Façade Lighting may be defined as “Illumination of the Exterior façade of a Building, Monument or a Landmark”. At ‘The Ministry of Light’ we simply define Facade Lighting as ‘Building Architecture by Night’. An Architect/Façade consultant visualises & designs the Building Façade primarily considering how the Building architecture will be perceived in the Daytime, while a Lighting Architect defines its Architecture by Night or ‘Night-time Architecture’. Façade Lighting can either highlight & accentuate the Architectural elements of a Building Façade at night, or can completely transform the Building Architecture through Abstract or Dynamic Lighting Concepts which could be a complete contrast to its Daytime Architecture.
Hence, Façade Lighting techniques may be categorised into Floodlighting, Accent Lighting & Abstract Lighting design. Floodlighting and Accent Lighting Techniques are primarily used in Façade Lighting of Traditional Architecture, while Accent Lighting & Abstract Lighting techniques are predominantly used in the Façade Lighting of Modern Architecture. In today’s world, with Green Buildings & Green Architecture gaining popularity, Flood lighting a Building façade is no more a viable option, as it leads to large scale ‘Light Pollution’ at Night. With the Advent of LEDs, miniaturisation of luminaires has now become possible & hence Accent Lighting techniques have gained popularity over Floodlighting especially in Traditional Building Architecture. This technique minimises the Light pollution tremendously as the Light Beams can be well controlled & all the Intricacies of the Architecture can be better highlighted.
For Modern Building Architecture with Glass & ALUCOBOND cladding, a combination of Accent Lighting design, Abstract Lighting design & Dynamic Façade Lighting/Media Façades is the best approach depending of the Building Architecture & Aspirations of the Builder in promoting the Building. One of the primary aspects to keep in mind while designing the Façade Lighting of a Building is the Robustness of the Luminaires used in the Design, as Façade Lighting is like a Piece of Art & even One failed luminaire on a Building Facade can spoil the Overall ‘Night-time Architecture’ of the Building. In a world highly concerned over carbon emissions, global warming, sustainable design and light pollution, the planned use of artificial light on building envelopes has become of paramount importance and strategy to improve energy efficiency by minimizing lighting, introduction of innovative, advanced facade lighting systems that can considerably reduce building’s electricity consumption and have significantly improved the quality of light indoors and in the outdoor environment. So it is important to have an experienced Lighting Design Consultant on such projects, who understands the different qualities of Luminaires available in the market, and which Luminaires best suit a Façade Lighting Concept based on Luminaire Optics & Beam angles, Robustness & Maintenance free performance at least over a 10 year period. We, at ‘The Ministry of Light’ have successfully Designed & Commissioned over 100+ Façade Lighting projects across the Globe over the past 15 years, which are Landmarks in many Cities like Hong Kong, Mumbai, Dubai, Duhok, Muscat, Goa, Pune, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai & Bangalore. Some of the famous landmarks that we have Designed the Lighting for include the J.P.Morgan Chase Office – Hong Kong, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel - Mumbai, Saifee Hospital - Mumbai, Casino Pride - Goa, Kanakia Paris - Mumbai, Oneness Temple - Chittoor, TCS Siruseri Park-Chennai, Saligaon Church-Goa, TCS Sahyadri Park-Pune, American University – Duhok, Iraq, RWITC - Mumbai, Adani Corporate House-Ahmedabad, Mantralaya - Mumbai, Burjuman Mall - Dubai etc. The Ministry of Light aims at shaping the Nightscapes of Cities, it’s Architectural landmarks, it’s Infrastructure & it’s Communities through our Unique lighting concepts that can transform an anonymous Building Infrastructure into a Lighting landmark which convey the Values, Beliefs & Culture of the City & its citizens.