Blue glass at church
Light at monastery
Light above statue at Pre-Colombian Art Museum
Some of my favorite buildings that we saw on this trip were the monastery, the church, the pre Colombian art museum. A common theme in these buildings was the play of light. Each one of these buildings created three completely different atmospheres using unique techniques.
The Pre-Colombian Art Museum is a dark space due to the black painted walls. In the basement, the architect light the space with artificial lights. He was very particular in choosing the color, type and intensity of light. On the handrail he used a continuous light to take people down to the basement. Above the statues he used artificial light that was reflected on wood to soften the harsh light. These materials and lights allowed for a dark and heavy space.
The Benedictine monastery is the complete opposite experience of the Pre-Colombian Art Museum. The monastery is made of a series of planes that are pulled apart to allow for light to come through. In some instances, like in the side walls, 4’ of the bottom wall is pulled in creating a slip for light to get in. The entire space is white with sublime light washing over the interior of the building and showing Gods’ presence.
Lastly, the church at the university used a combination of natural and artificial lights. They used artificial light on the floating roof and angled slits on the wall to bring in natural light. Additionally they used colored glass to transform the natural light into a intense blue light. This church also had a sublime effect but it was created more by the color than the puncture of light through the space.
By far, my favorite play of light that you mentioned was at the Benedictine Monastery because of how light played a brilliant role in accentuating some part of the structure, everywhere you looked. From outside of the building, you may not be able to tell how much light it would actually let in to the interior because it appears to be a mostly solid facade. However, natural light floods the interior space and reflects off of the stark white walls, creating a brilliantly bright and well-lit space. Also, another way the light plays an important role with the building is the way that the windows are positioned to highlight pieces in the monastery; for instance, the way that the windows illuminate the back walls of alter and the statue of Mary and Jesus on the back wall. To me, the way light was used in the site was ingenious and awe-inspiring.
Insightful analysis and comparison between the three spaces and their play and interaction of light.