Artificial Lighting in Art Gallery – Prioritizing Visitor Enjoyment

Art gallery lighting design affects the appreciation of art and is therefore one of the most important factors in the reputation of an art gallery. Using the right lighting system and proper color temperature can enhance the depth and structure of an artwork, whether it is a portrait on a canvas or a sculpture in a lighted corner, proper lighting gives the artwork a sense of life and gives the composition a three-dimensional effect. The use of daylight is considered one of the most critical factors for a lighting designer when planning lighting for an art museum. We will show you a few examples of how artificial lighting design in art museums should be combined with natural lighting so as to realize the best lighting effect.

These main galleries all feature deep skylights with natural lighting in the ceilings, amplifying the effect of natural light pouring in from above, which, along with artificial lighting during the day, evenly illuminates the paintings hanging on the walls. LED ceiling downlights are often times used for essential lighting and magnetic track lights for accent lighting. The minimalist shape and elegant black/white versions of track lighting fixtures allow them to be inserted into the historical part/modern part of any art museum. The installation is varied and flexible, allowing the use of suspended linear profiles that extend along the length of the space to provide an adjustable spotlighting effect on the paintings. In terms of performance, the magnetic track provides flexible lighting to enhance the visitor's enjoyment of the artwork. The optics are highly reliable and scalable, with dimmable and CCT options to allow for the definition of optimal color temperatures for certain paintings, reducing the loss of natural light and maintaining the character of the gallery. Some paintings need to be dimmed by 80% or more for better preservation, some to highlight scenes in the middle of the frame, and to increase the contrast between good and dark effects, thus dimmable LED track lights are always the best choice.

As mentioned above, the design of an art gallery should be focused on consistently providing the feeling of an actively naturally lit space throughout the year to enhance the architecture. Therefore, COB LED spotlights were used extensively to ensure that the lighting was both diffuse and uniform, with more upward lighting to enhance the detail and texture of the sculptures and lines, refining the visual composition and adding a solid edge to the historic space.

LED Pendant lighting can achieve a similar effect as well, such as the custom pendant light hanging in the center of Aberdeen Art Gallery's Memorial Hall, with a simple circular design that glows sideways, replacing the traditional LED linear batten lights commonly used to cast light better upward toward the dome and downward to the floor and sides of the gallery, allowing light to fill the space more evenly. In addition to chandeliers, it can be combined with the downward lighting of surface mounted downlights to better highlight key lighting areas.

In some of the darker areas with low ceiling height, some hidden deep LED recessed downlights can be added to provide low-profile recirculating lighting and integrate most of the lighting into the display case for a localized lighting effect, utilizing spotlights or track lighting fixtures. The importance of wall lighting should not be ignored if referring to an art gallery. Flexible LED strip lights and LED wall washes can be used to enhance the fa?ade, playing light toward the fa?ade so as to highlight its lines.

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