN A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Joanne Pui Yuk Kwan February 2010 © 2010 Joanne Pui Yuk Kwan ABSTRACT This thesis focuses on identifying, classifying and naming unnamed artificial lighting archetypes in contemporary, professionally designed interiors that are derived from reiterative historical designs. The study is a component of the Intypes (Interior Archetypes) Research and Teaching Project established in 1997 at Cornell University. An Intype is an ideal example of a historical determined practice of design from which similar models are derived, emulated or reiterated. In the 20th century lighting design became a field and an area of specialization in interior design, architecture and engineering. Lighting is a subject of many books and design literature often alludes to its importance. Many of the studies focus on the phenomenon of light itself, including issues related to perception and technical requirements. Although there are some case studies of individual projects, there is little scholarship about lighting for contract interior design. Accounts of the history of interior spaces primarily focus on lighting fixtures or light sources. This study is one of the few of its kind; it creates a typology of the professional design and architectural practices of artificial lighting in interior spaces. The study identifies and documents lighting solutions that have been reiterated through time and contributes to a vocabulary for teaching and comparative analysis. This research offers practice-based research which may encourage design criticism and discourse in both academia and professional practice. Eight artificial lighting Intypes—Color Flood, Follow Me, Float, Halo, Hot Spot, Light Body, Light Seam, Patches—were identified and classified based on a comprehensive survey of contemporary design trade magazines, scholarly articles, secondary sources and site visits of significant recently completed interiors. Each typology was developed by describing a practices characteristic qualities and tracing its reiterations back historically. Only one of the lighting Intypes, Float, began appearing in articles in the 1920 era; Light Seam followed, but twenty years later in the 1940 decade. Follow Me, Patches and Halo began in the 1950 decade. The remainder of types, however, began in the 1960 and 1970 decades and experienced expanded growth in the 1990 era that accelerated in the 2000 to 2010 decade. The lighting Intypes developed in this thesis were distributed in several practice types. All of the Intypes were used in residential settings, hospitality, retail design and public spaces/institutional. Overall, creative lighting expressions were found more often in hospitality, entertainment and retail venues where lighting contributes significantly to atmosphere and spectacle. In addition to this research thesis, the Artificial Lighting Intypes developed in this study will be disseminated through the free and open website— www.Intypes.Cornell.edu—a web-based research and teaching site that makes design history and contemporary practice accessible to academics, professionals and students. ii BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Joanne Kwan grew up in the small city of Hong Kong, where the superiority of efficiency and economics in the fast paced city has left in her a longing for reawakening the different kinds of human emotions. Inspired by the sense of place she found in architecture and theatre design, Kwan studied interior design and received her Bachelor of Science in human environmental relations from Cornell University. She considers light as one of the most evocative elements of spatial design, thus leaped at this opportunity to further her studies about lighting practices in the immediate interior environment soon after under the guidance of professor Jan Jennings, Edward Intemann and Sabine Haenni. iii To those who have given me light. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are too many who have in their different ways helped me along my journey thus far, but first and foremost I would like to thank my thesis chair, professor Jan Jennings. Jan helped provide me with a framework in which to study lighting and interior design. She was a mentor, a friend and a vigorous helmswoman who has nonetheless allowed me to explore for myself the path of learning. A very important Thank You to my committee members professor ED Intemann and Sabine Haenni who always brought up new perspectives and reminded that there is no end to learning, taking off the pressure of writing and renewing my passion for the subject. Even when still on sabbatical, professor Kathleen Gibson was not only the icon czar but also my 3D Max Guru. The rest of the DEA department, especially the administrative staff, Linda, Kim, Nicki and Terry have in so many ways helped make my life so much easier. Professor Rhonda Gilmore was my extremely wonderful unofficial cheerleader. To Rachel Barry and Sara Patterson, my two partners in crime and great counselors this past year, without your encouragements and meetings, there would be little motivation, no progress and no fun. Outside the little world of Ithaca, my family support team have constantly kept me in touch with life besides schoolwork. My sister Stephanie in Massachusetts has been the greatest member, accompanying me over extended phone conversations late at night as I walk home alone, letting me take over most of her apartment and perhaps her after-hours-life for more than two months, and even picking up after both of my moves. To all those I have mentioned and many others I may have forgotten, Thank You once again. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Biographical sketch……………………………………………………………..…. iii Dedication………………………………………………………………………...… iv Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………… v Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….. vi List of Figures………………………………………………………………………. ix List of Tables………………………………………………………………………. xvi Chapter 1: The Study……………………………….…………………………… 1 1.0 The Study……………………………….……………………………… 2 1.1 Introduction and Premise of the Study………………………………. 3 1.2 An Overview of Electric Lighting Design in Architectural Interiors.. 5 1.3 The Intypes Research and Teaching Project ……………………… 13 1.4 Research Protocol……………………………….…………………… 15 1.5 General Literature Review …………………………………………… 20 1.6 Analysis and Summary of Findings ………………………………… 31 1.7 Assessment of Research ……………………………….………….. 35 Chapter 2: Hotspot……………………………….……………………………… 40 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 41 Effect……………………………….………………………………………. 41 Chronological Sequence……………………………….………………… 43 Chapter 3: Follow Me…………………………………………………………… 52 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 53 vi Description………………………………………………………………… 53 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 54 Chronological Sequence……………………………….………………… 55 Chapter 4: Patches……………………………………………………………… 68 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 69 Description………………………………………………………………… 69 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 70 Chronological Sequence……………………………….………………… 71 Chapter 5: Color Flood………………………………………………………… 88 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 89 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 89 Chronological Sequence……………………………….………………… 92 Chapter 6: Float………………………………………………………………… 111 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 112 Description………………………………………………………………… 112 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 113 Chronological Sequence……………………………….…………………114 Chapter 7: Light Body…………………………………………………………. 127 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 128 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 128 Chronological Sequence……………………………….……...……..… 131 vii Chapter 8: Light Seam………………………………………………………… 145 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 146 Description………………………………………………………………… 146 Effect……………………………….……………………………………… 147 Chronological Sequence……………………………….……...……..… 155 Chapter 9: Halo………………………………………………………………….. 169 Definition……………………………….………………………………….. 170 Description………………………………………………………………… 170 Effect….……………………………….…………………………………… 171 Chronological Sequence……..……………………….………………… 172 Appendix A: Lighting Designers……..……………………….…………… 186 Appendix B: A Brief Overview of Artificial Light in Art ……..………… 189 Appendix C: Luminous Architecture around the 1920 and 1930 Decades…… 196 Works Cited.…………………….………………………..……………………… 200 Glossary……..……………………….………………………..………………… 203 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Development of various lighting practices across time………….. 32 Figure. 2.1 Tendency of movement in relation to Hotspot……………………. 43 Figure 2.2 Eglise le Sacré Coeur.……………………………………………….. 45 Figure 2.3 Christ Church Oyster Bay.…………………………………………… 45 Figure 2.4 Apartment in East Side Manhattan Cooperative………………….. 46 Figure 2.5 Stardust Lounge, Stardust-Sangu Restaurant…………………….. 47 Figure 2.6 f/X Networks Corporate Headquarters………………………………48 Figure 2.7 Dr. Maryam Mohammadi's dental office……………………………. 49 Figure 2.8 The Ropponji J restaurant…………………………………………… 50 Figure 2.9 Micro, Cocoon Club………………………………………………….. 51 Figure 3.1 Art Collectors Townhouse…………………………………………... 56 Figure 3.2 Wedgwood Club………………………………………………………. 57 Figure 3.3 Avon Products Headquarters……………………………………….. 58 Figure 3.4 Advertising and Market Offices of William A. Robinson, Inc…….. 60 Figure 3.5 Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates Offices……………. 62 Figure 3.6 Private House in Indiana Wells……………………………………… 62 Figure 3.7 Mary Boone Gallery………………………………………………….. 63 Figure 3.8 Lyric Theatre Oklahoma