In urban areas, lighting stimulates public nightlife. Both cultural institutions and businesses benefit from a lively nightlife. Striking facade lighting makes buildings visible in the urban environment and facilitates orientation.
Uniform facade lighting makes landmark buildings stand out and gives them a quiet presence in the urban space. Conversely, light accents structure large surfaces and emphasise architectural details such as columns or cornices.
We can give you tips on how to illuminate your facades in a striking way that is in keeping with the needs of people and the environment.
1. Select the appropriate light distribution :
Outdoor luminaires offer different light distributions. The choice ranges from very narrow to wide beam distributions. This makes it possible to implement a wide range of lighting concepts: from the precise accentuation of the smallest façade details with narrow light distributions to the uniform illumination of large buildings.
2. Light up evenly :
Wall lighting illuminates facades uniformly and emphasises the dimension of the architecture as a whole. The great advantage in urban design is that a vertical surface creates a strong impression of brightness even with low illuminance.
3. Giving relief with grazing light:
Grazing light is another form of wall lighting. Light striking the façade at a very shallow angle emphasises the structure of the surface. Especially in the case of historic facades with structured surfaces and reliefs, grazing light is very impressive. Facade luminaires and recessed floor luminaires are ideal for this purpose.
4. Correct use of light colours and contrasts :
Different light colours emphasise the shade of the materials. For warm materials such as wood, warm light colours such as 3,000 K are used, and for cooler surface colours such as facing concrete, cooler light colours such as 4,000 K. Different light levels also help to differentiate the façade elements.
5. Ensure responsible use of light:
Sustainable lighting solutions and environmentally friendly use are of prime importance for outdoor applications. In order to avoid light pollution, we recommend that luminaires are correctly oriented so that no light shines into the sky. Choosing the right brightness also helps to protect the environment. It is therefore worthwhile opting for outdoor luminaires that are dimmable.
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LM5P – Le Mouton à 5 Pattes can provide you with many other valuable tips for lighting design and show you how to illuminate different types of plants in a spectacular way. We also offer lighting studies and night renderings for a better visualisation of the lighting principles.