Visual Rhythm in lighting design. How light patterns create atmosphere in a museum.    V

Abstract: Studies indicate that incorporating light rhythms have the potential to generate an atmosphere of curiosity to further explore a space. In lighting design, we can describe rhythm as the ‘flow of light’ as the repetition of shadow, shading and highlight patterns of an illuminated three-dimensional surface that we experience in space when we walk through it. To further investigate this topic, a survey was conducted in a computer-generated museum setting to examine how rhythmical light scenarios of both artificial and natural light can create dynamic atmospheres so that they influence the spatial exploration. For this purpose, scenarios of two categories were made by relative darkness in order to create “mystery” and brightness for ‘focal glow’. Each scenario included the incorporation of daylight conditions, encompassing both morning and evening settings. The experiment revealed a preference for the "mystery" scenarios and the evening conditions of both “mystery” and the “focal glow” scenarios. Nonetheless, it is advisable to conduct similar experiments in real-life settings to attain more substantial results and minimize potential survey bias.