Lighting fixtures LED Applications

Lighting in cultural institutions: museums and libraries

Lighting in cultural institutions such as museums, art galleries, or libraries plays a crucial role. In today's times, lighting technologies enable not only the spectacular highlighting of aesthetic values, but also the creation of pleasant and atmospheric spaces that meet formal requirements.

Lighting in cultural institutions: museums and libraries - 1

LED lighting in cultural institutions 

One of the key aspects when choosing lighting will be issues of energy efficiency, control over light intensity, and its colour. All these features are offered by LED solutions. Why is this so important? Not only for aesthetic or financial reasons. 
Lighting should be adapted to the specifics of a given space. In libraries, evenly distributed lighting is crucial, which does not strain the eyes of readers. Additionally, for facilities with paper collections, the use of low-UV radiation lighting is essential to protect against fading and degradation. In museums and art galleries, on the other hand, a balance between general and spot lighting is important, emphasising specific exhibits. Often, each of these institutions needs to be approached very individually and quite flexibly. Standard luminaires may not meet formal requirements and individual recommendations. 

Lighting for museums and art galleries – personalised LED luminaires

When designing lighting for museums, one must take into account the specificity of this space. Lamps are not only used to highlight exhibits. It is a place for exploration, but also for organising workshops or meetings. 
Paintings, sculptures, or documents require varied conditions for their display and storage. Systems for regulating intensity and direction of light will be helpful when changing exhibitions. The use of additional lighting focuses visitors' attention on specific exhibits – gentle, warm light undoubtedly influences emotions and experiences. Ideal in these cases are rail-mounted luminaires – each exhibition, and even each exhibit, may have different lighting requirements. Rail-mounted luminaires allow projectors to be changed freely. Often, rail-mounted luminaires are also individually made for a specific exhibit. This is where our Polish Kanlux factory with its HIERRO luminaires, our lighting designers and constructors, who are in contact with monument conservators and exhibition curators, come to our aid. Sometimes, behind a lamp illuminating a painting or sculpture, there are long hours of work by a team of people.

Did you know that...?

At Kanlux, we designed lighting for historical shops "Jatki Miejskie", at the museum in Rawa Mazowiecka. We chose Kanlux ALIN LED fixtures for this project. It was essential not only to emphasise the character of this place, but also to meet formal requirements – the fixtures had to match the type of investment. The whole is in white and wood, so we had to match lamps that would blend in. Kanlux ALIN LED fixtures are created with the highest quality components in the Polish Kanlux factory. They can be personalised – you can choose the length of the fixture, the mounting method, the type of shade, and the colour temperature. Thanks to this solution, each room retained a unique character, and the lighting met the needs of visitors while maintaining formal requirements and visual coherence. 
Read also: Illumination of the Museum of Rawa Land

Lighting in libraries – remote control system

Libraries are a place where lighting plays a crucial role – some people come not only to borrow books but also to read, view art exhibitions, take notes, or meet authors. Therefore, it is worth taking care of well-matched lighting. 
It also plays a crucial role in maintaining safe conditions for book collections. LEDs are particularly advantageous because they do not generate heat or UV radiation, which can negatively affect the condition of paper and ink in books. Moreover, the light intensity control allows the lighting to be adapted to different areas of the library.

Did you know that...?

Kanlux took care of the lighting in the library in Kórnik, where we used Kanlux ALIN LED luminaires equipped with an intelligent DALI lighting control system.
Kanlux ALIN LED can be installed in three versions – pendant, surface-mounted, or flush-mounted luminaires. The louvre shade eliminates the glare effect. It is a premium-class product – the highest quality OSRAM LED modules and power supply ensure durability. The DALI control system allows light intensity control and motion detection for easy adjustment. 
See also: Light in the service of knowledge –lighting of the Library in Kórnik

Lighting in cultural institutions is not only a question of aesthetics, but also of safety and protection of collections. The use of modern technologies, such as LED lighting, allows achieving a balance between presenting exhibits and their protection. When designing lighting, it is worth taking into account the specific characteristics of the institution, adapting solutions to the type of collections or the nature of the space. Optimal lighting not only promotes better understanding of the content presented, but also affects the emotion and comfort of being in the room. 
Would you like to see how you can customise lighting to your preferences? Check out our Kanlux Factory product configurator. 

 


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