Architect Louis Kahn, a man who is perhaps most associated with “International Style” – an architectural movement concerned most with form and style – recognized that light was not some secondary element in the grand scheme of architecture, but was in fact vital in its capacity to shape experience and direct activity. “We are born of light,” he once said. “The seasons are felt through light. We only know the world as it is evoked by light.”
Human kind has been fascinated by light since our first vision of the sun, and though it set every day, there was a desire to keep its warmth and light burning long after it had disappeared beyond the horizon. It is believed that our first instance with lighting design was one of happenstance. A lighting bolt is said to have probably hit a tree whose dry branches burst into flame and were carried away by humans enamored by its bright light, much like a moth to the flame.
The Torch & Ancient Rome
Through trial and error, our ancestors learned how to start and build up a fire using grass and weeds for kindling andnimal fat for “lighter fluid.” Though rudimentary by today’s standards, communal fire pits protected our ancestors from predators at nightfall, and later helped them to communicate with each other through smoke signals.
The Ancient Romans redesigned this lighting system using fire pits as a source of warmth, and created the torch, the world’s first flashlight. Using a long, rod-like piece of wood (so as not to burn themselves) with a flammable rag wrapped around the end, the Romans would set the torch in a sconce, a functional bracket that was affixed to both the interior and exterior walls of the home. This provided light in the house and in the streets, revolutionizing the ways in which humankind moved throughout their living quarters and in the streets. No longer restricted by the night sky, the Romans were able to move about freely, no matter the hour. We still see the torch today, used to light outdoor barbeque and picnic areas for social gatherings.
Luminaries and the Medieval World
With time, lighting came to mean more to people by its design than its function. People began to recognize that light could be displayed in a number of ways, and its beauty could transform space and heighten social rankings. At the height of the Renaissance, we begin to see large, pounded gold chandeliers in the homes of nobles and the rising merchant class. Inspired by the Greek and Roman art, metal workers and glass blowers designed the chandeliers with Neoclassical etchings referencing mythological stories of comedy, adventure and tragedy. To own such a chandelier wasn’t just to denote your social status, but it was also used to show your guests your knowledge of the ancient texts, rituals and stories, making it appear that you were as highly educated as you were wealthy.
The Brilliance of the Gas Light
Using a specially mixed fuel set to flame, the gas light burst onto the scene in the 19th century. The most popular lighting method before the invention of the electric light bulb, the gas light was used for home lighting and on urban and rural streets. For the first time, people could control the brightness of the light in their homes by mixing high and low levels of chemicals as opposed to extinguishing an open flame; imagine—alchemy as yesterday’s dimmer switch!
The gaslight was used in stores, restaurants, cafes and factories providing longer business hours for patrons and customers while extending shifts for factory workers – all of which led to increased production and commercialization in the West.
Electricity: Industry in Review
Thanks to the industrious efforts of Thomas Edison, the world was introduced to the electric light bulb. Electricity proved to be less expensive and more user-friendly, and thus during the 20th century, electricity was available in every nuclear American family’s home nationwide, and lighting design once again was making an impact in interior design, with brands like Feiss, Artemide and Flos lighting. With their architectural running magnet runners and pendant lamps, design lighting revolutionized the way space was used in the home, and transformed the way the public looked at light; it wasn’t just an energy source, it was, and is, a way of life.
