Publisher's Synopsis
The fourth Annual of Light and Architecture is considerably different from the first three editions. Itt theme of daylight is illustrated using the example of projects and ideas originating in the Bartenbach Lichtlabor in Aldrans near Innsbruck, Austria; Christina Bartenbach, the founder of this "light laboratory", is without doubt the doyen of European research into daylight.
Daylight is a very economical source of light, it is constantly being renewed and costs nothing. As such it is one of the most ecologically sound and important raw materials in building. But after years of artificially lit compact buildings architects are only gradually beginning to rediscover building with daylight. Yet glass fa?ades or transparent roofs alone do not constitute daylight architecture, regardless of the impression created by the glass–roofed shopping arcades and transparent halls of the last few years. Nor are complicated daylight distribution systems the last word in daylight architecture. What is required are new, different solutions which architects and lightning designers can work on together from the beginning of a project.
Such projects are in the minority. Generally Christian Bartenbach is only brought in after all decisions on design and construction have already been made. Yet more and more architects are turning to him as early as the competition stage. In this book several of these architects write about their work with Christian Bartenbach.
The Annual of Light and Architecture 1995 is not a picture book in the same way that the first volumes largely were. In parts it is the publication of the results of serious scientific research in the field of daylight, and by no means light reading. The Bartenbach Lichtlabor in Aldrans pursues ist own programme of daylight research, the results and applications of which form the focus of this book.
