licht.wissen No. 11 "Good Lighting for Hotels and Restaurants"

Rooms and suites
It is particularly important in a hotel room
or suite to ensure that the lighting is
planned with the interior design and the
furnishings of the room in mind.
This is because the illuminance required
depends on the reflectance of the surfaces
of walls, ceiling, floor and furniture.
One factor defining the impression a room
makes is the distribution of luminance, i.e.
the perceived brightness of surfaces in the
room.
Dark woods, carpets and fabrics require a
higher level of illuminance for good visual
conditions.
The human eye adjusts automatically to different
luminance levels (adaptation). Where
levels differ too much, however, the constant
need to adapt and re-adapt gives rise
to visual fatigue.
Direction of light and modelling impact on
the visual information we receive about the
details of furnishings in a room. The design
target here is balanced modelling with soft
brightness contrasts.
Harsh deep shadows create an impression
of dynamism, which should be avoided in
a hotel room or suite.
Too little modelling, however, impairs 3D
vision and makes for visual monotony.
Light directed onto walls and ceilings
makes rooms seem larger.
Any form of glare interferes with our sense
of wellbeing. So, direct glare due to excessively
bright lamps or luminaires and indirect
glare caused by reflections should at
least be avoided along principal lines of
vision.
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