Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

exciting experience in spite of the abundance
of daylight. In the event this proposal was
abandoned in favour of a flexible assembly of
large exhibits, and interactive video monitors.
To establish how much daylight would
enter the casemates in terms of the
percentage of natural light present in the
courtyard, studies were carried out under the
artificial sky at the Bartlett School of

Architecture. This simulated the effect of the

diffusing roof membrane.

Two studies were undertaken. The first was

for a casemate with no obstruction to the

daylight entering through the door opening.

In spite of the introduction of a small

obstruction within the casemate, the study

demonstrated that natural light passing

through a membrane with a 10 per cent

transmission factor would produce a daylight

factor (DF) of 1 per cent on the floor at the

far end of the casemate, resulting in light

levels far in excess of the 50 lux allowed. In a

second study, an obstruction placed 1 metre

inside the entrance resulted in substantially

reduced daylight levels within the interior.

Such obstructions, designed in various ways,

allow for a variety of presentations of non-

fugitive artefacts and graphics. The

introduction of the obstructions created

intermediate light lobbies, which materially

assisted in overcoming the problem of visual

adaptation on entering the casemates.

The lighting studies carried out at the

Bartlett greatly assisted the exhibition

designer, the positive outcome of this

cooperative design process has proved very

successful.

Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence 173

Plan of the relationship of the central courtyard with the surrounding casemates

SW Photography

Exterior of the tent structure

The central courtyard

SW Photography

SW Photography