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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Master thesis - A new lighting hierarchy for museums

Author

Term

4. Term

Education

Publication year

2022

Pages

50

Abstract

Denne kandidatafhandling udvikler et nyt belysningshierarki for museer for at forbedre, hvordan besøgende opfatter kunstværker og det omgivende rum, ved at undersøge samspillet mellem lys og overfladematerialer. Arbejdet kombinerer en litteraturgennemgang med undersøgelser på stedet i fem danske museer og analyserer, hvordan dagslys og kunstlys fordeles, samt hvordan forskellige materialers reflektans præger oplevelsen. For at diagnosticere og løse problemer systematisk opdeles udstillingsrummene i tre funktionszoner—udstillings-, sidde- og overgangsområde—og udbredte udfordringer identificeres: med kun dagslys varierer kvaliteten over tid, og genstande kan flyde sammen med baggrunden; med kun kunstlys skaber stærke kontraster, at baggrunden forsvinder, og rumlig forvirring opstår; meget matte eller meget blanke overflader kan give visuelle forstyrrelser. Disse indsigter danner designkriterier for hver zone—at fokusere i udstillingsområder, lede bevægelse i overgangsområder og lade siddeområder træde i baggrunden—afprøvet gennem laboratorieforsøg og 3D-simuleringer og tænkt implementeret i Thorvaldsens Museum. Selvom endelige løsninger og brugerinterviews ikke blev gennemført, peger det foreslåede hierarki på en mere sammenhængende lysfordeling, der understøtter både udstillingsobjekter og museumsrummets helhed, og lægger op til videre validering.

This master's thesis develops a new lighting hierarchy for museums to enhance how visitors perceive artworks and the surrounding space by examining the interplay between light and surface materials. The work combines a literature review with on-site investigations in five Danish museums, analyzing how daylight and artificial light are distributed and how different material reflectances shape experience. To diagnose and address issues systematically, museum rooms are subdivided into three functional zones—display, sitting, and transition—and common challenges are identified: with only daylight, lighting quality varies over time and exhibits can blend into the background; with only artificial light, strong contrasts make backgrounds disappear and create spatial confusion; very matte or very glossy surfaces can cause visual disturbances. These insights inform design criteria for each zone—focusing attention in display areas, guiding movement in transition areas, and letting sitting areas recede—tested through laboratory experiments and 3D simulations, and explored for application at Thorvaldsen’s Museum. While final solutions and user interviews were not completed, the proposed hierarchy points to a more coherent light distribution that supports both the exhibits and the museum environment as a whole, and outlines directions for future validation.

[This summary has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project (PDF)]