Ephemeral Luminance: The Art of light-time stories

Beirut Arab University, Faculty of Architecture, Debbieh

Project idea

Light is more than a physical phenomenon; it’s an expressive language for storytelling. In this exhibition project, modular partitions are designed to be used in various ways, building blocks of illumination. Hence, this approach transcends static displays allowing for dynamicity, where the partitions’ arrangement shapes the message conveyed and awaits stories to be told.
To design immersive narratives with light, five factors are meticulously considered: partition placement guides visitors and defines focus, while light distance sculpts shadows, depth, and emphasis. Intensity, direction, and overall scale then weave emotions, drama, and intimacy or grandeur. Beyond mere visual perception, light is a utility of navigation, narration, and psychology.

Project description

The Narratives:
-Theme 01- The wayfinding experience "The Maze"
This narrative presents a novel approach to the concept of wayfinding in the act of play. Artificial light sources, powered by the PV films, are strategically distributed onto paths needing light. Arranged in a maze-like layout, different partitions are used to trick the user into choosing paths of dead ends; solid partitions block the passage of artificial light, while floating partitions allow soft, dim light to contour the visitor’s path. This creates a subconscious pull towards brighter areas – a primal instinct seeking safety from darkness. Defying these illusions, a reward unveils; a brilliant illuminated central space, the garden of light, awaits.

- Theme 02 -emotional spectrum OF light "The interplay of stability & instability"
This narrative depicts the interplay of stability and instability through a dynamic exploration of light. Visitors embark on a visually immersive journey, bathed in the steady, calming glow of a controlled light source, representing a sense of emotional stability. As they progress, the light deepens, before reaching a pivotal point - the breakpoint. Here, the immersive experience fractures, dispersing visitors and forcing a choice of path. Light disintegrates, plunging them into a state of uncertainty. Adapting to the fragmented environment, they navigate through an architectural labyrinth inspired by Le Corbusier's Ronchamp Chapel. Thick, hollow partitions, reminiscent of the chapel's walls, allow for light diffusion and the creation of a mesmerizing, subsurface light effect. Cone-shaped openings in these partitions channel slivers of light, further amplifying the sense of exploration.

-Theme 03- Storytelling with light "The Legend of Innana"
The narrative plunges visitors into Inanna's descent, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, as she defied the gods and ventured into the underworld. Each step mirrors the ruthless stripping of her divine power, that is translated into a blurring of sight with the gradual dimming of daylight for the visitor. Just as Inanna found herself trapped and powerless, visitors may find themselves disoriented losing spatial awareness. However, a spark of hope emerges, emphasizing the arrival of the divine messenger who aided her. As visitors navigate the structure with each step back towards the light, they reclaim a sense of control, just as Inanna reclaimed her stolen power. This journey is shaped by partition designs inspired by Richard Meier's deconstructed cubes. The play on the cube's form allows the narrative to unfold with each path crossed, while the varying scales of the openings reflect the depth and Inanna’s challenges.

Technical information

For this narrative flexibility to be achieved, three key parameters were adapted in the development of the different light events:
- Grid Structure:
This fixed form functions as a framework where the three narratives unfold. It consists of hollow steal columns and beams arranged onto the 3D grid forming units measuring 3*3*3 meters across the three axes. Then, interchangeable partitions, flat or tapered, are fixed onto these modular frames by tongue and groove mechanism.
- Materials:
Light is a core principle for material choosing, and so is sustainability; millions of tons of single-use plastic waste litter the ecosystem harming the biodiversity and hindering human health and wellbeing. Hence, recyclable plastic is utilized with unique light-transmitting properties; translucent plastic allowing the light to softly diffuse through the panels, creating a captivating and immersive experience. On the other hand, opaque plastic blocks light permitting its passage only through carved openings.
-LIGHT:
The narrative variations are further amplified by the light source itself whether it’s daylight or artificial. In two different scenarios, the power of direct sunlight is harnessed where the recycled plastic panels beautifully diffuse natural light, creating the desired storytelling effect. On the contrary, another scenario requires illumination beyond daylight hours; artificial light sources are integrated within some parts of the structural frame with covers surrounding them hence defusing light on a larger scale. However, for this latter to function, portable PV films are fixed inside the columns of the structure when not in use. In the daytime, they are unfolded to absorb solar energy using a heliotropism system.