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dynamism through directed tracks of light, the progression
of intensity or the distribution of illumination, for example,
side lighting, or light that trickles downward, becoming
weaker lower down, thereby directing an expectant, upwards
gesture.- From harsh white light to warm lamplight, the quality
of light is shaped by colour. Louis I. Kahn, however, argued:
‘Artificial light is the light of night expressed in positioned
chandeliers not to be compared with the unpredictable play
of natural light ...’ (Büttiker 1993, 36) The quality of day-
light, on the other hand, is dependent upon cardinal direc-
tion: with its freshness, the greyish-yellow eastern light that
falls from a lower angle, with its soft shadows, is appropriate
to awakening; the southern light displays clear colours, casts
strong, sharp shadows, and promotes activity; the golden-
orange western light penetrates deeply into the house, an-
nouncing the close of the day; the pale, grey northern light, by
contrast, seems sober, neutral and diffuse. Daylight, moreover,
has contrasting regional characteristics. Mediterranean light
is strikingly different from that of northern Europe, and both
strongly shape the singular personalities of towns and land-
scapes in the respective regions.
The regulation of light intensity allows an infinite
number of nuances to create transitions between brightness
and darkness. Yet Louis I. Kahn believed that ‘Even a space
intended to be dark should have just enough light from some
mysterious opening to tell us how dark it really is.’ (Büttiker
1993, 36) Gradations of intensity can be created by filtered or
reflected light, i.e. by grilles or lamellae, by brise-soleils which
break up the sunlight without blocking it, by translucent cov-
erings such as curtains, or by shoji, which also serve as pro-
jection surfaces for the play of shadows from the other side.
Nontransparent windows like the diaphanous surfaces of the
Gothic era serve as luminous walls through which a church
interior appears as though encased in an envelope of light
(Jantzen 1957). Deflection allows light to enter a room indi-