Integrated: A Cultural History of the “Non-Detail”
Light reveals architectural form and space. This notion sounds prosaic, eternal, almost trite, yet the practice to evenly and clearly illuminate architectural surfaces through fully integrated lighting hardware is a relatively recent phenomenon, architecturally speaking. At the IALD Enlighten Americas Conference this past fall in San Diego, Associate Principal Dan Weissman and Senior Lighting Designer Srushti Totadri presented “Integrated: A Cultural History of the ‘Non-Detail” – referring to coves, slots, and illuminated planes that avoid any visible light source and have come to define modern and contemporary architecture. The presentation unpacked a historical narrative and psychological investigation into the inner workings of these ubiquitous details, how they aid in our perception of architectural space and bring the outdoors in, while questioning their ubiquity and use as a motif in contemporary lighting design.
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