Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam
-
0:05 - 0:08You must be really inspired
after this long day, -
0:08 - 0:10but you might be tired, too, right?
-
0:10 - 0:14But this is the last presentation
of the program before the evening, -
0:14 - 0:17so let me start quickly.
-
0:18 - 0:21There's a beautiful statement
on the screen that says, -
0:21 - 0:26"Light creates ambiance,
light makes the feel of a space, -
0:26 - 0:29and light is also
the expression of structure." -
0:29 - 0:31Well, that was not by me.
-
0:31 - 0:35That was, of course, by Le Corbusier,
the famous architect. -
0:35 - 0:40And here you can see what he meant
in one of his beautiful buildings -- -
0:40 - 0:45the chapel Notre Dame Du Haut
De Ronchamp -- -
0:45 - 0:50where he creates this light that he could
only make because there's also dark. -
0:50 - 0:56And I think that is the quintessence
of this 18-minute talk -- -
0:57 - 1:01that there is no good lighting
that is healthy and for our well-being -
1:01 - 1:03without proper darkness.
-
1:06 - 1:09So this is how we normally
would light our offices. -
1:09 - 1:13We have codes and standards that tell us
that the lights should be so much Lux -
1:13 - 1:15and of great uniformity.
-
1:16 - 1:20This is how we create uniform lighting
from one wall to the other -
1:20 - 1:23in a regular grid of lamps.
-
1:24 - 1:27And that is quite different
from what I just showed you -
1:27 - 1:29from Le Corbusier.
-
1:30 - 1:32If we would apply
these codes and standards -
1:32 - 1:34to the Pantheon in Rome,
-
1:34 - 1:36it would never have looked like this,
-
1:36 - 1:41because this beautiful light feature
that goes around there all by itself -
1:41 - 1:45can only appear because there is
also darkness in that same building. -
1:45 - 1:50And the same is more or less
what Santiago Calatrava said -
1:50 - 1:54when he said, "Light: I make it
in my buildings for comfort." -
1:54 - 1:58And he didn't mean the comfort
of a five-course dinner -
1:58 - 2:00as opposed to a one-course meal,
-
2:00 - 2:02but he really meant the comfort
-
2:02 - 2:06of the quality of the building
for the people. -
2:06 - 2:11He meant that you can see the sky
and that you can experience the sun. -
2:11 - 2:16And he created these gorgeous buildings
where you can see the sky, -
2:16 - 2:18and where you can experience the sun,
-
2:18 - 2:21that give us a better life
in the built environment, -
2:22 - 2:28just because of the relevance of light
in its brightness and also in its shadows. -
2:28 - 2:32And what it all boils down to is,
of course, the sun. -
2:32 - 2:35And this image of the Sun may suggest
-
2:35 - 2:37that the Sun is something
evil and aggressive, -
2:37 - 2:38but we should not forget
-
2:38 - 2:42that all energy on this planet
actually comes from the Sun, -
2:42 - 2:47and light is only
a manifestation of that energy. -
2:48 - 2:51The sun is for dynamics,
for color changes. -
2:51 - 2:54The sun is for beauty in our environment,
-
2:54 - 2:57like in this building --
the High Museum in Atlanta, -
2:57 - 3:00which has been created
by Renzo Piano from Italy, -
3:01 - 3:05together with Arup Lighting,
a brilliant team of lighting designers, -
3:05 - 3:11who created a very subtle
modulation of light across the space, -
3:11 - 3:14responding to what the sun does outside,
-
3:14 - 3:17just because of all these
beautiful openings in the roof. -
3:17 - 3:21So in an indirect way,
you can see the sun. -
3:21 - 3:24And what they did is they created
an integral building element -
3:24 - 3:30to improve the quality of the space
that surrounds the visitors of the museum. -
3:31 - 3:33They created this shade
that you can see here, -
3:34 - 3:37which actually covers the sun,
-
3:38 - 3:41but opens up to the good
light from the sky. -
3:41 - 3:45And here you can see how they really
crafted a beautiful design process -
3:45 - 3:47with physical models,
-
3:47 - 3:50with quantitative
as well as qualitative methods, -
3:50 - 3:55to come to a final solution
that is truly integrated -
3:55 - 3:57and completely holistic
with the architecture. -
3:57 - 4:00They allowed themselves
a few mistakes along the way. -
4:00 - 4:02As you can see here,
there's some direct light on the floor, -
4:02 - 4:05but they could easily figure out
where that comes from. -
4:05 - 4:10And they allow people in that building
to really enjoy the sun, -
4:10 - 4:12the good part of the sun.
-
4:13 - 4:17And enjoying the sun
can be in many different ways, of course. -
4:17 - 4:19It can be just like this,
-
4:19 - 4:22or maybe like this,
which is rather peculiar, -
4:22 - 4:24but this is in 1963 --
-
4:24 - 4:28the viewing of a sun eclipse
in the United States. -
4:28 - 4:30And it's just a bit bright up there,
-
4:30 - 4:34so these people have found
a very intriguing solution. -
4:34 - 4:37This is, I think, a very illustrative
image of what I try to say -- -
4:37 - 4:42that the beautiful dynamics of sun,
bringing these into the building, -
4:42 - 4:47creates a quality of our built environment
that truly enhances our lives. -
4:48 - 4:50And this is all about darkness
-
4:50 - 4:52as much as it is
about lightness, of course, -
4:52 - 4:54because otherwise
you don't see these dynamics. -
4:55 - 4:57As opposed to the first office
-
4:57 - 4:59that I showed you
in the beginning of the talk, -
4:59 - 5:02this is a well-known office,
which is the Weidt Group. -
5:02 - 5:06They are in green energy consulting,
or something like that. -
5:06 - 5:08And they really practice what they preach
-
5:08 - 5:11because this office doesn't have
any electric lighting at all. -
5:11 - 5:15It has only, on one side,
this big, big glass window -
5:15 - 5:19that helps to let the sunlight
enter deep into the space -
5:19 - 5:22and create a beautiful quality there
and a great dynamic range. -
5:22 - 5:24So it can be very dim over there,
and you do your work, -
5:24 - 5:27and it can be very bright over there,
and you do your work. -
5:27 - 5:31But actually, the human eye
turns out to be remarkably adaptable -
5:31 - 5:35to all these different light conditions
that together create an environment -
5:35 - 5:37that is never boring
and that is never dull, -
5:37 - 5:40and therefore helps us
to enhance our lives. -
5:42 - 5:45I really owe a short introduction
of this man to you. -
5:45 - 5:49This is Richard Kelly
who was born 100 years ago, -
5:49 - 5:53which is the reason I bring him up now,
because it's kind of an anniversary year. -
5:53 - 5:58In the 1930s, Richard Kelly
was the first person to really describe -
5:58 - 6:00a methodology of modern lighting design.
-
6:00 - 6:02And he coined three terms,
-
6:02 - 6:05which are "focal glow,"
"ambient luminescence" -
6:05 - 6:08and "play of the brilliants" --
-
6:08 - 6:12three very distinctly different
ideas about light in architecture -
6:12 - 6:15that all together
make up this beautiful experience. -
6:15 - 6:17So to begin with, focal glow.
-
6:17 - 6:19He meant something like this --
-
6:19 - 6:21where the light
gives direction to the space -
6:21 - 6:23and helps you to get around.
-
6:23 - 6:24Or something like this,
-
6:24 - 6:27which is the lighting design
he did for General Motors, -
6:27 - 6:28for the car showroom.
-
6:28 - 6:29And you enter that space,
-
6:29 - 6:33and you feel like,
"Wow! This is so impressive," -
6:33 - 6:36just because of this focal point,
this huge light source in the middle. -
6:37 - 6:39To me, it is something from theater,
-
6:39 - 6:41and I will get back to that
a little bit later. -
6:41 - 6:44It's the spotlight on the artist
that helps you to focus. -
6:45 - 6:48It could also be the sunlight
that breaks through the clouds -
6:48 - 6:50and lights up a patch of the land,
-
6:50 - 6:54highlighting it
compared to the dim environment. -
6:55 - 6:59Or it can be in today's retail,
in the shopping environment -- -
6:59 - 7:02lighting the merchandise and creating
accents that help you to get around. -
7:03 - 7:05Ambient luminescence
is something very different. -
7:06 - 7:09Richard Kelly saw it
as something infinite, -
7:09 - 7:12something without any focus,
-
7:12 - 7:15something where all details
actually dissolve in infinity. -
7:16 - 7:22And I see it as a very comfortable kind
of light that really helps us to relax -
7:22 - 7:24and to contemplate.
-
7:24 - 7:26It could also be something like this:
-
7:26 - 7:28the National Museum of Science in London,
-
7:28 - 7:33where this blue is embracing
all the exhibitions and galleries -
7:33 - 7:35in one large gesture.
-
7:35 - 7:37And then finally,
-
7:37 - 7:39Kelly's play of brilliants added to that
-
7:39 - 7:42really some play, I think,
of the skyline of Hong Kong, -
7:42 - 7:45or perhaps the chandelier
in the opera house, -
7:45 - 7:46or in the theater here,
-
7:46 - 7:51which is the decoration,
the icing on the cake, something playful, -
7:51 - 7:58something that is just an addition
to the architectural environment, -
7:58 - 7:59I would say.
-
7:59 - 8:01These three distinct elements, together,
-
8:01 - 8:05make a lighting environment
that helps us to feel better. -
8:05 - 8:07And we can only
create these out of darkness. -
8:07 - 8:09And I will explain that further.
-
8:09 - 8:12And I guess that is something
that Richard Kelly, here on the left, -
8:12 - 8:15was explaining
to Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe. -
8:15 - 8:17And behind them,
you see that Seagram Building -
8:17 - 8:22that later turned into an icon
of modern lighting design. -
8:23 - 8:25Those times, there were
some early attempts -
8:25 - 8:27also for light therapy already.
-
8:27 - 8:28You can see here a photo
-
8:28 - 8:30from the United States
Library of Medicine, -
8:30 - 8:33where people are put
in the sun to get better. -
8:35 - 8:38It's a little bit of a different story,
this health aspect of light, -
8:38 - 8:41than what I'm telling you today.
-
8:41 - 8:43In today's modern medicine,
-
8:43 - 8:50there is a real understanding of light
in an almost biochemical way. -
8:51 - 8:56And there is the idea
that, when we look at things, -
8:56 - 8:58it is the yellow light
that helps us the most, -
8:58 - 9:00that we are the most sensitive for.
-
9:00 - 9:02But our circadian rhythms,
-
9:02 - 9:05which are the rhythms
that help us to wake and sleep -
9:05 - 9:08and be alert and relaxed
and so forth and so on, -
9:08 - 9:10they are much more triggered
by blue light. -
9:10 - 9:14And by modulating the amount
of blue in our environment, -
9:14 - 9:17we can help people
to relax, or to be alert, -
9:17 - 9:19to fall asleep, or to stay awake.
-
9:19 - 9:26And that is how, maybe in the near future,
light can help hospitals -
9:26 - 9:31to make people better sooner,
recover them quicker. -
9:31 - 9:34Maybe in the airplane,
we can overcome jet lag like that. -
9:34 - 9:38Perhaps in school,
we can help children to learn better -
9:38 - 9:40because they concentrate more
on their work. -
9:40 - 9:43And you can imagine
a lot more applications. -
9:43 - 9:45But I would like to talk further
-
9:45 - 9:50about the combination
of light and darkness -
9:50 - 9:52as a quality in our life.
-
9:54 - 9:57So light is, of course,
for social interaction also -- -
9:57 - 10:01to create relationships
with all the features around us. -
10:01 - 10:03It is the place where we gather around
-
10:03 - 10:06when we have to say something
to each other. -
10:06 - 10:08And it is all about this planet.
-
10:08 - 10:10But when you look at this planet at night,
-
10:10 - 10:12it looks like this.
-
10:12 - 10:15And I think this is the most shocking
image in my talk today. -
10:15 - 10:19Because all this light here
goes up to the sky. -
10:19 - 10:24It never reaches the ground
where it was meant for. -
10:24 - 10:26It never is to the benefit of people.
-
10:26 - 10:28It only spoils the darkness.
-
10:28 - 10:31So at a global scale, it looks like this.
-
10:31 - 10:34And, I mean, that is quite amazing,
what you see here -- -
10:34 - 10:40how much light goes up into the sky
and never reaches the ground. -
10:40 - 10:42Because if we look at the Earth
the way it should be, -
10:42 - 10:46it would be something
like this very inspiring image -
10:46 - 10:50where darkness is for our imagination
and for contemplation -
10:50 - 10:53and to help us to relate to everything.
-
10:54 - 10:55The world is changing though,
-
10:55 - 10:58and urbanization
is a big driver of everything. -
10:58 - 11:00I took this photo
two weeks ago in Guangzhou, -
11:00 - 11:02and I realized that 10 years ago,
-
11:02 - 11:05there was nothing like this,
of these buildings. -
11:06 - 11:08It was just a much smaller city,
-
11:08 - 11:11and the pace of urbanization
is incredible and enormous. -
11:11 - 11:15And we have to understand
these main questions: -
11:15 - 11:18How do people move
through these new urban spaces? -
11:19 - 11:21How do they share their culture?
-
11:21 - 11:23How do we tackle things like mobility?
-
11:23 - 11:24And how can light help there?
-
11:24 - 11:26Because the new technologies,
-
11:26 - 11:28they seem to be
in a really interesting position -
11:28 - 11:32to contribute to the solutions
of urbanization -
11:32 - 11:35and to provide us
with better environments. -
11:36 - 11:37It's not that long ago
-
11:37 - 11:41that our lighting was just done
with these kinds of lamps. -
11:41 - 11:43And of course,
we had the metal-halide lamps -
11:43 - 11:45and fluorescent lamps
and things like that. -
11:45 - 11:47Now we have LED,
-
11:47 - 11:51but here you see the latest one,
and you see how incredibly small it is. -
11:51 - 11:54And this is exactly
what offers us a unique opportunity, -
11:54 - 11:58because this tiny, tiny size allows us
-
11:58 - 12:00to put the light
wherever we really need it. -
12:00 - 12:03And we can actually leave it out
where it's not needed at all -
12:03 - 12:05and where we can preserve darkness.
-
12:05 - 12:07So that is a really interesting
proposition, I think, -
12:07 - 12:11and a new way of lighting
the architectural environment -
12:11 - 12:12with our well-being in mind.
-
12:13 - 12:17The problem is, though, that I wanted
to explain to you how this really works -- -
12:17 - 12:19but I can have four of these on my finger,
-
12:19 - 12:22so you would not be able
to really see them. -
12:22 - 12:25So I asked our laboratory
to do something about it, -
12:25 - 12:27and they said,
"Well, we can do something." -
12:27 - 12:29They created for me
the biggest LED in the world -
12:29 - 12:31especially for TEDx in Amsterdam.
-
12:31 - 12:33So here it is.
-
12:33 - 12:35It's the same thing
as you can see over there -- -
12:35 - 12:37just 200 times bigger.
-
12:37 - 12:40And I will very quickly
show you how it works. -
12:40 - 12:42So just to explain.
-
12:43 - 12:48Now, every LED that is made
these days gives blue light. -
12:48 - 12:53Now, this is not very pleasant
and comfortable. -
12:53 - 12:59And for that reason,
we cover the LED with a phosphor cap. -
12:59 - 13:01And the phosphor is excited by the blue
-
13:01 - 13:05and makes the light white
and warm and pleasant. -
13:05 - 13:07And then when you add the lens to that,
-
13:07 - 13:11you can bundle the light
and send it wherever you need it -
13:11 - 13:15without any need to spill any light
to the sky or anywhere else. -
13:15 - 13:18So you can preserve the darkness
and make the light. -
13:18 - 13:22I just wanted to show that to you
so you understand how this works. -
13:22 - 13:24(Applause)
-
13:24 - 13:25Thank you.
-
13:25 - 13:26(Applause)
-
13:26 - 13:27We can go further.
-
13:27 - 13:31So we have to rethink
the way we light our cities. -
13:31 - 13:35We have to think again
about light as a default solution. -
13:35 - 13:38Why are all these motorways
permanently lit? -
13:38 - 13:40Is it really needed?
-
13:40 - 13:42Can we maybe be much more selective
-
13:42 - 13:45and create better environments
that also benefit from darkness? -
13:45 - 13:47Can we be much more gentle with light?
-
13:47 - 13:49Like here -- this is
a very low light level actually. -
13:49 - 13:53Can we engage people more
in the lighting projects that we create, -
13:53 - 13:56so they really want
to connect with it, like here? -
13:56 - 13:58Or can we create simply sculptures
-
13:58 - 14:01that are very inspiring
to be in and to be around? -
14:01 - 14:03And can we preserve the darkness?
-
14:03 - 14:05Because to find a place
like this today on Earth -
14:05 - 14:08is really very, very challenging.
-
14:08 - 14:11And to find a starry sky like this
is even more difficult. -
14:11 - 14:14Even in the oceans,
we are creating a lot of light -
14:14 - 14:16that we could actually ban
-
14:16 - 14:21also for animal life
to have a much greater well-being. -
14:22 - 14:25And it's known that migrating birds,
for example, get very disoriented -
14:25 - 14:26because of these offshore platforms.
-
14:26 - 14:29And we discovered that
when we make those lights green, -
14:29 - 14:31the birds, they actually go the right way.
-
14:31 - 14:33They are not disturbed anymore.
-
14:33 - 14:35And it turns out once again
-
14:35 - 14:39that spectral sensitivity
is very important here. -
14:40 - 14:42In all of these examples, I think,
-
14:42 - 14:45we should start making
the light out of darkness, -
14:45 - 14:50and use the darkness as a canvas --
like the visual artists do, -
14:50 - 14:52like Edward Hopper in this painting.
-
14:52 - 14:55I think that there is
a lot of suspense in this painting. -
14:55 - 14:59I think, when I see it,
I start to think, who are those people? -
14:59 - 15:01Where have they come from?
Where are they going? -
15:01 - 15:02What just happened?
-
15:02 - 15:05What will be happening
in the next five minutes? -
15:05 - 15:08And it only embodies
all these stories and all this suspense -
15:08 - 15:09because of the darkness and the light.
-
15:09 - 15:11Edward Hopper was a real master
-
15:11 - 15:15in creating the narration
by working with light and dark. -
15:15 - 15:16And we can learn from that
-
15:16 - 15:19and create more interesting
and inspiring architectural environments. -
15:20 - 15:22We can do that in commercial
spaces like this. -
15:22 - 15:25And you can still also go outside
-
15:25 - 15:30and enjoy the greatest show
in the universe, -
15:30 - 15:33which is, of course, the universe itself.
-
15:34 - 15:40So I give you this wonderful,
informative image of the sky, -
15:40 - 15:42ranging from the inner city,
-
15:42 - 15:45where you may see one or two stars
and nothing else, -
15:45 - 15:47all the way to the rural environments,
-
15:47 - 15:52where you can enjoy this great
and gorgeous and beautiful performance -
15:52 - 15:54of the constellations and the stars.
-
15:55 - 15:58In architecture, it works just the same.
-
15:58 - 16:02By appreciating the darkness
when you design the light, -
16:02 - 16:04you create much more
interesting environments -
16:04 - 16:06that truly enhance our lives.
-
16:06 - 16:11This is the most well-known example,
Tadao Ando's Church of the Light. -
16:11 - 16:16But I also think
of Peter Zumthor's spa in Vals, -
16:16 - 16:20where light and dark,
in very gentle combinations, -
16:20 - 16:22alter each other to define the space.
-
16:22 - 16:25Or Richard MacCormac's
Southwark tube station in London, -
16:25 - 16:29where you can really see the sky,
even though you are under the ground. -
16:29 - 16:31And finally, I want to point out
-
16:31 - 16:34that a lot of this inspiration
comes from theater. -
16:34 - 16:38And I think it's fantastic
that we are today experiencing TEDx -
16:38 - 16:40in a theater for the first time
-
16:40 - 16:45because I think we really owe
to the theater a big thanks. -
16:45 - 16:47It wouldn't be
such an inspiring scenography -
16:47 - 16:49without this theater.
-
16:49 - 16:55And I think the theater is a place
where we truly enhance life with light. -
16:55 - 16:57Thank you very much.
-
16:57 - 16:59(Applause)
- Title:
- Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam
- Description:
-
Lighting architect Rogier van der Heide offers a beautiful new way to look at the world -- by paying attention to light (and to darkness). Examples from classic buildings illustrate a deeply thought-out vision of the play of light around us.
"This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx"
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 17:04
Ivana Korom approved English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
Ivana Korom accepted English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for Why light needs darkness | Rogier van der Heide | TEDxAmsterdam |