What does this portrait of Siouxie Sioux* have in common with the DeYoung Museum** in San Francisco?
How they filter the light. Seemingly delicate. Definitely beautiful in their craftsmanship. And effective in their relationship with the LIGHT. At architecture school in Miami, we often mentioned “brise soleil” - a necessary element if you want daylight, but don’t want to get scorched or blinded. Now, DAYLIGHTING is a common element included in the design intent for most LEED projects.
Other buildings that are memorable and exemplary for innovative ways to filter daylight include Jean Nouvel’s Arab Institute in Paris, with the exterior pattern being actual apertures (that do or do not function, as the docents informed me years ago), with intricate Arabic-inspired patterns that are beautiful close-up or far away. And of course, Louis Kahn’s Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth, Texas, with the curved geometry of the concrete ceilings opened to the sun to let the light enter from above but be diffused onto the interiors, providing exceptional indirect light for the art, and communicating ingenuity to future generations who journey through the space.
Yes, it’s all about the lighting. The daylighting, that is.
*Photo by Jay Blakesberg
**Photos by me, AO, 2024
(This is not AI)