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Valeria Bencardino/IT/UK

Capturing the lost pattern of natural light and shadows inside the museum

Presentation date: 26. October
Presentation time: 17:15

Curating natural light in the museum is one of the biggest problems designers need to deal with and forms the basis for the “Capturing the lost pattern of natural light and shadows inside the museum” project.

Taking the museum as its primary space, the project considers the importance of shadows in the creation and experience of three-dimensional objects. The research project focuses on the Grand Gallery inside the National Museum of Scotland, but can be adapted to similar spaces or structures.

To solve the issue of direct sunlight inside cultural buildings, rectangular translucent panels were designed on a virtual grid and suspended from the rooftop. The textured panels are responsive to the angle and intensity of the sun’s rays and work as a solar device to deal with the complex system of the sun’s path.

“Capturing the lost pattern of natural light and shadows inside the museum” literally catches shadows over time and the seasons, lifting them from the surfaces of the museum.

By diffusing natural light, sensitive objects can remain in the gallery and people can enjoy the art and movement of shadow. Moreover, during the night a series of spotlights and projectors light up panels through a sequence of colours, generating new compositions of shadows.

Valeria Bencardino/IT/UK, LightMedium

Valeria Bencardino studied Architecture at La Sapienza University in Rome from 2007 to 2015 and passed the State Exam of Architects for Architects in Italy in September 2015. She worked for WireframLab Architecture & Graphics and A.M.G. Luxury Fabrics & Interior Design before embarking on her Master in Lighting Design at Edinburgh Napier University from 2017 to 2018. Valeria also ran her own studio StB studioBencardino Architecture and Forensic Engineering, but recently joined LightMedium as a full-time Lighting Designer.