general illuminance is increased. Increasing
intensities reduce anonymity and bring
people together because facial expressions
and gestures are more clearly perceptible
(figure 2.16).
Private space suggests separating
people and keeping them apart. Shadow
and silhouette reinforce feelings of detach-
ment and privacy because these lighting
techniques inhibit the ability to perceive pre-
cise facial detail; even nearby individuals
become more anonymous (figure 2.17).
In a crowded space, when it is impossi-
ble to separate people physically by dis-
tance, it is possible to separate them visually
by lighting. This technique is often used in
cocktail lounges, fine restaurants, and
reception rooms.Impressions of pleasantness
Flynn also found that the nonuniform bright-
ness produced by a downward concentrating
lighting system rates more favorably than the
uniform brightness produced by a diffuse
system. The nonuniform brightness is rated
as more “friendly,” “pleasant,” “sociable,”
and “interesting” (figure 2.18). Differences
in the quantity of horizontal illuminance from
overhead systems exert negligible influence
on impressions of pleasantness.INTERIOR LIGHTING FOR DESIGNERS
Figure 2.18Impressions of pleasantness.