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DETAILS [lighting talk] This issue Robert Such talks to Jim Olson of Olson Kundig Architects. COULD YOU TELL ME... … what made you become an architect?
As a kid I loved to draw and build things. My dad said, “If you can make your hobby into a career, you will be happy.”
… how important lighting is to your architecture? Light brings architecture to life. It helps to define shapes and it is crucial in creating mood and ambiance.
… what excites you about light and lighting? Using light as a medium, we can ‘sculpt’ and ‘paint’ with light. James Turrell has long been a powerful influence on me in the way he creates an illusion of materiality and space with indirect light. In my own apartment in Seattle [1]
, a 25-foot-tall light-well links the
two levels. The ever-changing light effects are a constant reminder of the nature and importance of reflection and contemplation.
… why spending time thinking about and working with light is important to you?
Light is as much a part of our being as breathing. If we can improve the quality of our everyday experience of light, we will improve the quality of human life.
… about how you approach lighting a building through architecture?
Light is considered throughout the design process. Right from the start of a project, we study the available natural light and how we can welcome it inside in winter and shade from it in summer. At the Glass Farmhouse [2]
in Oregon, the orientation takes advantage of
passive solar heat gain from the low-angled winter sun, while in the summer, roof overhangs and a light shelf block the high hot summer sun from entering.
I like to create ledges or soffits that shade direct sunlight while reflecting it onto ceiling planes for indirect and pleasant natural illumination. At An American Place [3]
in Seattle, we devised a
soffit that included art lighting into it, making for a cleaner ceiling plane aesthetic. Later in the design process, artificial lighting is studied to achieve the proper light for functionality and tuning the light to create the appropriate mood. Often light plays a dramatic
role by accentuating the patterns of structure and architecture, as seen in our Hong Kong Villa [4]
in the southeast corner of Hong Kong Island.
… about the role lighting plays in the life of a city? And through your work, how do you contribute to it? Lighting plays an important role in providing safety, but must be soft enough to create a pleasant setting, for example at the West Seattle Residence [5]
we designed. The project name was Zen
House. Light can also emphasise the uses of a city by dramatically directing the focus of our eyes upon an urban focal point. It defines the structure of a city as seen from a distance; for example, a boulevard might resemble a string of pearls. Or the Lightcatcher Building [6]
, its focal point and most innovative feature is a
spectacular, translucent wall 11 metres (37 feet) high and 55 metres (180 feet) long that captures the Northwest’s most precious natural resource, sunlight. Lantern-like, it provides a warm and welcoming beacon to the community, as well as an attractive new civic feature downtown.
… about the best and the worst illuminated places you have visited?
Light is best when it is appropriate to the function it is serving. Take a restaurant for example; at dinner time, softer light creates a warm and comfortable ambiance. Lamps with fabric shades soften the light and can create a pleasing glow. Bright direct lighting can ruin a dining experience even though it may provide safety and an assurance of cleanliness at the expense of a romantic mood.
… about the importance of shadows and the balance of darkness and light in your work? I read the book In Praise of Shadows, by Junichiro Tanizaki and I completely agree with the premise that dim light and shadows create mystery and romance and drama, thus making the experience of life much richer.
www.olsonkundigarchitects.com in Shek-O, an historic fishing village
Pic: Dick Busher
Pic: Tim Bies
Pic: Paul Warchol
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