This presentation focuses on the cultural aspects of lighting design in Islamic and Middle Eastern architecture. It discusses the cultural values that influence the need for natural and artificial lighting in Middle Eastern countries. Several solutions were available to provide natural lighting in traditional environments; i.e. courtyards, mushrabiyas, and lighting wells. Cultural values, such as privacy and gender segregation affect the need for natural and artificial lighting sources. I argue that users’ sensory experiences are affected by these cultural backgrounds. The understanding of the importance of good lighting design in urban areas, buildings and interiors is increasing. Light is fundamental for architecture and essential for human well-being. Lighting quality affects human behavior, comfort, health, efficiency, safety and security.

1. The Middle East 3rd Lighting Solutions Conference
26th April 2011
PALME Conference Room, Sheikh Saeed Hall
Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre

2.  Introduction
 The Significance of Lighting in
Culture.
 Traditional Lighting Solutions.
 Cultural Values in Users Sensory
Experiences.
 Cultural Impacts on Lighting
Design.
 Lighting and the Emerging
Culture of Branding.
 Sustainability and Lighting
Design: Conflicting Factors.

3. Functionality, environmental concerns and cultural aspects are all
issues, which need to be taken into consideration by today’s
leading lighting designers, and this is certainly true of the lighting
trends currently emerging in the Middle East.
KELLY LEWIS

4.  This presentation focuses
on the cultural aspects in
lighting design in Islamic
and Middle Eastern
architecture.
 It discusses the cultural
values that influence the
need for natural and
artificial lighting.

5.  Design is a culture-making
process in which ideas,
values, norms and beliefs
are spatially and
symbolically expressed in
the environment to create
new cultural forms and
meanings.

6.  Cultural backgrounds
influence people’s
perceptions of natural and
artificial light .
 Cultural aspects of design
focus on the complex
relationship, interaction
and correspondence
between cultural processes
and principles of design.

7.  Light, as opposed to dark,
carries significant meanings
in Islamic and Middle
Eastern cultures.
 God (Allah) is described in
the Quran as ”the light
sources of heavens and
earth”.
 Light carries positive values
as opposed to the negative
values of darkness.

8.  The understanding of the
importance of good lighting
design in urban areas,
public buildings and
interiors is increasing.

9.  Lighting design in
multicultural settings
should consider different
cultural backgrounds.
 In contemporary global
cities, multicultural
interactions are common in
many urban spaces.

10.  Light is fundamental for
architecture and essential
for human well-being.
 Lighting quality affects
human behavior, comfort,
health, efficiency, safety
and security.

11.  Lighting provides an
exciting human experience
of spaces and artifacts.

12.  Lighting or illumination is
the deliberate application
of light to achieve some
aesthetic or practical effect.
 Lighting includes use of
both artificial light sources
such as lamps and natural
illumination of interiors
from daylight.

13.  Lighting can also be an
intrinsic component of
landscaping.
Aspire Zone, Doha, Qatar
The Pearl, Doha, Qatar

14.  Several solutions were
available to provide natural
lighting in traditional
environments; i.e.
courtyards, mushrabiyas,
and lighting wells.

15.  Cultural values, such as
privacy and gender
segregation affect the need
for natural and artificial
lighting sources.
 Users’ sensory experiences
were affected by these
cultural backgrounds.

16. Lantern used for the
interior lighting in the
night
Windows for natural
lighting with wooden
patterns

17. Openings for
natural lighting &
natural ventilation
Windows ,with
steel bars, for
Openings for
safety reasons
natural lighting &
natural ventilation

18.  Traditional interior spaces
incorporated natural and
artificial lighting to provide
spaces of social interaction
with adequate lighting
levels.

19.  Artificial lighting is most
commonly provided today
by electric lights, but gas
lighting, candles, or oil
lamps were used in the
past, and still are used in
certain situations.
 Alfanar was the oldest
instrument used. The flame
was usually kept inside a
glass vessel.

21.  Natural and artificial
lighting design for mosques
and places of worship
enhance the individuals and
groups sensory experience.

22.  Privacy, visibility, and social
relationships impact the
design of artificial lighting
of traditional and neo-
traditional spaces.

23.  Private celebrations,
and weddings usually
require lighting to
announce the event for
others.

24.  Tall buildings are source of
pride and identity for many
emerging countries in the
Middle East.
 Aside from providing
sufficient lighting for
interior spaces, their
exterior lighting enhances
their manifestation at
night.

26.  Proper lighting can enhance
task performance or
aesthetics, while there can
be energy wastage and
adverse health effects of
poorly designed lighting.

27.  Day lighting (through
windows, skylights, etc.) is
often used as the main
source of light during
daytime in buildings given
its high quality and low
cost.

28.  Artificial lighting represents
a major component of
energy consumption,
accounting for a significant
part of all energy consumed
worldwide.

29.  Light is life, without light
we can’t or enjoy the
wonderful objects and
colors around us.
 Different sources of light
produce different sensory
and existential experiences.