Part II

We are directly and indirectly influenced by our surroundings. How do we react when we don' t find the right door. Afraid? Irritated? How can we create effects that express clear messages? As buildings become more complex, we need interiors whose "language" is both stimulating and informative. Have you heard of the forgotten room? You find it in the middle of schools, in hospitals, in old-people' s homes and in apartment buildings, in factories and offices, and, of course in many, many hotels as well. It runs like a long, narrow and badly-lit street inside the building without any contact with the changing seasons. I am referring to the corridor. This space has the function of linking all the surrounding rooms, and is therefore of great importance. It is however, the last area to be taken into consideration with regard to light, colour and furniture. Here we find the "practical" greys and browns which we are supposed to live with for the next fifty years. And the light? Of course the very economical solution of fluorescent tubes, which are considered to last forever. The illuminance level is constant, without the slightest degree of variation. Being an area devoid of daylight, it always gives the same impression. Day after day throughout the year we pass through the corridor without being able to sense the time of day or the season of the year. It is this changelessness which I think is the most unbearable and gives the impression of monotony. How do we react? Do we become grey with all the greys? Let me describe a well-known experiment performed in England. People from several professions were placed in three separate rooms. In the first room the walls were painted grey and the furniture was in disorder. The second room had the same colour, but the furniture was nicely arranged. In the third room both the colours and the arrangement of furniture were harmoniously selected. There were an equal number of people in each room and they were given the task of looking at a series of photographic portraits and dividing them into sympathetic faces and unsympathetic faces. The selection of photos was similar for all the groups. Most non-sympathetic faces were found in the first room and the group stayed there for the

shortest time. Those in the harmonious room found the greatest number of sympathetic portraits, and they spent more time on the experiment than the other groups. None of the people involved knew anything about the purpose of the test. Many experiments have been performed that have testified the impact of environment on our behaviour, and also on our health. Colour tests carried out by Richard K&uumlller are of special interest, demonstrating both physical and psychic reactions. Until now the main concern has been to furnish our interiors with sufficient light of a colour temperature close to that of daylight. However, one factor that characterizes natural light is variation. Throughout the day we are presented with a whole range of shades. In the corridor, as in all windowless rooms, this stimulus of life is absent. There is no substitute for daylight, but perhaps we can give artificial light the quality of variation? We need a type of fitting with which we can change both the colour and brightness and which is constructed in a way that permits us to illuminate a wall from the top down. In combination with separate wall elements, this might also make it possible to create shadows, because variation is the keyword in bringing the corridors in tune with our mind. With regard to making a corridor more attractive there are four points that might be considered: Door openings Wall elements Coloured light Interplay of light and shadow When working with stimulating effects it is important not to exaggerate. In the examples illustrated here I will demonstrate how the siting of doors can be varied and how the interplay of light and form influences our perception of the dimensions of a room. (Published in International Lighting Review 1989/2)