Lighting Historic Buildings

The purpose of this book is first to trace the history of daylighting and other sources of light, up to the end of the 19th century to show the effect light has had on the form of buildings; and second to establish how architects and designers today should approach the lighting of historic buildings in the context of present day technology. Historic buildings form a large part of the nation's heritage, whether used for their original purpose, as might be the case of a theatre, a railway terminus or house, where some modification may be required to meet its enhanced needs, whilst retaining the integrity of the original structure; or alternatively historic buildings where the use has completely changed and it is reasonable to assume that the functional requirements of the new will outweigh the needs of the old, as might be the case of a redundant building transformed for an entirely different use such as an art gallery. There are many such conversions, and once the decision has been made to use the building in this way, it should still be possible to retain something of the original integrity of the building, without compromising the needs of the culture. This book will provide knowledge and understanding of the issue of light in buildings of past periods, whilst providing a framework of how architects should approach such buildings today in the light of modern technology.