Planning lighting alongside the interior: avoiding glare, using light correctly

Glare

Glare from luminaires significantly impairs visual comfort. At the same time, untidy beam edges with artefacts on the wall, or differing light colours, create a distracting effect in the space. The light emphasises only isolated points on the ceiling. The areas where brightness is actually needed are not taken into account.

Material

Diffused light

Diffused light creates hardly any shadows and models surfaces only weakly. As a result, structure, depth, and brilliance are lacking. Materials with glossy surfaces often appear less refined under diffused light, as reflections and contrasts are not brought out sufficiently.

Directional light

Through shadow, directional light creates stronger modelling and lends the space greater depth. It provides brilliance and makes glossy materials appear more sophisticated. With reflective surfaces, however, the possibility of reflected glare must be taken into account. An angle of incidence of 30° is considered ideal for avoiding distracting reflections, for example on pictures or glossy surfaces. Intense cast shadows model fine textures especially clearly and make surface structures visible. With glossy materials, however, potential reflected glare must be taken into account.