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An executive master's programme thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Bringing the Dynamic Qualities of Natural Light into Thorvaldsen's Museum Front Hall

Author

Term

4. Term

Education

Publication year

2025

Submitted on

Pages

39

Abstract

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan ankomsten til Thorvaldsens Museums forhal kan styrkes ved at bringe dagslysets skiftende kvaliteter ind i rummet gennem en dobbelt-dynamisk belysningsstrategi. Udgangspunktet er, at forhallen fungerer som tærskel mellem byrum og museum, men i dag opleves som mørk på overskyede dage, blændende i direkte sol og utilstrækkeligt oplyst i loftet, hvilket svækker førsteindtrykket og skulpturoplevelsen. Projektet sætter som hovedformål at skabe en mere indbydende og stemningsfuld ankomst, der både fremhæver Thorvaldsens skulpturer og understøtter foyeren som samlings- og overgangsrum. Tilgangen kombinerer litteraturstudie om dagslys og dynamisk belysning med analyser af rum, eksisterende belysning og dagslysforhold, herunder solbanestudier, samt en survey, efterfulgt af designintentioner, forslag og evaluering op mod tre kriterier. Den foreslåede løsning oversætter den kendte dobbelt-dynamiske tilgang fra kontormiljøer til en kulturel kontekst og sammenstiller ambient, diffus loftsbelysning med retningsbestemt accentbelysning, der reagerer på dagslystilstrømningen fra sidevinduerne, for at opnå en balanceret lysmodellering og en mere sammenhængende døgnrytme i rummet. De endelige resultater og begrænsninger behandles senere i afhandlingen og fremgår ikke af det medfølgende uddrag.

This thesis explores how to enhance arrival and first impressions in the front hall of Thorvaldsen's Museum by bringing the changing qualities of natural light into the space through a double dynamic lighting strategy. The hall acts as a threshold between street and museum but today reads as dark on overcast days, glary in direct sun, and underlit at the ceiling, which undermines sculpture perception and the foyer’s social role. The primary aim is to create a more inviting, coherent arrival that both reveals the form of Thorvaldsen’s sculptures and supports the hall as a gathering and transitional space. The approach combines a literature review on daylight and dynamic lighting with analyses of the space, existing lighting and daylight conditions, including sun-path studies and a survey, followed by design intentions, a proposal, and evaluation against three criteria. The proposed scheme adapts the well-known double dynamic concept from office settings to this cultural context, layering ambient diffuse ceiling light with directional accent light responsive to daylight inflow from side windows to achieve balanced light modelling and a more immersive, day-attuned experience. Final results and limitations are presented later in the thesis and are not included in the provided excerpt.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]